deep thoughts...
Seeing as how it’s exam time for university students, I started reminiscing down memory lane. Way back when I was a university student, I believed that anything less than an A was a failure and that even an A was just mediocre. I studied intently – pulling all-nighters, living on nothing but oxygen and Pepsi for days on end. I practically killed myself each and every semester to ensure that I kept up my G.P.A.
Now, several years later, I look back and wonder – was it all for naught?
It’s not like I remember how to find a limit using calculus, or what the chemical pathway is for photosynthesis…
Yes, my grades did earn me some scholarships and a job in Toronto – but the scholarship money wasn’t that significant and I left that job to move back to my home City. And now it’s not like a potential employer is going to ask me for my transcript…
So really – was all the stress and effort worth it?
I had a friend who went through school who believed that as long as he passed, what did it matter if he got a D or an A. He spent his undergraduate days focusing on other activities and just crammed for exams the night before. Granted, it took him an extra year or two to get into law school, and he didn’t get an articling job immediately after graduation – but now, he is a practicing lawyer who has had numerous other life experiences to a degree that I never got.
Who should be laughing?
Now, several years later, I look back and wonder – was it all for naught?
It’s not like I remember how to find a limit using calculus, or what the chemical pathway is for photosynthesis…
Yes, my grades did earn me some scholarships and a job in Toronto – but the scholarship money wasn’t that significant and I left that job to move back to my home City. And now it’s not like a potential employer is going to ask me for my transcript…
So really – was all the stress and effort worth it?
I had a friend who went through school who believed that as long as he passed, what did it matter if he got a D or an A. He spent his undergraduate days focusing on other activities and just crammed for exams the night before. Granted, it took him an extra year or two to get into law school, and he didn’t get an articling job immediately after graduation – but now, he is a practicing lawyer who has had numerous other life experiences to a degree that I never got.
Who should be laughing?
posted by Icecoldcranberry at Monday, April 16, 2007
3 Comments:
Yeah, it's often true.
But, assuming you took statistics, you also know that - on average - the brighter, smarter, harder working people generally do better. You can always find exceptions like this, but most of the time you're better off doing what you did..
And, at the very least, your hard work and good grades gave you choices that a lot of people don't have (including this guy).
A couple of related questions:
First, you never identify your home city - I'm curious as to why?
Second, if you make it in Toronto - you'd think you could "make it anywhere".. but is that not the case?
Come on Cranberry, how about another post!! :) Surely you have a bunch of stories from your time in the big city!
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