In-class analysis and applications of the concepts addressed in our first quarter required reading book, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.
1. Birth month: March
2. Birth order: Younger of two
3. Effect on Schooling: I am neither the oldest nor youngest in my class, so my
birth month did not have much effect on my school placement. However, I
was exposed to school curriculum early through my sister and learned
most of it when she learned it, so knew more than most of my peers,
especially in early years of school.
What have you spent the most time in your life doing so far? If your chosen topic is not related to this activity, elucidate.
I
have probably either spent the most time swimming or reading. I have
spent at least 3000 hours swimming so far, and maybe 5000 reading. I am
still actively pursuing both.
While
it would be perfectly plausible to pick a swimming-related topic, my
sister did that, and I absolutely refuse to do anything even remotely
close to her project. I did not choose a reading-related
topic because I do not enjoy writing or literary analysis, the two
obvious follow-ups to reading, and mostly just like reading for fun.
-Do you feel the term “smart enough” applies to you? Elaborate.
I
feel like I am “smart enough.” Not being "smart enough" for
something has never been a problem in my experience so far, as I feel I am definitely smart enough to get
through high school and college.
-To what extent do you feel pressure by being labeled “gifted” by peers or adults?
Not
much. I feel pressure to be smarter or do better than others in school,
but that's not because of other people's expectations for me to be so,
but my own belief that I should.
-To what extent have you been instructed towards self-advocacy? Do you notice this trait’s presence or absence in others?
I do see the absence or presence of it in others, though it
is not as pronounced as in Gladwell's examples. I’m not the best at
self-advocacy, but am not nearly the worse either.
-Do you feel pressure about going to the “right” school or career? What is the source of this pressure?
I
feel pressure from my parents and self to find something that fully
uses my smartness, is lucrative, and contributes to society. And to not
be hermit. And to not become a psychopathic mass murderer. Oh yeah, and apparently "evil genius" is not as acceptable line of work either, more's the pity.
In
The Outliers, Gladwell tells about how factors like IQ have less effect
on a person's chances for success once they pass a certain threshold,
with "success" depending more on the effort the person puts in (10000
hours) and the opportunities they receive. This relates to my
project in that even if I choose a topic to learn viewed as for only for
smarter, older people to study, if I am past the threshold learning it
requires and spend enough time seizing the opportunity I have to do so, I will still be able to
understand it.