<p>What qualities do you feel makes an exceptional student?</p>
<p>For me, it’s passion and interest for learning in general, the ability to go above and beyond in what one is interested in, willingness to help others, and a positive attitude.
Just curious to see what you all think!</p>
<p>I see connections in everything.</p>
<p>^Connection in everything OP said?</p>
<p>I’ll add a strong work ethic to that list.</p>
<p>I’d get rid of willingness to help others. No one said you had to be a saint to do well in school (case in point: ME). And I think “positive attitude” can be replaced with “realistic attitude.” I’d also add ambition as a major facet of a great student.</p>
<p>Gah, I thought the question was ‘‘What makes YOU an exceptional student?’’ or something like that because that seemed like something people would ask on this website.
So my first response is sort of random and creepy. I may as well have said I can see dead people.</p>
<p>But in general, I think exceptional students are intelligent and can see the big picture. Which is sort of what I was going for. And they ask a lot of questions, but not stupid ones.</p>
<p>It doesn’t really have anything to do with altruism, though. You can be a great student and a bad person.</p>
<p>Do people sometimes tell you that you don’t work well with others, logic?</p>
<p>Willingness to help others and going out of your way to help someone (being a Saint) are two different things. </p>
<p>In my mind, if you really are an “exceptional” student, you should at least be able to put aside yourself for a couple minutes and help someone. If you can’t do that, you’re not an exceptional student. Perhaps an exceptional learner or innovator; but student, no.</p>
<p>The exceptional students in my school enjoy learning.</p>
<p>I think an exceptional student is one who can learn from everything. I don’t mean that as a stupid platitude- I really think it’s true; if someone’s stuck up enough that he/she only thnks that he/she can learn from specific people who are higher up and that some people and things are too far below to learn from, he/she will be missing out on a lot of knowledge.
In some ways it’s like halcyonheather’s first post, but in other ways it’s not- it just rang a bell to me at first.</p>
<p>^ This. </p>
<p>I can easily branch off of this to other things…but l save that for another thread. :)</p>
<p>if you want to be an excellent student, like what are are studying.</p>
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<p>The edginess! Aint nobody can handle that.</p>
<p>Agree with Niquii on the helping vs. being a saint topic…I think what I was looking for when I asked the question was more of a well-rounded person with high grades rather than just a high-grade-earning student with no other aspects of himself/herself. </p>
<p>And Logic, of course NOBODY will ever have a positive attitude 24/7 - everyone obviously has bad days here and there. I meant more of a I’m-not-going-to-impose-my-feelings-on-you and optimistic outlook. But the correction to a “realistic” outlook is certainly more appropriate!</p>
<p>Not worrying if you are an exceptional student or not and instead worrying about doing your best.</p>
<p>A well-rounded person with good grades isn’t necessary an exceptional student…you can get good grades without really learning/thinking critically.</p>
<p>“a high-grade-earning student with no other aspects of himself/herself.”</p>
<p>No one is actually like this! Everyone has a personality of some kind. Just because someone doesn’t participate in as many extracurricular activities as others doesn’t mean they’re some kind of robot who never does anything besides study.</p>
<p>When did ECs get into this…?</p>
<p>Psychopaths are exceptional students.
They are often charming and hypocritical, deceiving other people to think of them as little saints.
They are extremely smart, thus able to do well in school.
They are frighteningly ambitious, a trait which enables them to strive for topnotch achievements.
Thus, psychopathic traits can make an exceptional student.</p>
<p>Make that a nonviolent psychopath.</p>
<p>Exceptional students aren’t saints. </p>
<p>And it’s known that psychopaths have average intelligence. Psychopaths are also known for being unreliable…and they’re not the creative type. I mean I could go on and on…</p>
<p>I know various smart people in my classes who coul easily be psychopathic, but are the exceptional students? Definitely not.</p>
<p>“When did ECs get into this…?”</p>
<p>When the OP said:</p>
<p>“I think what I was looking for when I asked the question was more of a well-rounded person with high grades rather than just a high-grade-earning student with no other aspects of himself/herself.”</p>
<p>Well-rounded implies ECs. Apparently that has something do with being an exceptional student?</p>
<p>I don’t feel “well rounded” implies ECs. It means that the individual has many aspects to himself/herself. Which is was OP implied by “rather than…”</p>
<p>“It means that the individual has many aspects to himself/herself”</p>
<p>Which they would presumably express through their actions…not necessarily with formal activities like clubs/sports, but at least with friendships/hobbies (including non-productive ones) they had outside of the school curriculum.<br>
I mean, how could you tell whether someone had a multifaceted personality unless you saw what kind of stuff they did outside of school?</p>