GRE Issue Topic 49

Sample 1:

For most young people, setting long–term, realistic goals is the route to lifetime success. Those who choose this route are less likely to experience failure and become discouraged. However, setting long–term, realistic goals is not the best choice for some, and notable exceptions exist today and throughout history that demonstrate the wisdom of their choices. Those with special talents may be better served by seeking immediate fame and recognition.

The world of professional sports is populated by stellar athletes who made the decision to seek immediate fame and recognition. It used to be that those seeking careers as professional athletes would first complete a college degree and, then, enter the draft. In recent years, it has become more common for those with high–level skills to leave college early or never attend at all and be drafted right out of high school. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James went directly from high school to the NBA. At the ripe old age of eighteen, each was making millions of dollars per year. Would four years of college hoops have made them better players? Perhaps not. They may have run the risk of career–ending injuries, ultimately ending any chance of signing multi–year, multi–million dollar contracts. Seeking immediate fame and recognition was the right decision for these two superstars, both of whom have won multiple NBA championships with their teams.

Examples abound in the world of the arts of those whose talents may not have been recognized or rewarded had they been advised to set realistic goals. Every year, hundreds of thousands of hopefuls’ audition for American Idol. Rather than testing their talents in small clubs or enduring rounds of auditions, these young singers take a single shot at the big time. Only one of them can win the prize, relegating the remainder to the ranks of also–rans. In the case of the winner and a select few of the top ten, great success ensues. In 2012, Phil Phillips won, and the song written for him to sing in the finale became the theme of the American gymnastics team at the London Olympics. Still a teenager, Phillips gained immediate fame and recognition. Had he not taken a chance on American Idol, he may have continued to sing in church and the school choir, and singing might have become a pleasant pastime in his adult life.

Situations do exist where long–term, realistic goals are more likely to ensure success. Medical research comes to mind. As scientists search for cures or treatments for serious, even deadly, diseases or genetic conditions, they must meticulously test and retest, create scientific trials, and seek FDA approval before releasing new drugs on the market. This process can take many years, and virtually none of those individual scientists gains fame or recognition.

A young woman from my home town set a long–term goal for her life when she was a small child. She wanted to be an astronaut when she grew up. Toward that end, Jessica Meir worked hard in school and graduated as valedictorian of her class. She went on to Brown University and obtained her first degree. She completed research at the Scripps Oceanographic institute, becoming an aquanaut. Eventually, she attended the International Space University in Strasbourg, France. At the time of her selection as one of eight in the newest class of NASA astronauts she was an assistant professor of anesthesiology at Harvard. Now in her mid–thirties, Jessica has reached her lifelong goal by systematically setting a course that would lead her there. It is important to note that Jessica was not selected the first time she applied to become an astronaut, but she stayed the course and, eventually, reached her destination.

In reality, the vast majority of us benefit from setting long–term goals. The finish line is far in the future, and we will get there one step at a time. Making long–term, realistic goals will keep us from becoming discouraged or quitting altogether. Even very talented individuals sometimes spurn the chance for early fame and recognition in order to avoid the stress and public scrutiny that attend them. Young people should be encouraged to take the path that best suits their talents and circumstances.

Sample 2:

We all aim to achieve great heights in our professional front. Nothing comes easy in this world. We all have to strive hard to achieve our aim in life. It is very well said that timely hard work leads to sweet fruit of success. All those who work hard in their lives taste the sweet fruit of success. The present generation is forgetting the true meaning of success. The younger generation is aiming at getting overnight success in their careers. In the present scenario nobody wants to work hard for success but they want success on the very first step of their careers. I believe that the younger generation should be shown the true path of hard work and success as that would lead to their true success. They should be encouraged to get their final goal in life rather than running after momentarily success.

We all fight in our lives to prove ourselves in the rat race of earning our livelihood. We all are in a hurry to prove ourselves in our respective fields. In this run the true essence of success is getting lost. The present generation is running after only fame and recognition. This is resulting in adoption of wrong means to do work to obtain success. The need for success is making people blind and they are instigated to adopt all the wrong means to fulfill their aim. We have numerous examples of people from our past generation who struggled in their lives and came out shining bright in their respective fields. There is no denying that sheer hard work surely pays. There is a very famous saying that slow and steady wins the race. It is correct in context to all fields of life. When in life we are deliberate in making our decisions then the outcome is remarkable as the decision was well thought over. Therefore, the chances of doing something wrong are minimized to a great extend. The various technological developments which are the result of many years of research and hard work have made our day to day life easy and simple. The scientists have put in so much effort and hard work in inventing all such innovations. Therefore hard work has always resulted in remarkable achievements.

Although the outcome of hard work is always credible but people who get instant fame and recognition in life are hardworking too. It is the creativity of those persons that has shown them the doors of success in life. In spite of the fact that few people are successful early in their life it certainly does not mean that the way to success is always short. Those who strive hard always get blessed with success in life. Therefore, younger generation should be encouraged to achieve their long term goals rather than running after short term success. Short term success is short lived and long term goals yield true success in life.