Being the best: is it worth it?

[angryschnauzer]

<p>My question is: Do you think setting a goal to be the best in everything is a good goal to have? some say, aim for the 100 and you'll get a 90+ but aim for a 90 and you'll get an ever lower grade. on the other hand, others say that aspiring to be the best in everything is unhealthy and can lead to mental health issues in the long run.</p>

<p>i for one set the goal to be number one in my class and was successful freshman year but something unexpected happened sophomore year which caused my ranking to go down by 60 places and which made me realize that being #1 is not everything. i have found it very difficult to simply bounce back and move on but i know that if i want to attend a topnotch college, that i would have to work on improving my gpa. i'm getting there (i have all As so far in the most demanding courseload, save AP CompSci for which i have no interest) and i'm proud of myself for staying optimistic for the most part but at the same time, it's also depressing to come into terms with reality. with a 1540 and only a top 20% ranking, which colleges would be willing to take me? it seems as though most kids coming from non-competitive public high schools need to be at least in the top 5% to be considered at the top 10 colleges. </p>

<p>at this point, my curiosity is the only thing that's driving me to learn more (humanities-oriented stuff in particular since i could care less about math), so even though i'm not the best in class gpa-wise, at least i have this inborn curiosity for which i am grateful. oftentimes, i get the impression (which were later confirmed) that many of the kids in the top 10 do not make a genuine effort to learn the material for the sake of learning since they even admitted to copying stuff (ie term identifications for APUSH) off of a website when they're supposed to be sifting through the reading and finding the facts on their own. granted, they usually do well on chapter-by-chapter memorization tests that ask for facts but not as well on comprehensive tests that require in-depth analyses and interpretation of the material.</p>

[limon]

<p>It's your value call. I'm very posessive of my time (and a stubborn bastard as well) and can't bring myself to do "busy work" or bother about numbers. But, then again, I already know I'm not applying to a very selective school - the students are mostly self-selected based on their interest and dedication. You can get a great education without applying to a school that will rule you out based on numbers, but if you can't afford to take that chance, then by all means, strive to be the best. Is it good to want to be number one just for the sake of being number one? No, it's pretty damn pointless. But if, as you say, you're driven by genuine interest and curiosity, you have already escaped this trap. Just really think about what you want to be doing with your time.</p>

[joev]

<p>Being the best is the best. Noone ever remembers the second guy to invent the telephone.</p>

[anovice]

<p>I agree with the comment about the top 10 not caring about learning and only about the grade. Yes there are some that don't fit this, but most do. My schools #1 student is a complete idiot (would use harsher language, but this is public). She is half heartedly involved in everything, is a COMPLETE suck up to all her teachers(and the ones who realize it now hate her), so arrogant it's sick, and to top it off, openly admits her cheating. At least she's realistic about her future colleges- she's applying to a few state schools but nothing good (her SATs are lower than mine, which are VERY low)How can this happen? There are so many better qualified students but because they didn't plan their GPA map out from freshman year, they will never be close to the top. It's very sad, really.</p>

<p>BUT, what can you do? Nothing...</p>

<p>AND it's not the best to be the best if you are remembered as a egotistical a$$.</p>

[taxguy]

<p>As you will learn, being the best is almost an impossible goal. All you will do is set your self up for frustration. To me, a better goal is to be the best that you are capable of being in all things! This can be accomplished through "constant and never ending improvement."</p>

[teal]

<p>You don't have to be the best out of everyone; those are high standards; there's always going to be people better</p>

<p>Be the best that you can HANDLE! (I dream of a world where everyone is the best at their own little thing, and together we are the best out of everybody b/c nobody can be better than us b/c they are part of everybody that's together) Those are my solitary thoughts</p>

[aim78]

<p>No. You should be as bad as possible at everything. Be the worst. Trust me.</p>

[glowingamy]

<p>If you're sick of trying to be the best stop!
Then if you change your mind, go back to trying. trying to be best should be a fun activity. why else do people do it?</p>

[special_foreign]

<p>
[quote]
Being the best is the best. Noone ever remembers the second guy to invent the telephone.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>who the hell cares if you're remembered or not? sure people remember bell, newton, etc. but the're dead now so this 'remembering' doent affect them. when newton came up with calculus (that b-a-s-t-a-r-d-) he wasnt thinking "yes i will be remembered as a genius in x years." he did it because he wanted to do it and because he was capable.</p>

<p>people put way too much emphasis on highschool. striving to get straight a's because apparently highschool determines your future career. HAHA i only wish life was that easy. get a couple of a's on AP tests and your life will be merry, what a bunch of crap. </p>

<p>my english teacher had a friend who always walked at the beat of his own drum. the guy was brilliant. he didn't go to harvard or yale but the life he led was amazing. he was an astrophysicist went to chile to work on some obsevatory then taught at rutgers university. they offered him a 10 year contract and the guy said "i'll teach how long i feel like teaching." after he passed away rutgers named their observatory after him. he lived life how he wanted and in the end there's nothing better. yeah yeah i know cliche cliche.</p>

[vegangirl]

<p>I honestly think it's a problem with our culture that we tell every kid that they can be the best at something. People think- I can really be the best if I try. But you know what? Not everyone is going to be the best at something. Life is about learning to be okay with that, being okay with who you are, and like special_foreign said, doing whatever it is you love. </p>

<p>People like you (who love to learn) will do well wherever they end up for college. You'll find a way to make the most of whatever college you attend. My dad is one of the smartest people I know...he attended a state college and state law school, and today he's doing what he loves- teaching and writing a book. He still reads, he still loves to study history, he's still curious. Where he went to college affected none of that.</p>

[kjofkw]

<p>A dear friend once sent one of those "feel good" emails. I lost it...darn. If anyone has seen something similar, please post. In summary it goes something like this (but I'm making up all the specifics):</p>

<p>How many of you remember...
who invented the nuclear reactor?
Who was the last nobel prize winner in physics?
Who was the last five winners of the world series (okay...not a good example)?
Who broke the latest track record?
Who won the last marathon?
Who has the highest IQ?</p>

<p>yet...how many of you remember...
Which teacher challenged you to do your best work?
Who last listened to you latest heartbreak?
Who comforted you when the last person close to you died?
Who held your hand before your last surgery?</p>

<p>etc. etc. etc.</p>

[LAgal]

<p>kjofkw...that's very sweet!<br>
this is what i think: someone's always going to be better than you at something...even if you're ranked #1 in your high school, you'll find someone better than you at college...but that's what makes life exciting! if you're always the best, you have no motivation to work harder...in fact, you kinda want to slack off and be like...how badly can i do and still be the best? when someone's better than you, you kinda feel inspired to work harder and catch up with them...that's MHO</p>

[celebrian25]

<p>I've learned that while good grades are important, they're not everything. I am a valuable person whether or not I have a 4.0. I strive to be the best I can be, not the best, because I don't think perfection can ever be achieved. I am excited about my 86% in precalc and I don't care if it's not the highest grade, I worked really hard for it, and that's alll that matters.</p>

<p>Bottom line: Be the best for yourself, not for others</p>

[tagran86]

<p>actually the second guy to invent the phone was bell...gray was first, but hey whatever</p>