▲ | fvgvkujdfbllo 6 days ago | ||||||||||||||||
This is very eye opening. As a geek with strong academic background always felt cheated by the system. My professor explained that academics alone is not enough for success in life. He explained that some of the smartest engineers report to average business majors in companies. And he explained that that I cannot get any scholarships with perfect GPA while my roommate, a B student, has scholarships because he plays basketball and will likely get in leadership role in early on. That is good for the university as their graduates are seen as more successful. It was a hard thing to listen to but I accepted it. I wish he told me the truth though. | |||||||||||||||||
▲ | tjs8rj 6 days ago | parent | next [-] | ||||||||||||||||
This only seems confusing to people who valorize intelligence as the most valuable trait one can have. What really matters is the impact you can have on others lives: making them a lot of money, saving them a lot of time, making them happy, etc contributing to them or addressing their needs Being smart is valuable, but it’s only one ingredient among many. You need to be able to communicate with others, take risks, work hard, have empathy, be a creative problem solver, etc Being a brain with a body attached is not enough and that’s good | |||||||||||||||||
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▲ | nradov 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-] | ||||||||||||||||
Certain types of management and leadership skills are learned more effectively in an elite sports team than in any engineering coursework. I think a lot of people who conceptualize the world in very rigid, rules-oriented ways fail to appreciate that. | |||||||||||||||||
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▲ | bachmeier 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-] | ||||||||||||||||
The problem I have (full disclosure: I'm a professor) is that those things have nothing to do with a university. If they're doing non-academic things, the elite academics of the university are irrelevant. But then that raises the question of why they want to go to an elite university. Well, obviously, because being able to pass as a good student does matter. | |||||||||||||||||
▲ | WalterBright 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-] | ||||||||||||||||
Just being smart won't get you anywhere. | |||||||||||||||||
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▲ | mgh2 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-] | ||||||||||||||||
Aside from "success", it is very reasonable to want to admit "well-rounded" or "balanced" individuals as net pluses to society. I heard the lack of balance in the Bay Area: "wierdos, tech bros, etc.". A geek can contribute either very positively or very negatively to society (ex: tech CEOs, unabomber, etc.), Maybe too young to judge at university admissions, but still a reasonable proxy (another topic). | |||||||||||||||||
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▲ | flappyeagle 6 days ago | parent | prev [-] | ||||||||||||||||
He told you the truth |