ACADEMICS
However, I spent most of the year arrogantly mouthing off from the back of the class, arguing about grades, etc. At the end of the year, one student gets a biology award. Not surprisingly, that student wasn’t me. But despite my antics, I was given an honorable mention. The next year, I decided to try things differently. I moved to the front, acted really interested. I didn’t argue about test scores. I still got high grades, but I didn’t act arrogant. Not only did I get the chemistry award at the end of the year, but the teacher coached me personally for the AP exam in chemistry. Note that I actually liked biology more than chemistry. But a small change in behavior made a huge difference in result. All the academic talent in the world won’t help you if you act like an arrogant jerk, argue about grades, etc. You need to show the teacher that you are humble, down to earth, interested in the subject, and, most importantly, NOT motivated by grades. Don’t sit in the back of the class; sit in the front (unless you have assigned seating). Don’t argue about test grades. If you get a point taken off unfairly, don’t say, “Hey teacher! You owe me a point on this test.” Instead, say, “I’m trying to figure
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