College Prep, Life Prep

As you know, our oldest child goes to Central, and I could not be a prouder papa.  Central is literally the top school I would want to send my kids to if I had unlimited choice anywhere in the country, I think that highly of the place.  And, so far, a half-year in, I have not been disappointed, despite such high expectations.

I am particularly thankful for how academically rigorous the school is.  It will come as no surprise, since I am an aspiring Tiger Dad, that this would matter the most to me.  And here, Central has excelled.  To put it in earthy terms, Jada's classes are kicking her butt, and I couldn't be more pleased.






I should note that if you asked her, she might not share my cheery opinion.  After all, she's the one that's hitting the books like never before, feeling constantly tired, and getting pummeled by hard quiz after tough assignment.  But I can tell that on a deeper level she understands, and can even appreciate in the moment, that this is for her good.

She and I have had many conversations on this very topic.  She knows that I got straight A's in junior high and high school, and did pretty well in college too (at an Ivy League school, no less), but that my biggest takeaway from school wasn't getting good grades but rather pushing myself as much as possible.

She knows my formative lessons in school weren't my successes but my failures - the time I flunked my first 9th grade English test, the time I absolutely bombed my first Calc midterm, and the first (and it would not be my last) C I got at Penn.  And she knows what I want for her at Central, as well as for whatever schooling is in her future, is not necessarily good grades but rather that she is picking hard classes and putting in the time to work in them.

It occurs to me that my approach to school is informed by my philosophy on life, which is to not be afraid of but rather lean into working hard and even getting your butt kicked.  Anything worth doing is going to involve struggle, pain, and opposition.  None of these things is comfortable.  The best life prep is to have practice living in that discomfort, and figure out a way to press through it for the greater good.

None of which negates being humane.  Jada just finished midterm week at Central, and Amy and I have tried to be extra nice to her during and after, making her breakfast and letting her sleep in and going easier on the chores.  Over time, her challenges will get steeper, and our support will pull back further as she learns to bear them on her own.  Because college prep is life prep, and life isn't easy.