8 Reasons Why Bad Students Often Earn Way More Than A-Students

Psychology
3 years ago

Many parents try to persuade their kids that school grades really matter. And when their kids get bad grades, they tell them off and make them study harder. But in real life, very often school grades don’t matter at all. How many times have you heard about kids that weren’t very successful in school, but who then ended up at a great company in a great position?

We at Bright Side have consulted psychologists and tried to answer the question of why bad students often become way more successful than good ones.

They don’t care about grades.

For many good students, their grades are a sign of success: if they have good grades, it means they achieved something. However, all grades are subjective and they depend not only on the quality of knowledge, but also on other factors, like the teacher and their mood. Bad students don’t need grades to prove that they are successful. When pursuing their goals, they don’t look for the appreciation of other people, they care more about how satisfied they are with what they’ve done.

They don’t try to look good.

For good students, it is often very important to make a good impression on their teacher. This is why they try to be active, even when they are not interested in a subject. And bad students don’t try to impress anyone. Even though they respect teachers, they don’t do the things they don’t want to do.

Very often, people stick to these behavior models in their communication with their bosses.

They don’t do everything on their own.

Many good students stick to the rule: “If you want something done, do it yourself.” This is because they are used to being there 100% and controlling everything by themselves. At the same time, bad students use other people to get what they want.

In adult life, people also stick to these patterns: while some exhaust themselves by doing more than they realistically can, others delegate their tasks to different people.

They allow themselves to be imperfect.

Some people stick to the rule: “I either do this perfectly or I don’t do it at all.” Living like this is incredibly difficult, because being successful in every area is simply not possible. People will spend years at a dead-end job trying to work harder and harder and will never take a leap of faith and do something they really like.

Here is an example: “I was going to an art school and there was a boy there. He was pretty good, but he didn’t do a very good job in high school. But that didn’t stop him from becoming one of the best graffiti artists in the country. Now, he works with people from all over the world. And if he was a perfectionist who really cared about his grades, his talent would never have been discovered.”

They don’t spread themselves too thin.

Bad students never make themselves do things they are not interested in, especially things they think are pointless. Instead, they focus on things they are actually interested in. And an A-student will keep on learning things just to be a good student.

Later, A-students often waste years of their lives on bad relationships and dead-end jobs.

Here is a story that demonstrates the logic bad students have. It was told by the owner of a big company: "I went to 7 different schools and I was always a bad student. I didn’t want to study the subjects I wasn’t interested in. At some point, I just stopped going to math classes. At the same time, I was reading a lot of stuff I was interested in. Also, I was already using the internet when none of my teachers even knew what it was. I spent all my free time online, playing on the computer, reading, or walking outside.

They have other things to do outside of homework.

Bad students spend their free time the way they want: they read, play sports, play music, dance, or play with other kids.

According to psychologists, A-students often have a hard time relaxing because they are always tense not only mentally, but also psychologically. Unfortunately, this problem remains with them even when they grow up: they often feel anxious because they are afraid of not living up to other people’s expectations.

They are okay not only with successes, but also with failures.

We all know people that have a very hard time dealing with failure. They treat even the smallest mistakes as huge problems. And bad students are used to getting bad grades and good ones. For them, a bad grade (a failure) is not the end of the world. In real life, they deal with stress much better and bounce back way easier after making mistakes.

They are ready to take risks.

The people that weren’t very successful in school had to adapt to situations all the time. They allowed themselves to dream and not live according to their parents’ plans for them. They now deal with their mistakes better.

If they want to drop out of college, change their job, or move to another country, they will. They listen to themselves and to what they want.

Did you have bad students in your school? How are they now?

Comments

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I get good grades, but my mindset is closest to that of which you 've described as a bad student.

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do you realize that they used the world '' often "? they just talked about most of that kind of person easily get what they want, not all ^^ so be calm :))

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...What? There's no denying average students can perform good later on. But can you enroll in esteemed colleges / universities without good grades ? it gives you a platform for better jobs and opportunities.

People who are CEOs now - they studied in Ivy league, & you can't enroll there with bad grades / GPA.

Guys at MIT and NASA scientists earned that platform through excellent grades & academic gold medals.

Try for research in a 2-bit college which has zero funding or budget.

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I was stressed I missed my class today, but now I know I'll be successful:D Thank you! But actually, right. It's so stupid in schools that you have to study stuff you totally hate. At least in the USA as I know students are free to take more classes of particular subjects and take the easiest class of those they don't like, but in Russia it's kinda decided for you. I hated it. In my last years in school I literally stopped doing my math/physics/chemistry homework at all, because I thought like I'm wasting my time. I could struggle for hours and come up with nothing in the end, and it was wasted time. I'm happy I just stopped doing that. Instead I was watching TV shows in English I improved my listening skills

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Same here... I used to struggle a lot in school and get frustrated because I really wasn't good at math and physics. However I loved foreign languages and other subjects. I know work in a beauty saloon and I am very happy with my work :)

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Same here! I wasn't that good at any subject actually more like an average student. But I loved gymnastics. And guess where I am now... I studies gymnastics and I now start my career as a trainer. :)

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Same in India

We have to study everything till the 10th standard.

The worst part is that people judge your knowledge by your percentage of classes 10 and 12 boards and the degrees you’ve obtained.

If you get above 90 percent in boards then you’re deemed as a good student otherwise you’re considered as a useless person who will not become anything in future.

This is how the Indian education system hindered the brains of the young children from being creative and the older ones believe that if we get good marks then we will become successful in our lives and some teachers teaches the students just for the sake of getting good marks for the school.

Then comes the media who have no other work besides interviewing the board toppers and publishing their inspirational stories.

Many people are making online petition because the students’ consents are not heard which angers them the most

Then there is an educational research Centre which releases their own books and the schools follows it. Trust me they are the most dull books I’ve seen in my life and there also the according to the boards curriculum one needs to study every bit of the book for many questions comes from there

I don’t know when it will improve bcos as far as I’m concerned until and unless any big thing would happen regarding this then this will keep on going on

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3 years ago
Something crazy happened here... Sorry, it's a secret.

What you told about the media ppl was true tho?

Being a Japanese living in India, even I think Indians consider Grade 10 and 12 more important

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Well, you are way right but its not apparently appropriate that you won't stand in or won't be appreciated. In fact, or at least, it does provide an equity as per a second chance to build up ourselves in top universities and colleges. Unless or until, we are not concerned about ourselves or our future; many a programs are run by a number of governmental heirs and social activist to motivate students from each classified sectors which is amazing in its own way.

Though I won't be arguing with the books ?. Actually, they are the challenge itself.

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I am in 10th standard right now and yup the worst year of my life till now. I feel much better after seeing I'm not alone tho... and in the future this system will surely change. We won't make the future students go through what we did.

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these illustration are great! They tell a lot without using too many words

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Most millionaires also are drop outs so I guess there is a pattern

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Most of them dropped out of prestigious colleges.

They were genius and that's how they got admitted there in the first place.

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Well that's an argumentative topic ?. I does provide a boredom and is still not fully resourced but that's even challenging for obtaining a higher percentage. Actually, its a bluff that we will have to study more than two or three books of each subject to get 90 above percentile 'cause CBSE always claim that the questionnaire is within NCERT limits only.

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The National Council of Educational Research and Training that is the NCERT is an autonomous organisation of the Government of India which was established in 1961 as a literary, scientific and charitable Society under the Societies' Registration Act.

It produces educational books for all the classes and the schools have to use these books according to the board curriculum and it is very much needed in the higher secondary classes

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I guess I and Usashi have gone too far with CBSE ?. Yea, I know CBSE is quite annoying sometimes but worth it.

Ace talking with you Usashi Nag.

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True and the most annoying fact is that printing and the editing quality of the book sucks and they rarely update the books mainly they are the sole providers of the book and the board curriculum follows it

By the way nice talking to you too Yashika ! ?

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I would say there are different types of 'bad students'. The ones that don't want to study every day and have perfect grades because someone wants them to - instead they give the time and effort into things they love. And then the ones that are just very lazy, impractical, not self-reliant....

so there may be also a difference in their future lives ?

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well, I am a kinda average but I never spend my time studying things I hate and instead do something better and improve myself at it my friends say it's a waste of time but now I know what to show them!

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i am a straight A student and i can definitely relate to how i am the opposite of these. 🤣 It's definitely something to think about

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