Overachievers- How They Do It and How You Can Too

Written February 2018

“Oh man… how I did it? Honestly, I couldn’t even put it into words. You just need to work hard and never stop trying your hardest. Join the clubs, run for the offices, and stay after school! I’ve stayed after almost everyday since freshman year and trust me, it shows you take a more active role in the school,” says Michael Matkowski, soon to be graduating from our very own Lincoln High School. Michael will be attending Bryant University for a double major in Applied Math and Politics and Law next year.

     You know the kids in your class that always cause you to think “Wow, they’re basically a genius,” just because of how much knowledge or skill they possess? I think you know what I mean and if you don’t, you just might be the genius yourself.

  If you’re wondering how in the world they work so hard and get themselves the opportunities they are offered, you might want to read on.

     The first piece of advice, provided by multiple of these academic pupils, is: Go for the AP classes!… but don’t overwork yourself. Many kids make the mistake of doing as much as possible to potentially raise their GPA. However, sometimes that is not always the smartest thing to do. Challenging yourself is important, but over-working and losing your management of time can come as a huge setback in achieving goals. Taking too many classes that are way too advanced for you could just result in lacking grades and an overload of stress. According to Doctor Noelle Leonard, a senior research scientist at New York University, academic, athletic, social, and personal challenges are said to be domains of “good stress” for students attending high school. However, she has noticed a growing amount of youth experience extreme levels of stress, to the extent that it negatively affects their abilities to perform with success academically. It also causes them to act out in behavioral fits, and puts a “dent” in their mental health, meaning it can cause them to break down and become mentally unhealthy. This shows why maybe taking too many AP or overly challenging classes can be more harmful than helpful. 

Go for the clubs and sports! And the offices!! Let’s be real here, achieving is not just getting the good grades and sitting attentively in a class… if you want to really shine, here is a little tip from Lincoln High’s very own, Angela Macksoud. “Without Lacrosse, I wouldn’t have gotten through high school. Going for sports or any clubs, really can help you meet friends and destress. I highly recommend it for any kid who wants to be noticed as an ‘over-achiever.’” 

     Kids throughout high school often make the mistake of getting to school at 7:30 and leaving at 1:49; with no clubs to attend and no other places to be. This sounds like a smart idea at first, being able to focus on only schoolwork… But, activities directly outside of the classroom can be beneficial in teaching you life skills, time management, and can give you something to focus on when you’re stressed out of your mind!

     Guidance from the ones you love. Let’s be real here, high school can be tricky to get through on your own, especially when your focus is on achieving and sometimes it gets.. “bumpy” to achieve. However, we’ve got these wonderful resources in the palms of our hands, being in high school and all, and those are called parents, guardians, teachers, et cetera! Often, these authoritative figures can do wonders for a child’s grades.  “Oh boy… my parents help me in ways unimaginable. When I’m being lazy, they usually whip me right back into shape. When I get a bad grade, they look at me disappointedly and it does more than you could ever know…” Says Bryan Roy, soon to be sophomore at Lincoln High School. 

     Parents can also be more laid back in the helping of schoolwork and just be there for support. Mr. Crowley, father of Dan Crowley, a freshman attending Lincoln High School says “I like to think I just let him do his own thing, which usually works, and if he ever needs help with anything I can act as someone who is there to help guide him in the right direction.”

     Most importantly, separate yourself from negativity & other people in general. Friendly competition is inevitable for high school students who are all wanting to be the best. But sometimes it’s better overall to do what’s correct for you than to strive to be another person.  “A lot of times people ask me what I’ve done to achieve my academic status and how they should do it too… That’s all okay to ask once in awhile but I’ll never tell you to do what I do. You need to be your own person and persevere in your own way,” states Yiru Li, first in the upcoming Junior class. 

     Clearly, being an achiever can be tough. However, if you can work your butt off and prevail, maybe you too can achieve.

EDIT: This piece represents an understanding of how visual layout helps support content. Rather than writing a drawn-out piece about how to achieve in school, I recognized that the story could be made more interesting and engaging to high school students by adding bolded words and formatting the story into “steps.”