When I was in college I do recall there being a stigma associated with "studying too much" among Black students. It wasn't that they didn't study, but too much time talking about academics was frowned upon -- and it was very non-competitive. With my Asian friends it was quite the opposite. Not only was it common to spend a lot of time in study groups, there was a fair bit of grade competition. It was friendly competition (at least from the exterior), but there was definitely a level of grade competition that I didn't see among Blacks (or Whites for that matter).
I think its great to point out these studies. Make them part of the HS curricula to learn about them. But at the end of the day I think each of us needs to make our own decision about our path forward.
Myself, I was a pretty good student. And I partied some, but looking back a little more partying probably wouldn't have killed me.
In Thomas Sowell's A Personal Odyssey, he recorded an exchange with a black student (p.223):
"I just don't understand it, Dr, Sowell," he said. "The Jewish students do twice as well as we do."
"Only twice as well?" I said. "When they work three times as hard? What I can't understand is how you fellows do as well as you do, with no more effort than you put into it."
Earlier in the book, he talks about how he nearly flunked out of Harvard during his first semester there because he was working like he had at Howard and it wasn't enough. (pp.118-9)
I think its great to point out these studies. Make them part of the HS curricula to learn about them. But at the end of the day I think each of us needs to make our own decision about our path forward.
Myself, I was a pretty good student. And I partied some, but looking back a little more partying probably wouldn't have killed me.