[koolmoe]

If nothing else, the author demonstrated the ability to work hard. Demonstrating to yourself that you can work hard has a lot of value in and of itself, IMO.

Of course, there are other outlets for working hard, but for many Americans, high school and later college present the most obvious and most consistent opportunities to do so. In fact, the author may have even learned how to work hard in college if he didn't already have that ethic.

[edw519]

Get the kids up and fed, drop them off, hot tar that roof in 100 degree weather for 8 hours, fight traffic, get to the supermarket, fix dinner for the kids, and pay the bills after you put them to bed, only to do it all over again tomorrow, with a smile on your face the whole time (because others depend on you to smile so they know everything's ok).

Or hang out in the lounge with your latte discussing the merits of Marxism while someone pays your bills.

Please, please, please don't confuse hard work with anything that happens in college. You make the rest of us wish we were still there.

[koolmoe]

>please don't confuse hard work with anything that happens in college.

You can work hard at anything. Playing an instrument isn't something I consider work, but it takes hard work to become one of the top musicians in the world.

Consistently trying to be the best at something rather than just accepting mediocrity is important, and not a lot of people have that drive. It's the kind of thing that keeps you from having to tar roofs for a living.

>You make the rest of us wish we were still there.

You must have me confused with someone else. I'm not a student.