"He's Now Part Of The 1%": Former Classmates Are Sharing What Happened To The "Slacker" Of Their School, And It's Proof That Grades Don't Matter In The Real World

Just because a student slacks off in school doesn't mean they're doomed to fail forever. Sometimes, they just need to be educated differently, as I learned when I asked the BuzzFeed Community where the "slackers" of their school are at now. And even though underestimating people isn't in my nature, I was really surprised by some of these stories:

1."One of the slackers at my school who was always pleasant, funny, and constantly high is now a professional photographer and a professional surfer living in Hawaii. I’m so happy for him that he's living his dream, and I enjoy seeing his Instagram posts of beautiful Hawaiian sunsets and scenery."

2."This guy in my class was your classic hooligan. He was kind of a bully and an epic troublemaker — I bet our class teacher hates him up to this day. We entered the same university, and I would hang with him every once in a while because he was neighbors with my best friend in college. He still wasn’t a great student, but he became a lot less antisocial and a lot more friendly. Later, he became a DJ and stand-up comedian and went all in. He's quite successful now. He even has a family and, in general, lives a normal conformist life."

—miab4e8eaccc7

3."I did no homework, next to no work in class, though I was intelligent and managed to coast through. I was the ‘naughty’ alt kid in an all-girls private school. I just didn’t fit in. I did make it to university but dropped out. When I was 25, I got a diagnosis of depression and anxiety. At 30, I was diagnosed with autism. I didn't realize my ‘laziness’ was my inability to interact with the world around me. Medication helped significantly, and I felt like I could properly function for once. I’m now 31. I’m getting married next year, and I’m in the process of buying my first house. I’m also the area manager for a supported living organization for adults with learning disabilities and mental health issues. My friend group these days views me as the career person and a real go-getter — the irony isn’t lost on me. It's not too late for your life to change."

4."It was me! I absolutely hated school and sucked at it. I wasn't a bad kid, but I couldn't find the heart to do the work. I took 10 years off education after I graduated and worked. Then, the penny dropped, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I studied library and information sciences for three years, and now, I have an undergraduate degree and work as a librarian. I bought a house last year and hope to get my master's in two years. Now, I'm passionate about education and excited to learn more. I'm even fairly good at it now."

"Sometimes, it takes time before you realize what you want. And don't worry if it doesn't happen for you right away. There are plenty of great jobs out there for you if you have non-academic skills. And don't forget that trades still exist!"

—lainey221

5."The first high school I attended was horrid. I didn’t fit in and was guarded after constantly moving, so I stopped trying to make friends. About halfway through freshman year, my difficult home life and stress with school led me to severe anxiety and migraines. I was ready to quit and get my GED when an 'alternative school' was suggested to me. It was pitched as an alternative for 'at risk' students who might not graduate otherwise. You could say it was a school for 'slackers' who were actually brilliant and artistic young people. One of my friends went on to work for Conan O'Brien. Another is a brilliant poet. And my best friend became one of the founders of a highly sought-out 'immersive art experience' that continues to expand."

TBS / Via giphy.com

"Aside from them, I think most everyone had success in life in one way or another because our talents were recognized, nurtured, and used to cultivate learning in weaker subjects."

—Anonymous

6."There was this girl in my grade who would never do any work. She would always just talk to everyone, and mostly partied. Since graduating, she is making thousands of dollars from her OnlyFans, sugar daddies, and dancing at strip clubs. Honestly, I should’ve learned from her."

7."I was a slacker, barely scraping by. Not for lack of understanding, but a complete lack of interest in school. My main problem was that I didn't really have any other interests, besides alcohol and drugs. I left after high school to travel the world by myself. When I ran out of money, I entered university because I didn't know what else to do. I got into history, met my now-wife who convinced me to try and study anthropology when I was on the verge of dropping out. I loved it and stuck with it, but realized during my master thesis that I found it too rigid and ended up doing a half-ass job. I still got a relevant job and worked my way up. I went back to university for a master's degree in innovation and leadership, and graduated as a top student. During that time, I was diagnosed with ADD as an adult, and so many pieces clicked. I am highly educated now, sought after on the job market, have a successful career, and a beautiful family."

"Took some time, but I got there."

—vegard

8."They used to always slack off in class. Typical class clown — loud, annoying, always disruptive, and so on. At our high school reunion, many of us learned that they died, donated all of their organs to people in need, and left all their money to a children's hospital in their will."

9."I struggled a lot with my mental health in high school, especially after my dad passed away, so I ended up skipping a lot of classes and ignoring my responsibilities. I ended up having to do an extra year of high school after failing an entire semester due to grief, trauma, and refusing to attend classes as a result. I did begin to care a bit more about my grades in my final year as I geared toward applying to university, but I couldn't make up for my previous grades and wasn't accepted into any. Over a decade later, I now have a college diploma, a bachelor's degree, and a master's degree. I'm currently six years into my PhD. I feel like my journey is proof of how your high school grades do not define you or your future, despite faculty spending over four years drilling that into your brain — I couldn't get into university at the end of high school, and now, I'm doing a PhD."

"I'm so proud of myself."

—padawanryan

10."I was a pretty bad slacker. My senior year, I had to attend extra classes throughout the semester because of so many absences and tardies I accumulated throughout the year. I was behind on so many credits just because we used to ditch school to throw parties in my home when my parents were at work. It got so bad my dad kicked me out of the house because of all the trouble I was in — we may or may not have been stealing cars. I barely graduated in 2002. I joined the military in 2003. 19 years later, I am a first sergeant in charge of 100+ personnel. I have visited eight countries, been through 27 months of combat tours, and even completed a bachelor's degree in psychology. Now, my biggest pet peeve is when people aren't punctual."

—Anonymous, California, 38

11."I, the class valedictorian, married him."

FOX / Via giphy.com

—Anonymous, Illinois, 34

12."My slacker friend always planned to join the military. I still remember him sitting three seats in front of me for most of our exams. I'd watch him write his name and witness his mischief from behind for the next few hours. He got his job in the Army and loved his career. Unfortunately, he died in combat in Afghanistan during his first deployment. He was a slacker, but he was the kindest guy. I miss him every day."

13."I was bullied by almost everyone in school. In my junior year, my sister was murdered. I started skipping school, developed an eating disorder, had to have major surgery on my shoulder, missed a lot of school due to the surgery, and gave up a lot to take care of my disabled parents. I'm doing better now thankfully. I still deal with depression, but I know that my parents raised a kind and loving person. The worst bully asked me out, and I laughed in his face and turned him down. I didn't get my college degree, but I still turned out to be a great person. I have a strong group of friends that keep me grounded and encourage me to do better. I never got into drugs or alcohol, and I know how to recognize red flags better than anyone I know. I miss my sister a lot, and my dad has since passed, but I had an extra decade with him — I believe part of it was because I was there to be with him and help him."

—katiehowerton8

14."I was the slacker. I grew up surrounded by dirt roads and corn fields. Many people never leave. I missed 81 out of 182 days during my senior year. If you skipped class, they would give you a Saturday school, and if you skipped Saturday school, you would be suspended the following Wednesday. So, I would just skip my Saturday school and have another day off during the week. I ended up with a 2.4 GPA. I got away with all of this because my dad was on the school board and was well-liked. At graduation, he was on stage and handed me my diploma. After high school, I worked in food service or factories, and lived in crap apartments with questionable roommates or slept on my parents' couch for years. Eventually, I did a semester at community college and transferred to a state school. I followed up with grad school, did multiple internships, and lucked into a job that set me up for my current success. Now, I make amazing money, own my own house, and work from home."

15."My husband was the slacker in his high school. He almost dropped out at 16, but his mom made it clear that wasn’t an option. After graduation, he had some success as a drummer in a few bands but realized producing was his true passion. He built a record production company, starting with almost nothing, at 19. His work has won tons of awards, and he moved to London to make his mark on the music scene. The kicker is as soon as he achieved success in the music industry, he went to university to study mechanical engineering on the side...for fun. He always loved learning but hated how regimented his school was with academics. He was also undiagnosed with ADHD at the time. He is so much happier now that he can learn the way he wants."

16."I was a total slacker. I didn’t turn in homework, partied all the time, and was a punk rocker with no ambition. I was in a band and had weird friends. I ended up dropping out and went to adult education. I joined the Marine Corps, got out, went to college for computers, had a family, and then, changed careers into construction. Now, I have a business degree, a contractor's license, and own a multimillion dollar company. And truthfully, I wish I could slack off again."

"Now, there's too much to lose."

—Anonymous, California, 50

17."One of my classmates looked like he was 12 years old when he graduated from high school. I've been a 5'5" woman since hitting puberty, and he was shorter than me. He messed around in class, did a lot of drugs, and drank a lot. Now, he's 6'5" and works as a reporter for a major news agency. We connected about 20 years after graduating from high school. He explained that his parents considered putting him on hormones but decided against it, and he ended up having a huge growth spurt in college."

18."I was the kid who never had his homework. I would lose papers in my bag because it was disorganized. I missed so much school that I had to make up time to graduate high school. My class rank was 230 out of 250. I felt like teachers hated me. I got rejected from almost every university, except the local college. Today, I am a vice president of a quant team at a bulge bracket bank. I make decent money (top 1%) and live a very comfortable lifestyle. We summer in St. Barts and even have live-in staff. My family was not rich growing up, so all of this was new to me. And it's all because I landed a job on Wall Street, right out of my non-target university, because of nepotism — it's not what you know, it's who you know. Stay strong, slackers."

—Anonymous, Maryland, 29

19."He treated class as optional and never knew what was going on. Having him assigned to your group project meant you would likely fail. He’d often ask the group the day before it was due if there was anything he could contribute. Well, fast-forward 20 years, he’s now married to my younger sister after they reconnected at a hometown bar one Thanksgiving. She didn’t know his reputation from school and always claims he’s about to be promoted to manager at the local used car dealer."

20."I went to an alternative high school for kids with mental illness. If there was a ‘slacker,’ their underlying issues would be addressed fairly quickly. We did, however, have one kid who had some sort of serious drug problem. He frequently came to class high. Once, he confessed to me that the reason he was wearing a hoodie and sweatpants in June was he didn’t have any other clothes that weren’t permeated with marijuana smell. Last I heard, he was arrested for possession of hard drugs. I hope he’s doing better. He was a cool guy beneath the substances."

—manicpixienightmarefuel

21."I was never friends with her, but she was in my grade, and we had a few of the same classes together. She was the definition of a slacker. She always talked to her friends and never did any work. I heard that she's a 'famous' and popular pediatrician now. But not the one my kids go to. Back then, I didn't even think she would go to college."

HBO / Via giphy.com

—Anonymous

22."Our main slacker slacked off his studies, got expelled, and is currently residing at a federal pen for one of the biggest drug deals gone wrong Texas has ever seen. He’ll be cooling his heels there for quite a while."

—boxingcleverlancaster

23."I was the slacker. I remember earning a D in 10th-grade English, but the teacher pitied me and gave me a C. For the most part, I was able to scrape by in high school without putting very much effort in. It was when I went to college that I realized that my work ethic wasn’t going to cut it. I was pretty good at grasping math concepts with little effort and earned A's in math in high school, but college calculus kicked my butt, and I earned a C. After that, I started to take myself way more seriously and graduated with an associate's degree in math, with honors. I'm definitely not a big shot, but I am doing extremely well for myself, and I have a great job and a wonderful family. I made up for my high school years for sure."

24."He was a complete pothead and burnout and completely disappeared from the area. Four years later, I saw this guy that looked like him at my local university. I talked to him, and it was him. Everything about him was different — the way he talked, acted, what he talked about, and even his speech pattern. Turns out, he was sick of doing nothing, wanted better for himself, and got obsessed with neuroscience. He is currently finishing his medical residency in neurosurgery. The guy was a genius, but our public school system just didn’t deliver enough for him. I was glad to see him reinvent himself and succeed."

—Anonymous, Maryland

25."That was me, and I'm doing much better now. I was diagnosed with ADHD last year, and that has clarified a lot about why I was the way I was back in school. I also struggled with depression and anxiety back then and just barely graduated. I didn't go on to seek higher education until my mid-20s, which was a waste of time and money. These days, I'm much more aware of my mental health. I'm happily single, child-free, and work a boring 9-5 job that pays the bills enough so I don't have to get a roommate. I'm working on my first novel and planning to have that published in late 2023. Things have really turned around for me. I have a great life and love who I am, and I've got big plans for an even better future. Teenage me could have never imagined things would turn out this way, and I'm really, really proud of myself and how far I've come."

What happened to your school's slacker? How about the slacker of your workplace? Share what they're up to now in the comments.

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.