New Word: Types Of Students

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New Word #118

Let me think what kind of student I was when I was in school. I was not a diligent student but I pretended to be just to keep up the appropriate appearance to fool others as well as myself. I was a coward since I never stood up for others or myself when bullying happened–and bullying happened regularly and often in verbal forms. I was vainly proud of myself to ace an exam even if I hated the subject and had to practice self flagellation to study for it. Now looking back, I feel that I don’t like my old self. That’s not me. That was a bad version of me.

I have encountered the following list of students in movies and books but there are more. These are not enough to describe the diversity of people we encountered in life. Let me think what kind of classmates I had when I was in school. I had one who liked to sleep in class; one who bullied others and of course everybody was afraid of him but his father had power and connections; one who had to cook for her family and had no spare time to play with her peers; one who enjoyed the boring school because her home was too dysfunctional; one who was a genius in math but people often laughed at her thick glasses and her awkward gestures and her mother worried that she couldn’t get herself married. And many more.

valedictorian: a student, typically having the highest academic achievements of the class, who delivers the valedictory at a graduation ceremony.

salutatorian: (North America) the student who ranks second highest in a graduating class and delivers the salutatory.

slacker: (informal) a person who avoids work or effort.

hipster: (informal) a person who follows the latest trends and fashions, especially those regarded as being outside the cultural mainstream.

drama queen: (informal) a person who habitually responds to situations in a melodramatic way.

teacher’s pet: a teacher’s favorite or favored student, typically one who has sought such favor by being ingratiatingly obedient.

overachiever: an individual who performs better or achieves more success than expected.

underachiever: a person who fails to achieve their potential or does not do as well as expected by their peers.

nerd: a person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious, who engages in or discusses a technical field obsessively or with great attention to detail.

class clown: a student who tries to make other students laugh

homecoming queen: (US) In colleges and high schools, a young lady chosen by her peers to “reign” over the traditional activities associated with the Homecoming football game.

prom queen: a girl who is chosen to have a special title and position at a prom, which is a formal party held for older high school students at the end of the school year

wallflower: (informal) a person who has no one to dance with or who feels shy, awkward, or excluded at a party.

au pair: a young student from overseas who joins an American family to care for their children. They travel on a legal, one-year cultural exchange visa through one of several designated au pair agencies

straight A student: a student with all A in his or her transcript.

heartthrob: (informal) a male celebrity who is known for his good looks.

adult learner: Typically, adult learners are defined as students aged 25 and older. They make up nearly half of all students currently enrolled in colleges and universities

sophophobia: Sophophobia is the fear of learning or studying. Probably many students have sophophobia, especially when studying a mandatory subject they don’t like.

most likely to succeed: This is a type of students who are labeled as future winners, but whenever this happens in a movie, you can be sure the plot is going to push this person into a downfall or a disaster or a humiliation.