<p>^What do you mean by “[I’m not] making a more active stake to improve [my] life’s surroundings”? Of course I am. I decided after after talking to my Notre Dame grad rival and my parents, that continuing (and completing) my undergraduate studies would be most beneficial for me and my future. So I did just that. I enrolled in community college last summer and kept going at it.</p>
<p>I’m not at a better two-year institution that has an articulation agreement with the four-year school I want to attend. I’ve developed my own matriculation strategy, visited and spoke with many individuals about my academic goals, and got a 4.0 last semester. Not only that, I’ve immersed myself in increasing my cognitive performance to elevate my mental acuity, I’ve purchased several resources on how to be a better student, develop superior study habits, and I have plans to launch my first serious entrepreneurial venture by spring.</p>
<p>With all of that, yes, I do feel like a second rate student as SMU is a second-tier school, not in the ranks of “top” schools such as Notre Dame, Duke, Stanford, etc. Why do I feel like this? Because I feel perpetually inferior to individuals who have graduated from “better” schools and now live great lives with high salaries, friends, and no worries to speak of.</p>
<p>I graduated with a 4.0 GPA from highschool, took all APs and got perfect score on SATs and ACTs. I joined every single club in my school and became the president of every single one.
I feel bad about my low GPA in highschool, I wish I was more focused on my books back then. I currently attend Princeton University, but I feel as if my classmates aren’t smart enough to even speak in my presence. I feel like a failure since I didn’t get into Harvard…</p>
<p>^Um, nobody in this thread sounds remotely like that.</p>
<p>If anyone really does feel that way, I might as well be dead in their eyes since I go to a third-tier state school and can’t transfer anywhere for several personal reasons. Seriously, when some people feel like a failure, they have plausible reasons.</p>
<p>You post about your problems with Rob and your own self image problems like every week. Please go see a counselor. CC is not the solution to your problems.</p>
<p>“… Because I feel perpetually inferior to individuals who have graduated from “better” schools and now live great lives with high salaries, friends, and no worries to speak of.”</p>
<p>The problem lies with your thought process. You seem to think that graduating from a prestigious school is the answer for your feelings of inadequacy and lack of confidence. I’m sorry to tell you but you’re going to be sadly disappointed if you honestly believe that a degree from a higher ranked college is going to guarantee you a life free from worries and struggles. </p>
<p>A reality check is in order. You need to understand that it’s not the name of the undergraduate school that determines success or failure. More importantly, it’s the talent, academic achievement, personality, determination, ambition, and luck that paves the way. It’s the student who thinks outside of the box, who jumps at opportunities, who goes above and beyond what’s expected, who makes a typical class discussion more enjoyable-interesting-thought provoking for everyone involved, and who forms relationships with faculty that sets his own path.</p>
<p>Confidence can’t be bought. Through counseling you will gain a better understanding of your thought processes and gain the tools to necessary to understand the importance of feeling good about who you rather than where you go to college.</p>
<p>^It’s a better school than Southern Methodist University, which means that my former friend was a better person than me. It hurts to think about that.</p>
<p>If you examine my other threads, you’ll see that I’m clearly not a ■■■■■. CaseSpartan simply asked me why I was obsessed with Notre Dame, so I told him why.</p>
<p>“^It’s a better school than Southern Methodist University, which means that my former friend was a better person than me. It hurts to think about that.”</p>
<p>^I’ve given that great thought. For me, it’s not an option. I have to get in. It’s the only school in North Texas that enables a decent education. All the other schools “suck” compared to SMU.</p>
<p>But perhaps, if I don’t get into SMU, I might just lose my will to live. If I get rejected, I would be gravely disappointed. I don’t think I could handle that.</p>
<p>Until I apply, it’s nothing but superior academic performance to be had.</p>
<p>As much as you were joking, there are really people who feel that way. Y’know, those people who feel that a state school bumper sticker might as well read FAILURE.</p>
<p>If you go to a prestigious school you are lucky that you don’t have to encounter shifting eyes and that bored, smug demeanor and “Oh” response when you answer what school you go to.</p>