Silicon Valley is a home to talented engineers and the latest technology. It is a place where there are high schools where there is a cutthroat competition going on all the time. Through the nation, these schools have the highest SAT scores and in many getting a 3.5 GPA can put you in the bottom half of the class. It is a must for students in these schools to not only be talented but also to be well accomplished in numerous areas.

But behind the high number and phenomenal extracurricular activities, there lies a culture of incessant competition and overwork. The constant competition looks like a giant race going nowhere. Following are the features that distinguish these schools from the rest:

Fear of failure:

Silicon Valley which is known to be a home for solutions to the world’s problems, risks, and entrepreneurship, is also burdened with a fear of failure. It believes on not trying new things and fails when they can stick to what they have been doing and accomplishing great things already.

Stifling competition:

People in the Silicon Valley are no doubt ambitious and hardworking; they start companies, publish books, and become nationally ranked in every extracurricular activity. But everything comes with a price, most of the society in the Silicon Valley is judged by numbers. Parents judge their children on the basis of their SAT scores and going to college. But they fail to understand that the superficial things cannot define their children, as they have more to their personality than just test scores.

Ridiculous over-scheduling:

Kids in the Silicone Valley are packed with perfect schedules. After school, they are sent to sports practice for two to three hours, after that they practice the instrument for 1-2 hours, and then its dinner time. Because of five AP courses, they are assigned loads of homework. They work hard now so enjoy life later. But it is never any time for them to relax as they are caught up in the vicious cycle of work.

For people in the Silicon Valley, there is hardly any life because they do not enjoy the moments in which they are present. They are hardworking, ambitious, and everything the rest of the world wishes to be. But for them, it’s a life without any true meaning of life.