"He's A Douchebag": 50 People Share What Schoolmates-Turned-Celebrities Were Like Before Fame

"It’s charisma that will usually tip you off as to who will make it big in the future. Who did everyone want to be around? Who had that undefinable X-factor? Those are the people most likely to be famous in the future," celebrity expert Mike explained to Bored Panda what the signs of someone who will probably go far in life are.

"Having talent simply isn’t enough. The most talented people in school may go on to make a living with that talent, but it’s unlikely to catapult them to stardom. Many people have talent, very, very few have star quality."

Hollywood's Ultimate Insider noted that there are a few major pitfalls that celebrities need to be aware of. "First, be careful of who you surround yourself with. Are those people in your life there to help and support you? Or are they just latching on to your fame for the ride and excitement of it all? Even worse, are they there taking advantage of you?" he warned.

"Second, focus on the work, not the fame. If you’re constantly feeding the fame machine, the work will suffer, and you could find yourself in the middle of a downhill spiral. Third, never take fame for granted. Fame, can indeed, be fleeting. Approach fame with gratitude and respect. Never forget how powerful fame is and how it has thrust you into the public spotlight. Never let your guard down, even for a second. You can lose fame much faster than gain it."

Meanwhile, rely on your friends and family to stay grounded. Especially if you're becoming famous while still in school. Mike advises spending as much time as possible in the company of your loved ones. "Doing that will remind you, you are indeed still the same person."

"When meeting celebrities who you knew when they were younger, don’t be starstruck. They’re looking for normalcy in their life, and you reflect that, so just be you. It would, of course, be difficult to pretend their fame didn’t exist, so acknowledge it by simply complimenting their work," he said. And that's something to keep in mind for your next school reunion!

We were incredibly glad to read that so many well-known celebs used to be kind and decent kids while growing up. Unfortunately, some of them weren’t all that stellar. Stars are definitely just like ‘regular’ people in one regard—they’re far from perfect.

They had more or less the same flaws as their classmates, but these were probably later amplified by their fame. When you put any person under the microscope and subject them to attention 24/7, you notice a ton of things you probably otherwise wouldn’t. Suddenly, you start becoming hyper-aware of how outrageously funny/arrogant/charismatic/(un)likable they used to be… though you wouldn’t necessarily say the same things about your classmates who went on to have ‘ordinary’ careers.

One of the best things that teachers can do is treat all students equally. It’s human nature to have favorites, but educators ought to put in the effort to make sure that everyone, no matter their family or financial status, gets the attention they need.

Previously, Bored Panda spoke about motivating students and having a good working relationship with them with Lisa McLendon, from the University of Kansas.

"Just this week I put a current student in touch with an alum who was looking for a summer intern—I knew the student and what the alum was looking for, and I thought they’d be a good match. By Thursday she had the internship!" the professor shared with us earlier.

"It’s always nice to see when your students flourish. I also encourage (and have gotten the university to fund) students to attend an annual professional conference, to see what professionals in the field are doing and start to build their network. Every year a few students go, and they’re always happy to have had such an experience,"

Some students are genuinely grateful for all of the help their teachers gave them. For example, some send handwritten notes, saying how much they value what they learned. Small gestures like that can help educators stay motivated when things get tough. It’s a reminder that what they do really matters.

According to Professor McLendon, educators can help guide and inspire their students by showing the purpose of what they’re doing in class.

"Relating concepts and skills to real-world activities can help many students understand not just what they’re doing but why. Explaining the purpose of big-picture things like a whole course as well as small things like individual assignments can help students understand why what they’re doing is relevant. Also, putting concepts and skills into the larger field can help students contextualize what they’re doing and see how it relates to things they’ve done before and things they’ll be doing at the next level," she explained.

Meanwhile, if you ever need to let a student know that they ought to put in more effort into their classwork and homework, the so-called ‘sandwich’ method works wonders.

“Tell the student something good about their work (bread), tell them how something could be better (filling), then tell them something else good, either about their work or about your confidence in their ability to do it (bread). Some students want simple, direct feedback on what to fix, but many want to know that they’re at least on the right track and that their teacher thinks they can do it,” the professor said.

Did you go to school with someone who later turned out to be famous, dear Pandas? Do you know a celebrity personally? Who is the most successful person you’ve seen at your school reunions so far? If you’re feeling up for it, we’d love to hear about your school days, so don’t be shy—share your thoughts with all the other readers in the comments.