Many people base success on how much money is made, what achievements are earned, or even how famous one is. For me, a successful student is simply one that does their best and tries their hardest. I think many times parents hold their children to certain standards, and in some cases they are just too high. You cannot compare ones success at being a student to another. One may make straight A's by cheating all through school, while the next makes C's and B's but learns as they go. The second student would, in my opinion, be most successful. They put forth the most effort and did things on their own. Hard work and perseverance are also essential when it comes to success. Success is not attained overnight and is usually immeasurable. Successful students know how to study and utilize things to get the most out of their classes. They expose themselves to different thoughts and cultures and are open minded to new ideas.
For me, success is what you make it. Whether it be playing your hardest and winning the state championship, or playing your hardest and coming in last in the league, you can be successful no matter the outcome. As long as you know at the end of the day you did what it was you intended on doing and you followed through with everything you had, you are successful. As we grow up, we are faced with all different kinds of problems; part of being successful is knowing how to handle these challenges with dignity and grace, even in the most grim of circumstances.
I like how you mentioned cheaters. There was a girl at my high school who "earned" a high rank, but really she cheated her way to the top. She probably was deemed as successful, when she shouldn't have been. I also like how you mention successful students try their hardest and best. Unfortunately, success is an abstract noun and cannot be physically measured, so typically grades are the measurement of success. Even a student who has tried their hardest and only earned straight B's is still not seen as successful as a straight A's student.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that so aggravating? The cheating, I mean.
ReplyDeleteThis whole situation is so complicated because I would say success is based on whether or not a student works to their potential, but how am I supposed to know what their true potential is? It is totally unfair to say that someone does not have the potential to make good grades and then allow the to fall behind. However, society likes to take the easy way out and just rewards students who show a high potential early.
ReplyDeleteRight, who are we to judge someone else's potential? And is success based solely on potential or should we take into account determination and perserverance? Maybe they can never fully live up to their potential, but they do their best to.
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