#1
As someone who was undiagnosed ADHD most of my life and struggled in school, it wasn’t always fun having a genius for a sister. But man, was she the best teacher and friend. I remember she would help with my highschool algebra and vocab quizzes. I could brag about her any day, I’m so proud of her.
#2
I remember he came back in grade 11 after the summer and was suddenly completely goth, black lipstick, eyeshadow, choker, the whole deal.
I haven’t seen him in a long time but last i heard he first tried for medical school but eventually dropped out. He did graduate from a good college and became your typical office worker but struggled to hold down any particular career and has yet to have been in a relationship at the age of 39. Constant pressure and comparison to his younger brother absolutely shattered his self confidence and self worth.
If you’re a parent, please do not do this to your child.
#3
Think back to your high school days, and there was probably one student who always seemed to have things figured out academically. They could walk into a test looking completely relaxed and walk out with one of the highest scores in the class.
Everyone knew they were smart, and it was safe to assume that someone who stood out that much at school would go on to do something just as impressive.
#4
My wife is pretty great.
#5
#6
Being academically gifted does not automatically tell you what someone will do with their life. Someone can be great at solving equations, writing essays, or memorizing things from a textbook and still have no idea what kind of life they want.
School rewards certain abilities, while real life demands a much wider mix of skills, interests, experience, and choices.
#7
#8
#9
A study that followed students from Grade 8 to Grade 10 found that their career planning changed as they got older, with confidence and early work experience playing a role.
Figuring out what you want as an adult can take time. What someone thinks they want in high school may look very different years later, once they have had more time to learn what they actually enjoy and what they are good at.
#10
#11
#12
The subjects a student seems passionate about in school may not interest them forever. A study of more than 7,800 children in England found that many changed their science-related career plans between the ages of 11 and 14.
As students grow and are exposed to new subjects and experiences, what they enjoy can change too.
#13
#14
Was also the first to be mentally sectioned and not heard of since. (Sectioning is involuntary admission to the psych ward in the uk.)
#15
Being known as the smart kid comes with a lot of expectations from family and basically everyone around you. When everyone keeps telling you that you are going to do something big, it can feel like there is a certain path you are supposed to follow.
And if you choose something different, you might start wondering if you are wasting your potential or letting everyone down.
#16
Now, one of my colleagues mentioned their valedictorian skipped college, moved to some Caribbean island and sells fruit on a beach or something.
#17
#18
Other has two degrees from two Ivy's. He is dependent on gambling and alcohol. Yet he has managed to hold down a six figure job.
Edit, In high school, thought two Ivys was a "good catch". I read through his divorce records. Multiple DWIs, $50,000 in debt to Casinos. I was so wrong.
Having people expect great things from you does not mean you have to follow the script they wrote for you. A student everyone thinks will become a doctor might discover they would rather build a business, work in the arts, or do something completely different.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do is build a life that actually feels right for you instead of trying to live up to everyone else’s expectations.
#19
She was telling me even back in junior high that she wanted to be a mathematician and develop theorems, which I thought was weird. I just said I wanted to be rich lol
I greatly respect her, she actually seems to be doing something that's advancing collective human understanding in the math and sciences which is really cool. I was in the same classes as her, but the gap between her and the rest of the class was fairly apparent. I actually told my parents I could never be valedictorian... like that was a statistical impossibility, and they understood lol. She's likely the most gifted academic our locality has ever produced and likely will produce for decades.
The 2nd smartest was actually a close friend back in high school. He was a "cool" kid, girls, was pretty good in sports. I actually don't know how he's doing at this point, but he wasn't doing too well last I checked, just getting high and on retail jobs. His standardized test scores were high enough that Stanford even contacted him. His family was really poor. It's one of the few friend's houses I went to where I recoiled a bit by the stench. He at least had the potential but yeah... sad story.
