Things You Can't Go Through Life Without: Food, Water, and...Grades?

Today in class we had a fairly heated discussion about school, grades, values, and more. Basically, we talked about the hidden rule that teachers have about students' grades. What i'm talking about is the fact that the "Barbies" of school - hardworking, diligent students, who arent the brightest, get better grades than the "Beavis'" of school - the slacking, lazy kids who are brilliant, but don't apply themselves. Many teachers think that because the students are working hard, they should get rewarded. I mostly agree with this idea, mainly because I am one of those students. No, i'm not dumb, but I'm not someone who got a 36 on my ACT either. Yet, im up late every night focusing on my homework so that I can get it done the right way and understand what i'm learning. Someone like my brother, on the otherhand, is fairly smart, but goes home and might not even open his backpack one night! I think its crazy how somoene could just waste all of that time. In a way, the system kind of goes with the saying "if you have to do something, you might as well do it right." I guess you could say we don't HAVE to do homework and study, but we are anyways, so we might as well give 100% on it and get something out of it. One thing I definitly DONT agree with, though, is the way that grades are EVERYTHING. If a person has the best personality in the world and is a hardworking, bright person, but isn't the smartest at school, they should get the same chance to achieve as the most brilliant people on earth. Teachers, parents, and even coaches always say " SCHOOL COMES FIRST!" But are they really saying that SCHOOL comes first? Or are they just using that as a cover for "GRADES, GPAs, ACT SCORES, and COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES COME FIRST!"? It makes me wonder - am i really going through school for myself and for the basis of me learning new things and getting an education, or is it just a competition to see who has the smartest kid, in all the AP classes with the highest GPA at graduation?

Work, Money, and Ambition

As Morrie would say, "work, money, ambition, we bury ourselves in these things, but we never stand back and say, is this what we want?" I couldn't agree more with this wise old man. Sometimes in life, people need to look around at what they are doing and what their lives consist of and ask themselves if what they're doing is what is right. If a person isn't living happily, then they really aren't living to their fullest potential. Sometimes, I feel like people need to step back and see the importnat things in life - not just what everyone else feels is important. Because, sure, some crazy people enjoy running around working and stressing out all day, but the majority of Americans dont. They just do it because its what everyone is doing. This has to do with priorities. Sometimes I feel like people just dont see their priorities. They know what they are, but they dont actually follow through. Its like when the philosophy professor took a jar and filled it with rocks, then pebbles, then sand. His students thought that even before the little things were added in, it was full. And its true - the big things in life are what matter most, and if people don't realize that, they need a reality check to set their priorities straight! Because if you have family, friends, and happiness, who needs work, money, and ambition?

The American Dream..or Should I Say Reality?

As we read and discussed Bemused in America, a few articles about American life vs. European life, I coudn't help but relate a ton of the examples to my own life and my surroundings. In the first article, about the grocery store, I immediatly thought of my mom. Not just in grocery stores, but whenever we go shopping, or I go somewhere to pick something up, she always says: "Go look and see if there is a coupon for it." Even if it is a tiny little coupon that might get a dollar off a purchase, shes all for it! Even store clerks act like that. I was in walgreens the other day buying eyeliner, when one of the employees walked up to me and handed me about 5 diferent sheets of paper - all coupons for eyeliner. Obviously she had seen that I was deciding between a few different brands and wanted to contribute by offering me some coupons she had ripped out o a walgreen's coupon books! It was very generous, but unnessacary at the same time. Another part of the article I enjoyed reading was the one about how much TV Americans watch. Personally, I HATE tv. I have my one show (Gossip Girl) that I watch one hour a week and thats it. Unless I am relaxing, I'll watch a short part of a recorded show, but other than that- nothing. Unlike me, my siblings are ALL ABOUT TV! If they have one free second, theyre in front of the TV. I always tell them its stupid and their wasting their time, but they dont care. Because of them, they forced my dad to get some crazy directTV with like 1000 channels (not really but close). In the article, the author made a great point - "Who on earth needs 100 cable channels?" Which is SO true. Honestly, even someone who watched TV for a LIVING couldnt watch THAT much..Why does there have to be numerous sports channels, news channels, even Spanish channels!!? Its just unnesscary to me, and it all goes back to America and how materialistic we are, along with how our lives are always busy, were always moving forward, and we always, always, ALWAYS need to be "bigger and better." I mean, it is the American "dream," right?