On Being a Nerd

By: Asheesh Momi

Nerd. It is a word we often hear whether it is on TV or real life. They are stereotypically people who wear glasses are socially awkward and are always geniuses. Webster defines a nerd as “an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially:  one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits”(nerd). While this is not everything, that defines, a nerd it is definitely at the heart of it. A nerd devotes their life to what they’re passionate about. Whether they’re a traditional computer nerd or a more modern arts nerd, you don’t have to love Star Trek to be a nerd you just have to be passionate about what you love. If you’re a nerd, you know what your life is about, whether it is winning a Nobel or simply learning all that there is to know. Nerds can be awkward, because they are so passionate; when you devote your life to the study of the universe you don’t have time, or an interest, with who hooked up with whom, you have better things to do. Nerds: they are the hardest working and weirdest people around, and I am proud to be one.

Now, spotting a nerd is harder than it used to be. We don’t see them walk around with huge glasses or pocket protectors, or talking in high nasally voices. They aren’t those kids who play Dungeons and Dragons after all; the real world hardly resembles the movies. Yet there are still ways you can tell them apart. You know you’re a nerd if you’ve ever complained about how unrealistic a movie is, or watched all the Star Wars movies in one go, or write for Hurley’s blog, or argued with a teacher throughout class for the sole purpose of showing how smart you are, or walk around proudly in an academic sweater, or you actually laugh when you teacher makes a chemistry joke, or spend your time playing the stock market game, or when teachers send out emails about interesting opportunities that involve a ton of work you respond, or above all else you find yourself compared to John Braeckman. You know who they are, in fact, you might be surprised to find some of your friends fall into that category, or you do

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It’s okay to be a nerd; in fact it is something to be proud off. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Barack Obama they were all nerds. When you grow up, your bosses are all going to be one. Why? Because they put in the work when, it needed to be done.  We are at the top of the world: businessmen, lawyers, engineers, politicians, and doctors all of them are nerds. You know them they’re the kid you ask when you’re stuck on your homework. You know them they help you, and you probably do like them. You know they’re a lot of fun, their unique sense of humour is charming, and they don’t make you feel stupid … most of the time. In fact, your life would be better if you were a nerd. Think about it no more parents, heads of houses, and advisors constantly nagging at you to get your grades up, because they’re already high enough. You know that you’re going to get into a good university, and now all you need to worry about is getting into a great one.

You may want to be a nerd, and that’s okay here. You don’t see nerds being shoved into lockers; this isn’t Mean Girls or Kenner. Nerds are everywhere here, they have friends, they can be cool or funny, and they even join sports teams. We all have friends that are nerds. We have nerdy tendencies of our own, and it’s okay. You can be comfortable around your teachers, even make a few jokes with them, without being considered a teachers’ pet, which most of us are. You can take AP course and still be considered a jock. You can complain about how getting an 80 is way too low and no one thinks you’re a “try hard” because most of them agree. Being a nerd here is safe, if anything, it is applauded. People don’t bully the nerd, don’t ignore them in the hallways, and don’t pick them last in gym class. We don’t bully nerds because we’re all part nerd, after all, why else would Trivia Crack be so popular?

So be a nerd, be a nerd and be proud of it. Embrace the opportunity if you are a nerd be loud and proud about it; you’ll be happier you did. Go, be passionate find what it is you love, surround yourself with it, and don’t care what anyone else thinks. Don’t be awkward about it. If someone doesn’t like what you do then forget about them. Live your life as a nerd, be a nerd in high school, university and beyond. Go win your Nobel Prize or Pulitzer or whatever it is you’re after. Go be a nerd and change the world. They are the only ones that do. Go and boldly go where no one has gone before.