A perfect student in a TV show is depicted as an individual who has a flawless attendance and has A’s for days, but just as discussed in the first story of this series — perfection is subjective. The word may have a definition within the dictionary however, when that definition is applied to real life it tends to be interpreted differently.
As teenagers, one of the biggest roles at this time is being a student. The phrase ‘perfect student’ may be tossed around in casual conversations, but what do students actually take from it?
“I feel like a perfect student is someone who has self discipline. They stay on top of themselves and get things done
because they use their time wisely. They care about their education and they choose to do things rather than thinking they are forced to do it,” Susan Plowman, 11, said.
As one student shares their thoughts, another student may have a different perspective. This adds to the varying opinions of what a perfect student entails.
“Someone who not only gets good grades, but someone who has good leadership factors…someone who can really show their passion for things,” Brooke Evans, 9, said.
Some may believe that they should always aim for the greatest, however that bar is set at different levels for each individual. Raymond Tillery, 12, expressed that while it may be good to strive for perfection, everyone is perfect in their own way.
Since views on this topic can differ, the way students apply it to their lives tends to as well. There is no interpretation that is truly right nor one that overrides the others.
“I think striving to be the best person I can be may lead me to good grades, but I think it’s good to just focus on being myself and being a good leader. That will make me what I think a perfect student is, Evans said. “I would like to try to be one, but sometimes being a good student is the best I can be and that’s okay. I don’t let the title restrict me in any way.”
A debate on whether striving for perfection is positive or negative can cross the mind of students while they journey through high school.
“I think a lot of people strive to be a perfect student. It’s a title that people try to obtain. I don’t think people have to be the perfect student, but I do think they should care because it helps their character. People don’t have to achieve it, but it’s something that they should aim for. Setting that bar for yourself is good,” Plowman said.
While part of the student body may agree with that outlook of perfection, others may rebut and claim that it is not always successful to reach towards perfection.
“I think people should just strive to be their best. Being perfect is too much pressure and it can stress people out too much,” Evans said.
With the two sides of perfection, it can be easy to slip into the negative side which can impact the mindset of students. Individuals have to learn to gauge the magnitude of perfection that they should apply into their personal academic life.
“You can set yourself too high of standards and do too much and overwork yourself. For some students I would aim for [perfection], but for some it may be too much,” Reis Martin, 10, said.
Perfection — a two sided word. Through the diverse ways people define this word, this is how students within the school view and apply the concept to their lives.
