Straight-A Students Reveal What Life is Like After Entering the Real World

“Nothing. Unemployed, completely unsure what to do with my life.

School made me really really good at remembering random things for short periods of time, but I don’t see how that applies to any sort of job or hobbies. I’ve been out of high-school for 3 years, trying to go back to school right now and I’ve forgotten everything. If I’ve learned anything; It doesn’t mean a thing whatsoever to be a straight A student. You need some actual motivation/passion in something to get good at it, and school has nothing to do with that.” – waawftutki

“Straight A university student.

I work at a coffee shop. Yup.” – mcmur

“Working in IT for a Straight C boss.” – indigoreality

“I was a straight A student all through high school (which is probably where I peaked to be quite honest) – I graduated valedictorian, student council president, with extra curriculars up the wazoo.

My good grades got me into a great college, where we were all told at orientation “Get used to being average”. Ive never been average, so I brushed it off, thinking it didnt really apply to me.

Sure enough, despite all my hard work and non-stop studying, I was a B- student. That struggle really took an emotional toll on me and was the first of many times I felt stupid or felt that I didnt deserve to be where I was.”

I ended up transferring after sophomore year because of the financial burden plus how out of place I felt in that environment. Am currently a senior preparing to graduate in May with a B+ average. After that, going back to school to get my MBA in Human Resources to begin a career I feel Id be well-fitted in.

Getting all A’s in my opinion isnt nearly as important as society tells us it is. In fact, getting A’s is what fucked me in the long run because I didnt have any prior experience not being the best and I could have been better prepared for that let down. Your health and your happiness are what’s important – no one should ever tell themselves that they’re worth less because they’re not a 4.0 student – not all of us can be, and I’ve just realized myself that that’s okay.” – anotherdirtyword

“I made straight As my entire life. Had two big scholarships in college and graduated with honors, and again, made straight As the whole time. I also worked 2-3 part time jobs the entire time I was in school (poor folk gotta eat). I did all of it with the constant echoing motivation of “hard work will help you achieve your dreams!”

5 years after graduating: I’m employed at a mediocre job doing mediocre work slightly related to my degree for mediocre pay…in a mediocre city. For the first 2-3 years I was in the working world, I felt pretty betrayed by my lack of opportunity in what I wanted to do, but I’m pretty much over it now. I spent a lot of time being like, “Why am I still in Texas? Why am I not doing the cool stuff I know how to do and instead spend my days copying and pasting information off Google?”

I’m still working towards my dreams, but if I knew back then what I know now, I don’t think I would have been as studious or as motivated to make perfect grades. Granted, good grades has helped in ways you wouldn’t expect… Still, I was misled, a bit, by the “good grades = good life” rhetoric.

I’m not done yet, though, so maybe I’ll wind up doing what I really love to do eventually.” – smokesinatraart

“I’m a research scientist with an aerospace materials company. Currently I’m sitting on a plane about to leave for Japan to do some collaborative research.

It’s a good life.” – notconradanker

“Engineer at an aerospace company and making more money my first year out of school than both of parents currently make combined.” – ThirstyWombat