Blind Ambition

As one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the nation, Exeter is known for the intellectuality of its student body. Contrary to the public image of the school, however, many students place a heavier value on what goes on their résumé, rather than the learning experiences and opportunities offered in Exeter.The Academy’s mission states that along with academic excellence, one of the qualities the institution seeks in its students is intellectual curiosity. Admission officers look for students who demonstrate both enthusiasm and curiosity in learning, and all admitted students clearly show this quality. This “Exeter virtue,” however, is gradually lost within most students as they acclimate to the life at Exeter.The main cause of this problem is that the student body as a whole is overly-ambitious, to the point where their initial intellectual curiosity is replaced by the desire for consequential rewards of accomplishment. A club head position, an accumulative GPA higher than 10.0, or an acceptance letter to an Ivy League school becomes more important than the search for a true passion, ardor for learning and the search for the most suitable college.Having created an environment where students are constantly pushing themselves to create the “ideal career” in their future, the Academy is not only failing to achieve its mission, but also contributing to the rise of a generation largely unaware of or rather incapable of recognizing the importance of learning. The most alarming truth of all is that many students recognize that learning should be prioritized over the struggle for the ideal career. Yet because students are too concerned about their futures, they ignore this crucial fact, and continue to struggle to rack up pointless accomplishments.Although the endeavor to acquire achievements might earn students respect and a few benefits, it is important to understand that the accomplishments do have consequences. By spending a majority of their time at Exeter trying to map out the ideal career path, students could potentially be wasting the incredible opportunities offered by this institution.Unfortunately, Exeter is not the only school with overly competitive and ambitious students. Many students in academic institutions across the globe are stacking up accomplishments like machines in order to be admitted into top-tier schools, and the beauty of learning is becoming less important in countless young minds.Now, more than ever, it’s essential for students to take a step back and check if they have been overlooking or forgetting the importance of learning. It’s time to bring about a change, to cherish the importance of learning and rediscover the beauty in intellectual curiosity. It’s time to begin taking in what Exeter presents to its students. It’s time to live by the Academy’s mission and create an environment where current and prospective students can challenge themselves to become intellectual leaders.Despite the importance of grades, colleges and careers, hopefully all of us will start to pay a little more attention to knowledge, passion and dreams. Hopefully, we’ll take advantage of what Exeter offers to each and every one of us. And hopefully we’ll progress from a school where a competitive atmosphere silently pressures all students to strive for the ideal career to an institution that truly harbors young leaders with intellectual curiosity. 