Picket fences and perfect pictures

I came across an acquintance's blog. In her latest post, she talked about how hard it is to stay on top academically. People think that reaching the top is hard, but that isn't as challenging as maintaining the position. This came from a girl who has always excelled in academics (I know that much for a fact even though we barely know each other). What she wrote resonated inside of me. Every day, we chase after time. For what? To study, we say. We pore over textbooks, scribble notes, solve maths equations, analyze, discuss, conclude; we study. For what? A certificate stating that one has achieved first class honors in one's major. For what? A good job. For what? A bright future. Alright, that sounds like a well-thought out path. Now, keep on that path.

In primary school, my friends thought I was smart. I never liked the label because sometimes it felt like people knew me not because of who I was but because I always took prizes at the end of the year. Come secondary school, things got more challenging but the label still kind of stuck somehow. (How someone who scored consecutive C's in History can be labelled 'smart' is beyond me.) Another thing I dislike about this label is that it makes people think that you know everything when you obviously don't. And even though you know that there is no such thing as perfect knowledge, it still makes you feel sort of dumb sometimes.

Now that I've been in two colleges, the label has somewhat changed. From a specific label, it has evolved into a generalized stereotype. Because now, I'm seen as a scholarship holder, not just an individual student. I discovered how stereotypical people can be when I held my previous scholarship. Everywhere I went, the first thing that people noticed is that 'she's a scholar'. So what? Here, I still get the same thing. 'Oh, you're under a scholarship? Wow, you must be a genius!' RIGHT. I beg to differ. I don't understand this whole genius-holding-scholarship deal. Like, seriously? Do you think that everyone who obtains a scholarship is born smart? Do you not think that some people actually have to do real work to get good grades? For goodness' sake, get real.

Do you think that keeping top form is an easy task? No. It doesn't get any easier because not only do the challenges get tougher, but the expectations also rise. I think people should just stop the whole 'you guys must be geniuses' notion because it is not true. Geniuses do not need to struggle to comprehend complicated texts. Geniuses only need a few minutes to come up with mathematical proofs. Geniuses are born geniuses. As for us other mortal beings, we rely on our resources. True, some people are born more academically-inclined than others. That is a blessing. But for most people, it takes a lot of sweat and effort to get to where they want to be. Sometimes that fact is overlooked and summed up to 'oh, you're just smart'. It is as if hard work counts for nothing, which is just ironic in itself.

I just wish people won't keep on sterotyping. And that they'd stop thinking that everything comes by so easily, because it doesn't.