The Parable of the High School Student

There was a high school student who desired to attend a top tier university. The student knew that admittance into the university was competitive and difficult. However, he heard many of his classmates and neighbors talk about how great an opportunity it would be to attend the school. In light of this, the student committed himself to getting accepted into the university. 

To reach his goal, the student made sure to attend all of his classes. Unlike some of his peers, who would regularly skip class, the student never did. In fact, he looked disapprovingly on his peers who did skip class. The student was also involved in school activities. He played and lettered in sport. He also ran for different study body positions, eventually becoming the class president. He was well liked by all his teachers and the school faculty, who always remarked how polite and helpful he was. 

Although the student completed the homework, he did not spend much time understanding the principles being taught. His teachers would return his homework to him, marking the incorrect answers. Still, he student rarely (if ever) reviewed what he got wrong. And because of this, his performance was very mediocre and his skills didn’t improve much. 

The student rarely studied for his tests. He figured since he attended class he was prepared for them. Because of this, he always did poorly on his tests. And although he became frustrated with his performance, he didn’t do much to change his circumstances and continued with the same behavior of being unprepared. 

As the date of college entrance exams grew nearer, the student did not change his behavior and habits. He had almost perfect attendance and was very involved in school activities, but he did not study for the college entrance exam. When other of his peers were studying intensely for the exam, the student enjoyed spending his time watching sports. Consequently, he didn’t do well on the exam. Moreover, instead of seeking out help and assistance, the student, although discouraged, was confident that he’d still get accepted to the prestigious university. He did not retake the test.  

As the application deadline for college neared, the student applied to the university only to discover to his surprise that he was not accepted. The student was heartbroken. Eventually the student applied to other universities. He did not get accepted to any of these. Heartbroken again, he applied to community colleges. He didn’t get accepted either. As his senior year ended, with many of his friends getting accepted to college, the student had no prospects. Upon graduation, the student was left without any acceptance to any university or community college. He wept bitterly.