anyone else an "average Joe" or "Joette"?

[vizzini]

I get so SICK AND TIRED of all of these "ambition junkies" that are in every friggin club/organization, they have "best bud" relationships with the profs, hardly ever study and still ace every test, play five instruments, sing in the choir, won every spelling bee in elementary school (and still talk about it in college), automatically "know" everything without trying, are on student government, get all the good internships, volunteer 20 hours a week, always have money, always smiling, know every doctor in the area, have lunch with the pres. of the university, know everybody on campus....it never ends

Does anyone else see this at their university? I cant believe people have time to do this stuff...I guess its because they dont study, but how do they get A's on everything? How do they know everyone on campus?
Does anyone else feel like an average Joe like I do? Yes, I volunteer; yes, I make OK grades (i bust my butt studying); yes, i am in a few clubs; yes, I have a lot of friends....but these "ambition junkies" excel at everything WITHOUT TRYING!!! i dont get it! i just feel like i work so hard at everything (school, work, etc.) and im just barely getting by....you know? i worry about tests, money, if im exercising enough, being a good friend, a good boyfriend, my family....and i see people breeze through college without putting much effort in it: like this guy that rarely comes to class, he drinks like a fish, goes out the night before finals, and still gets the highest grades on EVERYTHING (hes the opposite of an "ambition junkie" but still reaps the same rewards!...and there is more of them!!! or the people i described at the beginning of the post, how the hell do they have time for all that stuff?

I just want to know if any of you deal with the same stuff, and see these people where youre at...and if anyone shares my sentiments of being an average Joe, speak up!

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[ixitixl]

I'm a "less than average" Joe if that counts. Is your location Fayetteville, NC?

 

[smartreader]

I know how you feel Vizzini. I knew of a few amibition junkies when I was in high school. But eventually, as time went by, and the weight of the world began to weigh heavy on their shoulders, time caught up with them. Mark my words, no one can stay on top of the world forever.

 

[jlee9531]

calm down man

people that can do it...more power to them. i think its pretty cool they do all that stuff just as long as they arent an as-s about it. of course there are always people that are punks about it and just like to brag and stuff but they always exist but outside of those people...i really have nothing against them. they like to drink and have fun...so do i. they like to volunteer a lot...i did too. they dont like to study...ditto here. just the big difference is they get As and I get Bs Can't do anything about their special ability to do well with not a lot of time to study.

but yeah...no ambition junkie here, just amazed that i was somehow able to get some acceptances with my less than brilliant application

 

[SaltySqueegee]

Originally posted by vizzini
I get so SICK AND TIRED of all of these "ambition junkies" that are in every friggin club/organization, they have "best bud" relationships with the profs, hardly ever study and still ace every test, play five instruments, sing in the choir, won every spelling bee in elementary school (and still talk about it in college), automatically "know" everything without trying, are on student government, get all the good internships, volunteer 20 hours a week, always have money, always smiling, know every doctor in the area, have lunch with the pres. of the university, know everybody on campus....it never ends

I thought I told you earlier to not bring me up on the forums...

 

[twinklz]

I had a roommate like that sophomore year. It was enough to drive a person crazy! I think I suffered a minor inferiority complex But by the time senior year rolled around she had cracked. Grades fell, weight gain (but not fat, she was itty itty bitty before), dropped her thesis, broke up with her "perfect" boyfriend of forever, etc, etc.

However, she was much happier as the anti ambition person. She was only doing all the other stuff for outside praises, and once she accepted herself she calmed down and enjoyed life.

So although you might be jealous of them, they might be jealous of you for not "having" do to all this stuff. Grass is always greener I guess...

 

[menemotxi]

Take a deep breath and stay calm man.

I know quite a few people like that at my school, but I don't get sick of them because they are amazing. I have tremendous respect for someone who can juggle all those things and still have fun. But then again, all of the "ambition junkies" I know worked hard to get where they are. They deserve every thing that comes their way in my opinion.

 

[drlexygoat]

Vizzini,

I have absolutely no sympathy for you, I'm sorry. People who belong to ump-teen clubs, get awesome grades, network (read as: kiss a**), volunteer tons, shadow, etc, should be commended, not ranted about. These folks sacrifice THEIR own personal time to get these things done. It takes a good deal of time-management to schedule all that in there, and lots of committment.

As for how easily people seem to get As in classes, all I have to comment on is that some people learn in different ways. I know that I am an auditory learner, for instance. IF I attend classes and pay close attention, it just sticks. I don't really need to read a whole lot, I can just recall these things from auditory memory. MAybe the people you are talkign about are the same way? Just a thought. I'm sure they DO study, trust me. NO ONE gets all A's without busting their butt in some way, shape, or form.

Even for the "average applicants" there's still a light at the end of the tunnel. ....

You're not going to get there by putting others who are above average down, though. You'll get there by putting in lots of hard work and following their great example.

 

[davehead]

This will sound dumb, but sometimes you really just have to be thankful for what you've got. Many people don't have the chance to goto school and follow their dreams. Sure it sucks to see someone seemingly make it through classes with no effort but you definitely have some things they don't. Your undergrad years are yours for the living. Do whatever makes you happy and be thankful for it.

 

[DD214_DOC]

I have found most of these people who say, "Yeah, I didn't study and made an A" are liars. Most of them study.

Funny story, this sophomore in a few of my classes was typical preppy gunner *****. I don't study and make mostly B's and B+'s, with the occasional lucky A. But I also know how to take tests, figure stuff out, and base my knowledge on CONCEPTS. Anyways, this guy bragged about how he didn't study for anything and made A's. One day, I was walking a girl to the library in the evening hours and found him there, nose in the books for the upcoming physics exam

Another funny story, in statistics lab I got stuck in a group with two girls. We have to answer applied knowledge type questions at the end of every session. They assumed I was an idiot I guess because I'm not a preppy gunner *****, so they completely ignored my input -- even though I was right. When they came across a difficult question, that I figured out the answer to, they tried for at least five minutes to find the answer in the book! Finally, the girl said, "I have to ask the teacher, I can't find this anywhere in the book!"

I lost my patience and decided to not-so-nicely answer it for them, then complain about their lack of reasoning and common sense.

I hope most of you aren't like this.

 

[exilio]

Quit talking about me!!!

Anyways...well for some people, things just come natural...and I say more power to 'em. Yeah, I get a little jealous now and then..but it's cool. I like that I have to work a little harder than the next guy...it makes me feel like I am truly earning my way.

The biggest thing you need to worry about is if you are happy with who you are and what you are doing. There will ALWAYS be someone smarter, better looking, richer, more powerful or just plain lucky...oh frigging well.

 

[vizzini]

Thanks for keeping me in check everyone...i apologize to any "ambition junkies" out there...i just get frustrated when i see people coast through school without worrying/stressing/caring about what they are doing...im just a jealous creature i guess

 

[DrSal]

Originally posted by twinklz
I had a roommate like that sophomore year. It was enough to drive a person crazy! I think I suffered a minor inferiority complex But by the time senior year rolled around she had cracked. Grades fell, weight gain (but not fat, she was itty itty bitty before), dropped her thesis, broke up with her "perfect" boyfriend of forever, etc, etc.

However, she was much happier as the anti ambition person. She was only doing all the other stuff for outside praises, and once she accepted herself she calmed down and enjoyed life.

Well, i was never that perfect, but i've definitely "cracked." I have no motivation for school now, and find no joy in life. My grades are falling, i've dropped my minor, some weight gain.

So i can't help but wonder about those people that can just keep on chugging, and achieve with such seemingly minimal effort.

 

[AlternateSome1]

A definition of ambitious from www.dictionary.com
Requiring or showing much effort; challenging: an ambitious schedule.

Sounds like you are more ambitious than these so called "ambition junkies" who don't need to work for it.

~AS1~

 

[R_C_Hutchinson]

i think you're seriously misunderstanding the issue at hand here, my disgruntled little friend...

stoicism is a trait far too often forgotten and overlooked in our society- those people you hate so much probably hate whiny drama queens like you because they are making consicous, deliberate efforts to put others' more serious concerns before their own. This is the essence of being a doctor; to be a doc you have to be intelligent enough to be able to make far more money working far fewer hours for far healthier customers and still make the consicous decision to forgo those options in pursuit of greater happiness for those around you. This is what those stoic people around you are doing. I almost never bitch or even talk about studying, and yeah, i have a high GPA that i've worked for. this is simply a common bit of respect for those around me. If your father died or you got divorced etc. i will be more than happy to hear your complaints and be sympathetic towards you.

people like you just dont realize how damn good they have it. you are in the top 2% of the world's population in terms of economic affluence, quality of life and civil liberties simply by being an american- that percent rounds to zero when you figure that you are in college, in the prime of your life, and have the possiblity of becoming a doctor in your future.

most of my high school friends didnt go to college or dropped out of a JC to work; i guarantee they dont want to hear a peep from you.

moreover, these student-supermen you are so angry at rarely if ever exist. granted there will always be categoric geniuses; but for every one there are hundreds of involved, hard working people who choose not to engage in the sickeningly-constant self pity that i hear both on campus and online. I guarantee damn near everyone in your shoes works just as hard as you do- that's how you both got there, by sacrifice and hard work.

 

[musiclink213]

Originally posted by JKDMed
I have found most of these people who say, "Yeah, I didn't study and made an A" are liars. Most of them study.

I never studied in my music class and i got an A. but maybe that's because i've been studing it my whole life, and when all i had to know for a class is notes and rythym, i didn't exactly need to relearn it.

but yea, i do know ambitious people that seem to do everything, and then some. quite honestly, the ones i know have no life. whatever friends they have are using them for their brains, and nothing else. to be honest, i enjoy my life. i'm not the most ambitious person in the world, but i have good, true friends, i go out with them, spend time with my family and my dog. So i don't take up every spare minute with application padding, so what?? there are other things to life.

 

[SarahGM]

Originally posted by drlexygoat
NO ONE gets all A's without busting their butt in some way, shape, or form.

This is definitely not true. There are people with photographic memories who need to only look at something once before it sticks. Granted, they are the exception to the rule, but they still exist!

 

[SarahGM]

I love how a lot of you are getting all uptight and calling the original poster a drama queen.

Don't you think you should take a good look at yourselves? It seemed to me that the original post was just a whimsical, procrastination-inspired thread. Nothing to get so snarfy about!

 

[drlexygoat]

Originally posted by SarahGM

Don't you think you should take a good look at yourselves? It seemed to me that the original post was just a whimsical, procrastination-inspired thread. Nothing to get so snarfy about!

What are we supposed to be looking at, exactly. I'm not trying to come off rude or cocky, but we're just trying to defend the fact that the majority of over-achievers work hard for it, that's all. There's no need to complain about those people with 10-page resumes. they should be applauded instead of patronized in my humble opinion.


Good word... snarfy... I'll have to use that one next time.

 

[drlexygoat]

Originally posted by vizzini
Thanks for keeping me in check everyone...i apologize to any "ambition junkies" out there...i just get frustrated when i see people coast through school without worrying/stressing/caring about what they are doing...im just a jealous creature i guess

No worries, Vizzini. We all get frustrated around application time.

 

[Super Rob]

You've got to do what makes you happy!

I'm a little bit of an ambition junkie. I suppose that I had a lot of impressive faculty connections and leadership positions at my undergraduate school, I stayed fairly active in musical and athletic endeavors, and I studied mostly on my own so it may have seemed that my grades came not from effort but from talent alone.

That being said, my life has had its ups and downs just like any other. I know a guy who dropped out of high school to work at a bakery and I can't say his life is any better or worse than mine. If he aspired to become a doctor, then I would say that I am better off than he, but he was (and probably still is) perfectly content with his decisions. I know of another person who was heavily involved with student government, music, sports, and all sorts of leadership endeavors. She was also buddy buddy with the faculty at her school and had a million friends who threw parties for her every time she accomplished something spectacular. However, she was a complete stressball and often, in an incapacitated state, needed to hide herself from the word. That was no small feat when all of her world knew her and needed her for something!

Is it better to be that guy at the bakery, who also happens to lead a simple life with a girl he loves and can come home to every afternoon; or is it better to be the girl admired by the student body and all of her professors, who has little time for herself and a panic attack looming in her horizon?

We're med people, so most of us are probably a little more like the girl (let's face it - our hours and responsibilities will demand a lot of personal sacrifice). But there's a lesson to be learned from the baker!

Vizzini and company, maybe there are good reasons WHY you would WANT to be average joes. There is a certain comfort prospect that accompanies fitting in and having a normal and comfortable life of your own. I am not going to say that it is impossible to balance being involved with work and activities with leading a healthy social life, but certainly the more career and academic sacrifices you make, the less time you leave for... YOURSELF. Somewhere, down the road, most of the ambition junkies you describe will change their values and become more concerned with relationships and other things that concern the average joe. Perhaps they'll stop trying to save the world when they become parents. Or... perhaps they'll become president or cure a disease; after all, they have the right mindset for the jobs!

Just be the person you want to be and aim for a career that will make you (not your fifth grade math teacher) happy. Some docs never leave the lab or office, and others have ten children and play golf on the weekends. Some need to climb the academic ladder and become the head honcho, while others are content treating patients or teaching medical students without worrying about how powerful they are.

To each his own.