Ideal Students

People might have different opinions when it comes to talking about the definition of
an ideal student. As a matter of fact, it is not easy to agree on which criteria that a
student can be considered ideal. For a pragmatic-type of teacher, an ideal student
might be thought of the one who can meet the academic standards. In the society,
an ideal student might be seen as the one who can be the most useful for his
surroundings. Even each of you, the readers of this article, might also have your
own opinions of what it takes to be an ideal student. Despite these various
perspectives, there must also be an assumption that general characteristics of an
ideal student do exist. The following conversation offers unique perspectives of what
an ideal student might look like.

Ahmad : Hi guys, how was your class this morning?

Slamet : My class was fine. I had a mid-test on Structure 3 and I think I did very
well. I am pretty sure that I will get at least 90 on this mid-test.
Ahmad : Glad to hear that, Slamet! What about you Anis? How was your class?
Anis : Huft! Not so much as I expected. Professor Zuhri gave me an extra
assignment because I was late to the class. He wanted me to make a
presentation about what an ideal student is. I don‘t really like this
assignment! You know I am always irritated when everybody talks
about being a good student and they measure it by how good your
grades are. For me, it is so bias when students only care about their
grades but neglect how well they really learn. Not to mention that my
professor seems to only care to students who come to the class on
time, and he always gives an extra assignment to those who are late.
This is so unfair!

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Slamet : Wait a minute, Anis! I think Professor Zuhri has a point. Don‘t you think
he gives you an extra assignment because he cares about you? I think
he just wants to discipline you. He just wants you to be his ideal
student.
Anis : Care about me? His ideal student? Seriously? I don‘t want him to
decide whether I am ideal or not. I want to decide myself what it is to
be an ideal student.
Slamet : But…
Ahmad : Alright guys, knock it off! It is endless if you are arguing like this. Why
don‘t you guys keep your head cool? And let‘s have a fruitful discussion
so that the outcomes can help Anis compose her presentation.
Anis : Yes, I agree with that. I am sorry Slamet. I got a little carried away
with my frustration in the class.
Slamet : It is okay, Anis. Sometimes that happens to me too.
Ahmad : Ok then I will start. In my opinion, an ideal student holds all that is
good and noble. His qualities are not only determined by what is inside
his head but also inside his heart. In other words, he is not only smart
but also kind and humble. We must not forget an old wisdom in our
culture that knowledge is like a stalk of rice, where it will bent down as
the seed gets heavier. In addition, it is socially and religiously
encouraged that an ideal student should be the light for his
surroundings, which means that a student should be capable of
bringing benefits to his society through the knowledge he has gained.
Surely, a student with all of these qualities will be loved by teachers,
parents, friends, and people around him. That is my definition of an
ideal student. So, what is your definition of an ideal student, Slamet?
Slamet : Wow! I like your definition, Ahmad! That is so beautiful! I think I have a
similar definition with yours but with an additional emphasis. If your
understanding of an ideal student focuses on the virtue of brain and
heart, I will add that an ideal student should also maintain his
performance and physical development. For me, performance is a very
essential element because a good student becomes a model for his
friends. We all can agree that a good model should show good
performances, right? Thus, despite just having a pretty brain and heart,
an ideal student can be more beneficial if his good behaviors and
proper attitudes can be the examples for his surroundings. Speaking
about physical development, an ideal student should take regular
exercises. He should not be just a book-worm. He goes to playgrounds
and takes active parts in games in order to keep his body fit. He should

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 also promote healthy life-styles such as consuming healthy food,
keeping personal hygiene, and balancing time between studying,
exercising, socializing, and resting. I am fully aware that all of these
qualities cannot be accomplished without determination and discipline.
That is why I somehow agree with Anis‘ professor in giving her an extra
assignment. I see it as a proper way to discipline her. Right Anis?
Anis : Alright, alright! I understand. But I have my own perspective in seeing
a student to be ideal.
Slamet : So, what is it, Anis? How do you see a student to be ideal?
Anis : For me, the definition of an ideal student is beyond brain, heart, and
physical appearance. An ideal student is the one with idealism. He must
clearly know whatever he is doing and be responsible for that. He
knows what he wants, not because he just follows what others do, but
he knows exactly the values and consequences of what he is doing. For
instance, an ideal student will study really hard to master the subject
he is studying, not to merely get a satisfying grade. In Professor Zuhri‘s
class, I am determined to study hard because I really want to grasp the
fruit of the knowledge of the subject he is teaching. Today I was late
because I did not have enough sleep last night. I work on an
assignment from the Statistics class until 4 a.m. I was a little bit cranky
when I went to his class this morning, and the extra assignment made
it worse.
Ahmad : Ah! Now I see the reason why you look so moody. Well, as I said, you
can still take the bright side of our conversation. If you want, you can
just list all the qualities of an ideal student we have just talked about
for your presentation. You can also add some empirical evidences of
the qualities of an ideal student from scholarly articles. I think the
Journal of Education and Behavior can be a good start to find articles
that fit with your topic.
Anis : Thank you, guys! Both of you are indeed good friends. I really enjoyed
our conversation. I am very determined to excel this assignment! Haha
Slamet : Here we go, girl!

A. Text Comprehension
1. Who argued to each other in the conversation?
2. ―In Professor Zuhri‘s class, I am determined to study hard because I really
want to grasp the fruit of the knowledge of the subject he is teaching.‖ The
word ‗he’ refers to…
3. What made Anis upset?

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 4. Why did Anis not like her professor?
5. Why did Slamet agree with Anis‘ professor?
6. What did Ahmad suggest to Anis and Slamet?
7. How do you conclude the characteristics of an ideal student according to
Anis‘ opinion?
8. How do you contrast Ahmad‘s and Slamet‘s definitions about an ideal
student?
9. Which definitions of an ideal student do you agree the most? Why?
10. What is your own definition about an ideal student?

B. Collocations and Idioms: learn the meaning, pronounce, and use them
in your own sentences
1. Glad to hear: happy for someone‘s good fortune.
Example:
● Glad to hear that, Slamet!
● I am very glad to hear that you made it home safely.
● ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

2. Wait a minute: to stop something.

Example:
● Wait a minute, Anis! I think Professor Zuhri has a point.
● Wait a minute! I think I just made a mistake.
● ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

3. Knock it off: ask someone to stop or to put down a conflict.

Example:
● Alright guys, knock it off!
● Knock it off! I have enough listening to your complain.
● ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

4. Fruitful discussion: discussion which results in meaningful outputs.

Example:
● And let‟s have a fruitful discussion so that the outcomes can help Anis
compose her presentation.
● I am so happy to talk with you. We are really having a fruitful
discussion.
● ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

5. Keep someone‘s head cool: to control emotion or to calm down.

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