Vine & Vogue

This article is catered to the people who, when growing up, were always boasted about by their parents regarding how “good” they were at school. Grades were high, tests were relatively easy, and not much studying had to occur to maintain this lifestyle.

That was me. I’ve always had school come naturally. I enjoyed going to school, enjoyed learning and reading, and held myself to a high standard of proficiency when it came to test scores and grades. I took AP classes, joined multiple Honors Societies, and scored highest out of my friend group on the SAT. I wasn’t a try hard either; There were people who were MUCH smarter than me in high school. It just seemed that education–always doing my homework, taking tests, writing papers–was never a challenge.

And my parents always praised me for my excellence. Even though I didn’t enjoy math and science, I didn’t struggle with it either. An above average student by all means. However, what I wasn’t good at was sports. I didn’t have an athletic bone in my body and never felt the drive to try out for any team. But my parents made me a deal: If I would maintain my grades and prepare myself the best I could for college, they would not force me to join a sport or get a job. And I liked this deal! Never had an ultimatum been so easy to agree to.

Although, what I didn’t expect was how difficult the transition out of school and into the real world would feel. My college years flew by, consisting of me being challenged by more difficult and interesting classes, yet still graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Literary Studies degree and two minors.

But then the job applications started, and I suddenly had no purpose.

Adjacent to “Gifted Kid Burnout” is a phenomenon I like to call, “The Good at School Graduate“. It’s when a person, whose life has been measured by how well they do in school and their achievements, suddenly find themselves in a world where school. doesn’t. exist.

No more classes to attend, no more homework assignments to turn in, no more papers, or finals, or even horrible group projects to work on. Instead, the “Good at School Graduate” is confronted with the fact that their accolades…don’t really matter. They were sold on the idea that if they focused solely on school, that they would be rewarded with a job post-grad. The clubs, societies, and extracurriculars would make them the most desirable of candidates.

At least, that’s what I believed. And yet, upon my graduation, I found myself struggling to get hired in any position. I didn’t have much experience outside of school because school was all I ever focused on. It was all I was ever good at. It was all I was ever praised for.

No one hires you based off of the 5 you got in AP Gov., or that you had a 4.0 GPA for an entire semester three times. These accomplishments don’t transfer over into a career, and companies aren’t going to appreciate the time and dedication like you do.

So, what’s the point? What’s the point of being “Good at School”? Of being above average, but not the best? What’s the point of putting so much emphasis on your grades and your GPA only to be met with the fact that the world wants more from you? That you should’ve had more jobs, had more internships, joined more clubs, and just done more.

I’m not sure. I’ve already put my time in and graduated. Hopefully, someone will eventually realize how much effort is put into being a “Good at School” kid. Until then, I’m going to have to find a new purpose.