<p>I'm 17, graduated from high school about a month ago 17th out of 25 (small class i know). My GPA and ACT scores are really nothing to brag about, but they're decent. i never thought about applying for college til about a month or 2 into my senior year, and i got accepted with a pretty good scholarship (the exact same scholarship that the valedictorian got, and she worked her tail off). So my question is, why does everyone here work their rear ends off, and for what? Pride? A sense of Accomplishment? I slacked off the whole time in high school, not that im too proud of it though, but I had a extremly fun time in high school. So is the hard work even worth it?</p>
<p>"why does everyone here work their rear ends off, and for what? Pride? A sense of Accomplishment? I slacked off the whole time in high school, not that im too proud of it though, but I had a extremly fun time in high school. So is the hard work even worth it?"</p>
<p>We all have our own definition of fun. I'm taking a chem class right now that requires 150 pgs of reading and 100+ problems pset a week. We go over 3-4 chapters in one week. AND I think it's fun.</p>
<p>Why does everyone work his or her ass off? Because to them, it isn't work. Sure, to an outsider's perspective, why is she studying differential equation when she could be shopping? Or why is he volunteering at the research center when he could be nappy? Because they love it. And to them, it's great. </p>
<p>I'm certain that there are quite a few people on CC who are very statistically-orietned (ie AP and SAT scores, grades, etc), but there are a few students out there who have a genuine passion for learning.</p>
<p>Just as the title of this post suggests: "settle for mediocrity?" When I read that, my little mind-voice says it with a sneer. "Mediocre" is a nasty word. It's settling for second best. Why would someone "settle" when they no they can do better?</p>
<p>It's just... I dunno... it's just the way I think. I'm appauled at the fact that I can never be first in my class because as an underclassman I thought mediocre was okay. It's just a mindset - if I don't have A+'s in my class I wonder what the hell is wrong with me and ask myself what don't I understand?</p>
<p>I actually think the reason I've become so ambitious is because in my family (who I am very, very close to) there's immature boys and adults. I'm a teenage female who really does not want to be around the immature boys - so I talk with the adults. Then in conversations I just wanted to keep up and sometimes something would sound vaguely familiar - I knew I had learned about it but didn't remember. So that's why I became driven: to remember everything I learn. I think that's the most important thing to be: comrephension. Straight A's just kinda comes along with the package.</p>
<p>[Edit] I posted before I read the above... and I think I would consider myself as someone who just loves to learn -- which is why I'm constantly asking questions in my classes. Well actually I'm shy in class and usually ask after class heh. My obsession with questions is for both comprehension and the fact that I tie everything I learn together and make connections constantly... and since I can't know EVERYTHING I feel like there's huge gaps in my brain, lol. So I'm always reading everything and doing more than I have to cause I feel like I understand more that way.</p>
<p>..lol "nappy"...i meant "napping" =)</p>
<p>great post, staticsoliloquy. i agree. :)</p>
<p>It's for pride. My friends and classmates respect me for how hard I work, and it makes me proud to be able to compete with the smartest kids in the school, and say, "Hey, you're not the only one that knows how to work hard!"</p>
<p>But it's also sometimes because I like to learn(ooo! intellectual curiosity!). I like my history class, a lot of times I find myself reading ahead in the history textbook just because it's interesting. I'm not trying to get ahead or anything, sometimes I just want to know what happens next!</p>
<p>It's not really about getting into X or Y college, or winning some award, or beating a friend's GPA or anything like that. Sometimes it just feels good to learn a thing or two. Yeah, I'm a nerd. :)</p>
<p>life just feels more fulfilling and worthwhile when you have goals that you work hard to achieve.... goals that get you places in life.... rather than just partying with people you don't even know, or loser friends you won't even know in 5 years.</p>
<p>"life just feels more fulfilling and worthwhile when you have goals that you work hard to achieve.... goals that get you places in life.... rather than just partying with people you don't even know, or loser friends you won't even know in 5 years."</p>
<p>No one said you can't have fun and achieve. Perhaps having fun and achieving go hand in hand for you, but thats not true for everyone. I think balance is key.</p>
<p>Just take advantage of your opportunities, most people in the world don't even get a chance to get a good high school education. Did you know that only 1% of the people in the world hold a college degree?</p>
<p>key, in the world, in the U.S. it is probably like 25 percent.</p>
<p>Elitism, that is why kids here are going to schools like Harvard, Yale, WUSTL, etc., not Campbell University because we worked hard in high school because we wanted to have decent jobs later on in life, not having minimum wage jobs that result from colleges in which the students slacked off in high school...</p>
<p>I think that a psychotic, ergomanic mental overdrive is a difficult thing to explain to anyone who doesn't share the same attributes. I've personally got an extremely overdeveloped sense of civic duty, or what have you, because I know I'm smart and not utilizing/developing that seems wasteful. It's probably different for everyone.</p>
<p>Or maybe it just boils down to the fact that easy things are dull.</p>