<p>I would like to introduce myself very briefly:
- They call me Mike ;D
- White Hispanic (Cuban)
- Canadian born and raised, presently residing in Florida
- High School Junior
- Grades: Canadian 86% (Yes, it's a lot harder to get such a grade in Canada. An 80% is considered an A)</p>
<p>But now that you know me why don't I explain why I'm here. I'm not concerned about entering a prestigious college and I ask why anyone would be. Doesn't anyone get the point?</p>
<p>There was a moment in my life where I wanted to be a cardiologist. What motivates one to become a cardiologist? Money, prestige, the enthusiasm to heal do - but I found myself driven by pure fascination with the sciences.</p>
<p>I studied hours and hours the sciences, borrowed books from the library - increasing in difficulty - and spent the majority of my spare time on Wikipedia, browsing certain elusive topics I could not quite grasp. I ripped through topic after topic like the pages of a comic book (assuming comic books are that interesting...).</p>
<p>But to my detriment I would realize that all of the subjects I so enthusiastically studied would again be taught to me through public schooling. I sat through the classes - but what was the point?</p>
<p>Not far into the course I asked myself why I do the work. Why should I? Well obviously for the grades, isn't that why everyone does homework? But why do teachers assign grades? Well to assess how well you know the topic! Right? Does filling a "balancing chemical equations" sheet prove I know chemistry?</p>
<p>I knew that I knew all of the material. Why should I slave over worksheets just to prove I do? Who do I have to prove myself to? I don't care what the teachers think, frankly I don't care much what anyone who sees my grades thinks. And why should I?</p>
<p>In my clairvoyance I began to look at schooling differently. I glanced at my peers filling in their worksheets like the good Canadian students they were. How vain. How vain of a system pretend as if learning is simply a matter of filling in worksheets and turning in homework.</p>
<p>Does an A mean you know what has been taught? Not necessarily. Does community service make you a charitable person? Not necessarily. Does joining sports clubs and extracurricular activities make you a "well rounded" person? Not necessarily.</p>
<p>I digress. Let us take a look at why I wrote this post:</p>
<p>What is the most important thing to you in life? </p>
<p>Day after day I see posts on this site articulating perfect grades and workmanship - do you truly enjoy slaving yourself over tedious math problems? I doubt I'll live to see the day that a truly bright student "gets it."</p>
<p>Why do you work? For the prestige? For the approval?
Some of the greatest geniuses achieved all of your dreams by accident. How does that make you feel? How does it make you feel that you compete against millions of others for rank of the most prestigious - the most apt for Ivy league, the next president Obama. All of it in vain.</p>
<p>How does it make you feel that President Obama himself did cocaine in high school and only became academic after getting into the not so selective occidental college?</p>
<p>Day after day I see posts on this site and I see slaves. You don't work for knowledge you work in vain you aren't intelligent you are slaves, pedantic slaves and you are all fooled - fooled into wasting your youth, wasting your youth so you can one day be successful. Wasting the best days of your life so you can have the last laugh when you die in a vain, vain coffin.</p>
<p>And I'm not the only one who thinks so. Those who are intelligent enough realize why they live - to enjoy their youth and the rest of their lives. To do so humbly.
I'll leave this here: Urban</a> Dictionary: College Confidential</p>
<p>Whats the most important thing to you in life?
Call it hedonism if you will but life is simply about enjoying yourself.</p>
<p>Stay thirsty my friends :)</p>