All About Being Gifted

     I believe gifted means to be able to think outside of the box.  Being gifted has its ups and downs.  Some friends look up to a gifted person for homework help or just to ask a general question. My friends ask me for help when they are doing their homework. In addition, people may feel important when friends and other people do this.  When my friends ask for help, I feel as if I have all of the answers although that is not true.  Some gifted students may do exceptionally well in school such as getting straight A's throughout the year.  As a result, the student has a reputation for getting good grades in their classes.  However, a gifted student may feel the downs of being gifted throughout school.  Most students that are smarter than the average student are made fun of.  I was called "nerd" all throughout middle school just because I got better grades than a lot of people.  Another down to being gifted is feeling left out.  This could be because you chose to be left out or people didn't include you because you are gifted. In middle school, I took a gifted sem inar which required a lot of work.  I used to go to South Brunswick Middle School which had grades 6-8.  I moved here in 7th grade.  Because of all the work the gifted seminar gave, I barey had any time to go out and spend time with my friends.  I chose to be left out because I just didn't have the time.  Reputation could also be a downfall.  Because some gifted students get good grades, when they get a C or lower grade once in a while, they are devastated.  FamilyEducation says that by early adolescence, gifted students may be unwilling to try something new because they are uncertain of their success. This also includes stress because of the name calling and school work pressure.
     Students and people around gifted people often have misconceptions about them.  A myth that I hear quite often from my friends is that gifted people don't need to study.  This is not at all true.  I need to study for most of my classes.  My friends assume that because I learn everything quicker than them, I don't have to study to get A's on assessments.  They are shocked when they see me studying for one of my harder classes such as APUSH I.  According to NAGC, a common myth is that gifted students don't need help; they'll do fine on their own.  This is definitely not true.  Gifted students have a gift in a specific area.  I quickly catch on to anything in Honors Pre-Calculus or Honors Chemistry.  Honors English II and APUSH I on the other hand takes some time to absorb the information.  I have to review information in all of my classes so that I don't forget the very next day.  Another myth is that gifted students are unsocial.  This is yet again another myth that is not true.  I get straight A's and am gifted.  I also am on the Varsity Tennis Team for Northern and participate in some clubs including: Student Council, FBLA, SFERE, Debate Team, Book Club and counting.  I also like to go shopping with friends from my old school who have gifts as well.  
     All in all, I am glad that I am gifted even though it comes with a price.