Will I ever be smarter?
You know that feeling when you're sitting there thinking, "Why do some people always find the easiest way out?" Like back in college, we had one month of compulsory attendance because an elite professor from anothr university was coming to teach us. Our school went nuts about this-100% attendance or else.
I needed leave for my brother's chemotherapy and I met with both my teacher and principal, but they still made a fuss sayng I was ruining my medical career by skipping classes. But here's the kicker: there was this classmate who got time off because his religious guide told him to go on a pilgrimage because he'd been having nightmares about a ghost calling him. The next day, he posted pics of himself at the stadium watching a sports match and took leave for that.
I tried so hard for genuine reasons, and here he was missing out on important lectures to have fun. It's like sometimes being truthful and disciplined doesn't get you anywhere. Street-smart folks seem to glide through life with ease and satisfaction while I'm still figuring it out.
Even back in school, my best friend got chosen as the squad leader even though she wasn't the top student. She gave an inspiring speech taht won everyone over, while I just rattled off practical stuff I'd do for the team. It's a pattern-people who are street-smart often end up ahead of me.
I've tried reading self-help books and getting out of my comfort zone, but it usually ends in me making a fool of myself. Once in college, I wrote to our principal about changing the coordinator because they were easier on boys than girls. My friends advised against it since they thought I'd end up with more truoble down the line.
It's tough when you're navigating real life situations and trying to follow everyone else's advice to avoid getting into trouble. Plus, public speaking in debates and competitions is one thing, but facing real-life challenges leaves me feeling totally blank. How do you handle it when every step feels like a gamble?
1 Reply
Hi, I was wondering if you really need to comapre yourself to others? You seem very smart and talented on your own, so why worry about what other people do or achieve? Does it matter that much? What difference would it make if you skipped a lecture when you're not feeling well and have brain fog? When you feel better, you can catch up with your research easily. Maybe the advice to push yourself even when unwell isn't from someone as wise as they seem. Or am I misunderstanding-are you saying you didn't want to attend any lectures or do work for your course at all?
It doesn't sound like you don't care about your studies; it feels more like you're trying to take control of your career path, which is really important if you have a passion for what you're doing. You can handle small setbacks if you stay focused and keep moving forward. While you can't control everything around you, you can choose how you react to challenges.
Life is full of failures, even for successful people who inspire others. But those sae people keep going because they're driven by their passion. If you have that kind of drive too, you'll likely face many successes as well. Being smart isn't about knowing everything all the time; it's about staying open to new ideas and learning from mistakes-like how science progresses over time through trial and error.
Instead of criticizing yourself for slip-ups, try being more compassionate and understanding. You're doing pretty well already, so maybe give yourself a bit more credit without feeling too disappointed. The journey ahead is long, but it might be easier if you can enjoy both the successes and failures along the way-they all teach us something valuable.