John Lennon s Life Of Wealth And Prestige - 1126 Words

John Lennon, the highly influential singer and songwriter of the popular English rock band, The Beatles, once said, â€Å"[when] I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.† Although it may seem simple, Lennon s message is deeply profound. Overachievement is a common issue in the United States and all over the world, as well. Students everywhere overwork themselves to the point of stress being their way of life. They take as many AP classes and participate in as many extracurricular activities as possible in hopes†¦show more content†¦area adolescents surveyed -- 58 percent – said school was their biggest cause of stress.† This demonstrates that overachievement is an especially big issue in this geo graphic area. Considering the fact that the majority of students in this region of the country are overwhelmed by school, wouldn’t that mean students should relax themselves and take it easier in school to ultimately relieve most of their stress? When it comes down to it, failing tomorrow’s history test does not equate to being a failure at life. Besides, stressing could cloud up a person s thinking and may very well end up in him or her performing worse. Weisman’s article also mentions how â€Å"students who are afraid of making mistakes wind up learning less and scoring lower on exams than those who focus on effort.† So, stop stressing and relax. Overachievers may appear as highly accomplished individuals on the outer surface, but sometimes there is an unethical, weak, and insecure character shadowed underneath, mainly in those who are pushed not by strict parents or overachievement culture, but by themselves. According to an article from The Tribune by Linda Lewis Griffith, a poll of â€Å"4,500 high school students in 2002 found that 75 percent admitted to cheating.† The pressure to perform well leaves most students stooping low enough to cheat. What these students need to realize is that by doing so, they are only cheating themselves. Sure, maybe it is possible to