“ Chris and his colleagues were professional, fun, and very informative. My students thoroughly enjoyed their visit! ”
Many people have been told numerous times throughout their lives to strive for excellence, and that anything less than perfect is unacceptable. For some people, this means that if they weren’t constantly at the top of their class, or got anything other than an A+ on a test, they feel like they’ve failed at life, and the drive of perfection becomes one of unachievability.
When entering college or university, the standard of excellence becomes much higher than what it was in secondary school. Everyone sitting in the lecture hall was at the top of their class before university, they all got into the same university that you did, after all! But when everyone is excellent, that old standard of excellence becomes just average.
Going into your post-secondary studies you will do worse than you did in highschool. You will be surrounded by the brightest minds of the generation, and will inevitably find that no matter what you’re doing, there is always someone doing better than you. You’ll sometimes feel mediocre - overshadowed by those that seem to have done so much more.
However, being average isn’t bad. When you’re the best something, there is no longer room to be better, no room for growth, and your motivation will die. While the temporary ego boost of being “the best” may feel good for a while, being stuck in this position of stagnation, especially early on in life or a career, will lead to others quickly overtaking you. This applies to any aspect of life, whether that be a school, a job, or even hobbies. Surrounding yourself with people who may be better than you in some aspects, gives you the opportunity to take advantage of the different skills, create things that you wouldn’t be able to otherwise, and grow in areas where you are behind.
Therefore, not only is it perfectly fine to be average amongst your peers, It is the best place to be! When you become the best at doing something, it’s a sign that you need to be doing more. Mediocrity is relative by nature, and being even the worst of the best is still better than being the best of the worst.
Nobody is perfect. If you are challenging yourself and pushing your limits, then you are much more likely to make a mistake or two simply because of the nature of what you are doing. Going into post-secondary is a challenge, and you’ll make mistakes along the way. Don’t blame yourself for every mistake you make - they are indicators that you are on the right track. True mediocrity is being content with being the best while not challenging yourself to be better.
We empower students to become the best version of themselves
“ Chris and his colleagues were professional, fun, and very informative. My students thoroughly enjoyed their visit! ”
“ Prospective university freshmen like me often have too many questions and are usually confused about the process of transitioning from high school to university life. IE Mentorship was able to tailor to my needs and quickly match a requested mentor that has similar interests, backgrounds, and career interests as me. As a completely free service made by students for students, IE Mentorship is a valuable platform to help you out and make friends that would benefit you long afterwards! ”
“ Incline Education’s accelerator program helped me to feel less intimidated by the recruitment process. The mentors were extremely friendly and helpful which at the end of the day helped me to feel more confident in myself and understand areas that I need to begin working on. It is a very valuable experience for students who are not sure about how to approach the recruitment process or do not have an idea about what they would like to do in the future. ”
“ As a first year student who was unfamiliar with the process of finding internships, the Accelerator Program helped me gain an in-depth understanding of different elements ranging from resumes to networking, while also being able to tailor to my specific career interests. With personalized feedback and the team’s insights in the recruiting process, I found it very helpful as I could pinpoint areas that I could work on and learnt specific ways that I could improve. Both the team and the other cohort members were welcoming, supportive, and personable. Over the course of several weeks, I learnt a lot and really enjoyed getting to make new friends and connections! ”
“ This program helped me connect with incredibly talented students and learn from them about the internship application process. It was such a delight to talk with my mentors about practical tips for writing resumes and nailing interview questions, and I'm very much looking forward to applying those tips in my future applications. Thank you for this unique opportunity. ”