In every student body, you always have the select students that earn straight As (I earned straight As the first semester of my sophomore year in college, the only time I've ever done so). Many of them have different stories as to why and how they earn what they do. It may be strict parenting, it may be a journey of redemption.
However, this particular anonymous person took a different route when I asked him on Quora.
1. Pro: respect
"You are respected by teachers and most students across the school for your hard work and dedication to your studies. You will often get more nods from teachers in the corridors than any other person."
2. Pro: prestige
"The title comes with prestige. When you put your grades down on a CV or an application form for higher education, you will not hesitate to be proud."
3. Pro: the benefits
"Teachers will waive punishments or sanctions, for the most part, meaning that you will manage to avoid anything bad getting on your record. At my school, the punishment for being late is a detention. I have turned up late to some of my lessons on several accounts and managed to get away with it. Most of the time, I was even welcomed by the teacher."
4. Pro: no more deadlines
"Deadlines? Who needs deadlines? A simple talk to the teacher will mean that you are never punished for missing homework."
5. Pro: the know-it-alls
"You will have notoriety, meaning that you will be known in the school for knowing absolutely everything."
6. Pro: little white lies never hurt
"Lies go unnoticed. For example, my forgetful Physics teacher once told the class that we were to have an assessment the next week, despite an upcoming English exam that we needed to study for. Naturally, no one studied for the Physics test. On the day, when he mentioned printing the test off, I put my hand up and told him that it wasn't for today, but for the week after. He accepted my word for it so easily."
7. Pro: relaxation station
"When test results come back, and you say your score, people are impressed. They often go, 'Wow!' The teacher usually sets aside a lesson to improve on what we got wrong. Since you hardly got anything wrong, this lesson is essentially an opportunity to kick back and relax."
8. Pro: pleased parents
"Parents evenings are essentially praise evenings. You will go from teacher to teacher and will be complimented left right and center. Happy parents equals happy life."
9. Con: barely attainable expectations
"People have very high expectations of you. If you fail to meet these high expectations every time, it won't be a very pleasant situation."
10. Con: the dangers of competition
"There is a desire to always be the best. If that one person gets higher than you on a test, you will be angry and disappointed, even if you only got one mark less. People will also act shocked, which won't make the situation any better."
11. Con: quieted
"You can get barred from answering questions as the teacher knows that you are smart."
12. Con: pet peeves
"As a result, you often get frustrated when people ask stupid questions or give stupid answers, and you aren't allowed to contribute."
13. Con: repetition
"Lazy people will ask you what the task is even though the teacher literally just explained it."
14. Con: taken advantage of
"Lazy people will try and copy your answers without understanding it. They can then take credit for your good work."
15. Con: not in the in-group
"You are pathologized for your intelligence by the less intelligent."
16. Con: bullies and teasing
"You are made fun of for knowing everything."
17. Con: assumptions
"People immediately assume that you have no life and that you study all day."
18. Con: cheaters
"You can be made to sit with really unintelligent people, which has a negative impact on both parties. You are frustrated by their lack of maturity and work ethic, and they just copy all of your answers and learn nothing, even when you explain everything to them."
