Success should not be defined as how much money a person has, or what type of position they hold, or how many children they were able to produce. Success should be the state at which one person has accomplished all their goals and used their full potential in obtaining those goals. So, applying this to a student, a successful student should be a student who has obtained the highest grades and achieved the most education possible within the limits of their mental capabilities, financial resources, and goals.
The first two constraints are common sense. A person with an IQ of 70 more than likely will not be able to attend college even if their parents are millionaires. A person considered to be in poverty more than likely will not be able to go to college, unless they happen to be extremely smart and qualify for prestigious financial aid. A person with straight A’s, superb ACT scores, and money at their disposal should not waste their time being lazy; they should go to college. However, the third constraint may not let that happen. Not everyone has a goal that involves a college education. A fourth situation may be that a student goes to college because they are smart, had the financial resources, and had the goal of a college education. However, they made straight B’s because they did not do their homework or study long enough. Although straight B’s are not bad grades, the student had the capability of making straight A’s. So from my standpoint, that student was not successful.
Success is like beauty; it’s in the eye of the beholder. Everyone has their own opinions and definitions of success as well as a successful student. My ideal successful student is one who has achieved the best grades and education possible within the boundaries of their mental capabilities, financial resources, and goals in life. Only then can the student be labeled as a success.
I hadn't even thought about people thinking others weren't successful because of mental disabilities, that's a good point.
ReplyDeleteSometimes though, I think success is more about going beyond the boundries that are set and making your own instead of doing the best you can with what is already determined, you know?
I am doing all of these comments one after another so I'm sorry if my thoughts are like a train-wreck. I completely agree with all of the stuff you have said. I think that another important aspect of success is whether or not the student is happy with their own education. Every person has their own idea of success and their own idea of what they would like to do with their life. Therefore, there is no way to say a person isn't successful just because they are not doing something that I, personally, would want to do with my life.
ReplyDeleteThat was very well put. "...a successful student should be a student who has obtained the highest grades and achieved the most education possible within the limits of their mental capabilities, financial resources, and goals" I completely agree with this statement which concluded the second paragraph of your response. I feel like we share similar ideas on the subject, but you managed to neatly summarize almost all of my thoughts into this one sentence. haha. Like you, I like to think that the true definition of a successful student is open to interpretation.
ReplyDeleteTo Ryan and Ali: The third part to my definition of a successful student brings together the expansion of boundaries and happiness---goals. Happiness is personal. Unfortunately, expansion of the preset boundaries doesn't happen except in extraordinary circumstances, like in the The Blind Side. Micheal had poor grades, but given the chance, he improved greatly. The others he grew up around probably did not change. However, I do agree that we must rise above and beyond if it's possible. Just because your parents didn't go to college, doesn't mean you don't. (You is used as a general term.)
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