In elementary, middle, and high school, I was "smart" and "gifted" and all of those other things your mother tells you. I was all of those things Hermione Granger's mother probably told her she was. I read a lot of books. And not just like, fiction. I read biographies, and scientific books, and nonfiction books. When I was in eighth grade, tried to teach myself sign language for about six months. I did pretty well but didn't stick with it. I was never musically talented, nor athletically talented, but I made up for that with volunteer hours at the local hospital. And not only was I pretty exceptionally book-smart, but my street smarts were above average, too.
I spent a lot of my youth being told I was above average. I would get above average grades and do above average things, and generally be above average in everything I did. And I'm not saying this because I want you to think I'm cool and impressive. I want you to know that once I got to college, I felt so very average. I'm in a room with up to twenty-five other people who are just as smart as I am. They did things that are just as impressive as the things that I did. A lot of other people had accomplishments that were more impressive than the things that I did.
Coming to college was strange because no one warned me that the feeling of being above average dwindles quickly. Going to college means you're smart. Smart people go to college because that's the next logical step. Not everyone gets accepted into college. I was rejected from a few myself. The average college student is the above average high school student. And when you're in a room full of above average people, your accomplishments begin to feel just average.
I spent a lot of time this semester worrying about being better than average because for the past two years I have felt very average. However, I got some very appropriately timed advice from my advisor: academics really aren't everything. I have spent a lot of time reminding myself of all the things that I am above average at.
I am an above average cook.
I am an above average crafter.
I am an above average friend.
I have an above average collection of socks and flannels.
It's hard to remember the positives when you worry about the future as much as most college students do. We worry about jobs, about graduate school, about our financial futures, because above average college students make up that next level of average. Whether that be graduate students, or employees, or anything that we set our minds to.
Just because you feel average, doesn't mean you are average. Just because all signs point to average doesn't make you average. Everyone has their own talents and merits. And you can't just measure yourself against other people because spending all your time trying to be the best makes it very hard for you to spend time being your best. And guess which one is more important?
