I’m in a design school and I’m part of this group of friends who do very well in our cohort. They’re 3.9s and I’m a 3.8, sure it’s a 0.1 difference in gpa* but it seems like a lot when I see their ideas and the execution of it. Sometimes they have big goals and in the end they can commit to it. I also have ideas, but I tend to lower my expectations when it comes to people who I know can’t quite execute that standard I’m looking for. But my friend doesn’t lower their standards, despite their teammates inability to reach it which often leads to them taking up most of the work. Sure, this gets them the higher mark in the end, but at the cost of their sanity and pulling all-nighters.
So sometimes I wonder if what they’re doing is right? If I should try doing the same thing then maybe I’ll get a higher grade this time. But realistically, this only works in the short term. When we go out to work, putting this much effort to the point of almost burning out is not worth it, and I don’t want my mental health to get affected either like how it has affected them. My philosophy is yes, it is valid and right to always strive to be the best and also have the best people on the job with you, but it also depends on the circumstances and sometimes you have to play with the cards you’re dealt. What if you are surrounded by chumps that don’t do work or can’t produce what you expect, then what do you do then?
You can still change the people you work with in this case, but only a limited amount of times. Is it wrong of me to not initially want to change my “worse” teammates with someone better? It sounds like a hassle to me plus I feel working with people who I don’t know and are not as skilled as me trains me to do the most I can with “less”. It’s like those underdog teams in the movies that become great in the end, I aspire to be great too but is this the right path to take?
I’m just reflecting here, cuz while it is unhealthy to stress so much about schoolwork that it drains your sanity, striving to always do the best you can and doing everything to acheive it.. sounds admirable (plus the celebrities and idols we know have probably taken this route and look where they are now), but knowing the cost is also pretty pricey and I don’t like who it’s turning my friend into, despite the success. I’m wondering if this is a mindset worth taking on, with some considerations.
*ik gpa doesn’t matter especially in a design course and portfolio is everything but those who shine brighter than the rest are those who are cemented as legends, do i really wanna live my life being sub-par? I’m totally capable of being like them if I just tried harder right…
this is meant to be a reflective piece and I do not intend to diss anyone like my friend i mentioned here, they are allowed to live their life the way they want to.
also mb if i put this in the wrong category
Not only is there no one right way to lead our lives, we also have the choice to change, over and over, whenever the current way stops making sense to us. This freedom can be both freeing and paralysing at the same time - freeing because it means we will never do it “wrong”, but paralysing because we now have to be accountable to the ourselves for whatever outcome our choice leads to, and also the finite time we have on this earth means we can only do one thing at a time.
