The Overachiever

The noise level in the room was deafening. It seemed like everyone in this sea of upperclassmen was talking instead of learning. Only one student seemed to be working. Her pencil moved in time with her thoughts. She seemed oblivious to the chaos around her. Papers flew as assignments were finished, only a small demonstration of junior Bryce O’Tierney’s drive for academic success.

Overachievers vs. Slackers

Overachievers need to get a life. Every year they appear in my classes, and I’m fed up. With these people, the rest of us slackers don’t have a chance. Overachievers, compulsive perfectionists, come in all personalities and all of them are dangerous.

Overachievers aren’t normal. They don’t know how to really relax; the thing slackers are best at. For them, relaxing is practicing the cello so they can somehow surpass first chair, even though they already are first chair. They say things like “Don’t we have any homework tonight, Mrs. So-and-so?” Slackers never say that. Slackers think their day is much brighter if the teacher forgets to assign homework.

Overachievers make me tired. They have enough room in their brains to memorize Mozart. They’re always learning new things and setting the curve on tests and quizzes. I like to be the one who studies five minutes before class and still earns a decent grade because I had better things to do the night before, like watch the season premiere of Beauty and the Geek.