2.3 Valedictorian Essay

While there are negatives to a school naming their valedictorian such as anxiety and pressure, the honor creates motivation for students to try their hardest in school. There would be little drive for students to have a high GPA if, potentially, there was no competition. They would begin slacking in their school work because they had no important reason for doing well in school. Achieving valedictorian usually guarantees acceptance to the college of the student's choice, as well as numerous sholarships. Modern-day students are much more competitive than in the past, and they want to be rewarded for their dedication to academics. While there can be those students that cheat their way to the top, most valedictorians put much effort into gaining the top spot of their class. Numerous hours of studying and homework are put into achieving the highest possible grade. It would be unfair not to point out the role model for all other students because it sets a path for all other students to follow. Although struggling to beat one's classmates can cause tedious, stress-enducing agony, the competition teaches real life skills. Nothing simply comes to someone in life; they must put determination into achieving their life goals. Competition is a key factor in college, careers, and many other aspects of daily life such as relationships. One can not rely on success being given to them unless they put in the time necessary. Since the education system in the United States is decreasing compared to many other foreign countries, the drive for academic success is imperitive. Countries such as Japan are filled with work-savvy students that are willing to dedicate their entire lives to school work. If schools were to eliminate valedictorians and celebrate a larger number of students, then the students that received no special recognition would feel even more rejected from achievements in high school. They would know that they did not make the increased percentage of students graduating at the top of their class. More thorough regulations should be required for valedictorians so the rules are more clear. This would hinder the confusion that results in court cases. Although the title of valedictorian does not ensure that that person is the smartest student in the class, it does show that they are the most dedicated, hard-working student. This is a good basis for college acceptance when college boards are determining who would succeed in attending their schools. Those students work for recognition and they deserve it because of the tedious work involved. There is a risk of cheating in almost every daily activity from working out to a college entrance exam; a student utilizing their knowledge and strategies to work their way to the top of their class is not cheating if they follow all of the rules. They could possibly be criticized by their classmates, but those classmates could have done the same exact thing if they had similar determination. Valedictorians are necessary to high schools because they provide fellow students with a sense of direction and motivation for competition.