The striver is an interesting phenomenon that is
seen across
college campuses. In essence, the striver is an over-achiever who comes from a working or middle class
family. He may be an immigrant. He may have been a slacker in HS who was "born again" into an academic wunderkind. Or he may just be an over-achiever who is keeping at it.
The striver is willing to sacrifice his social life at the expense of Phi Beta
Kappa and Summa Cum Laude. The striver is the
guy who stays at the library long after you are gone. The striver is the
guy who takes 30 credits/semester and considers anything below an A/4.0 failure. The striver doesn't work on campus, he is too busy finding ways to pad his resume instead of working retail or workstudy. The striver lets his grades pay his education by applying to ten scholarships a year.
The striver is a future Soros/Fullbright/Rhodes/Gates/Marshall/etc. fellow. The striver lives to study. For the striver, their fun comes from the rewards they expect to receive in return for their diligence. Be it Law School, B-School, academia, or
politics. The striver seeks to find the American
Dream through academic success.