There's always a few you know. She's the teacher's pet, she asks if that homework was due today and she makes a 95% when everyone else failed the exam. It's easy to dislike her because it's much harder to understand her.
I grew up being that girl. And I know a lot of people disliked me for it.
I grew up with people secretly thinking I was unapproachable, snobby or anti-social. They thought I was in constant competition with others to be the best of the best. They couldn't fathom why I signed up for every club and AP class.
Being a top student quickly became a burden rather than a personal achievement. Though I found fulfillment in doing well at a task set before me, I struggled in other areas of my school experience.
The perceptions of other people placed me in a box that I couldn't get out of.
I didn't get invited out to any of the late-night events or parties because obviously, the only thing I can do is study. It was a complete taboo to share test grades because it would seem like I would be bragging. I'd carefully time the number of times I would speak up in class so I would get less dirty looks for prolonging a lecture. Teachers would ask if I was okay if I made less than a B+ on an assignment.
The truth is, being labeled the smart kid was very anxiety-inducing. I was afraid others would think I was constantly looking to brag about my accomplishments when we were talking. I was afraid to offer advice or tips on an assignment, so it didn't seem like I was telling them my ideas were superior.
I've always found strength in doing well in school, but it has also led me to be perceived as a certain kind of person.
It is time to create a culture both in and out of the classroom that being smart or doing well in school isn't a personality trait. Us smart kids do more than reading books and do homework in advance (I swear). We hate assignments, we love all of the current music and we procrastinate, too. We're also young adults or teenagers that go out and make bad decisions.
Yes, we do well in school, but we struggle to talk to other classmates because our name has been thrown around the school and announced for various achievements.
We want to do well for ourselves, but also for the countless people that expect it of us. The truth is, smart kids are people pleasers. We enjoy helping our teachers out and making our parents proud.
And we shouldn't be considered different because of it.
