But, does the school you choose actually matter?

但是，選什麼學校真的這麼重要嗎？

Take a look at these SAT scores for an average school - which are out of 800, by the way.

來看看這個由八百位一般大學生統計的 SAT 成績吧。

Those that have the highest SAT scores end up representing over 50% of the people who get degrees at these schools,

分數在前三分之一的學生最後有超過 50% 的比例成功拿到了學位，

while the lowest SAT scores only represent around 18% of the people who actually graduate. Not so surprising.

而成績在後三分之一的學生只有 18% 成功畢業。聽起來好像也不那麼讓人意外。

But now let’s look at a top school, like Harvard.

但是現在讓我們來看看頂尖名校的表現，比如哈佛大學。

Here, the students with the lowest SAT scores, are still smarter than the best students at an average school.

可以看到，即使是在這裡 SAT 成績最差的學生，表現還是優於一般學校中最好的學生。

And yet, when we look at their rate of completion, it looks awfully similar.

然而，當我們看到他們畢業的比例時，看起來竟然驚人地相似。

The top students represent just over 50% of people who graduate, while the lower SAT scores represent around 15% of people who actually graduate.

頂尖學生能成功畢業的比例略高於 50%，而 SAT 成績墊底的同學大約有 15% 成功拿到了畢業證書。

Wait, what’s going on here?

等等，這是怎麼回事？

This phenomenon is known as the Big Fish - Little Pond Effect.

這種狀況被稱為「大魚小池」現象。

Simply put, we compare ourselves not globally, but to our neighbors or people who are in the same boat as we are.

簡單來說，我們不會把自己和全世界所有人比較，而是和我們臨近的人，或是和我們在同一個領域中的人做比較。

As a result, students at top schools compare themselves to their brilliant peers, and if you’re in the bottom half of your class, you’re likely to have feelings of inadequacy.

結果就是，名校學生會把他們自己和同樣頂尖的同儕做比較。如果你是班上的後段班成員，你可能會覺得自己的表現有些不足。

Even though compared to the rest of the world you are at the top!

即使和世界上其他人相比來說你已經是頂尖的了！

Who do you think has a higher incidence of suicide?

你覺得什麼樣的人比較容易自殺？

People who live in developed countries that declare themselves as very happy, like Switzerland, Denmark and Canada, or those which describe themselves as unhappy, like Italy, Greece, and Spain?

是在已發展國家中人人都說自己過著快樂生活的人，比如瑞士、丹麥、加拿大；還是那些表示他們過得不開心的人，比如義大利、希臘、西班牙人？

The happy countries.

答案是：過著快樂生活的那些人。

If you’re depressed but everyone around you is also unhappy, you may think of yourself as normal, as opposed to being stuck around people who are happier than you.

如果你覺得活得很喪氣，但身邊的每個人都跟你一樣不開心，你可能會覺得自己是正常的。總好過被困在一群比你開心的人們中間。

Similarly, if you’re very intelligent at an elite school, you may end up being a little fish in a very big pond.

同樣地，如果你很聰明，可是唸的是一所菁英學校，最後你可能會是大池塘中的一條小魚。

And feeling as though you’re at the bottom impacts your confidence and ultimately your motivation.

而且這種吊車尾的感覺會影響你的自信，甚至是動力。

Need more statistics?

想看更多統計資料嗎？

50% of US students in STEM programs drop out in the first or second year of school.

在美國就讀理工科的大學生們，有 50% 的學生在第一年或第二年就輟學了。

But for every 10 point decrease in the school’s average SAT score, degree completion rises by 2%!

但隨著學校入學的平均 SAT 分數每降低十分，成功完成學位的比例就會隨即跟著上升 2%！

Meaning, you’re much more likely to even get your degree if you don’t go to your top pick.

意思就是，如果你不去唸心目中的夢幻學校，便更有可能順利地完成你的學位。

Okay, but who ends up being more successful in the real world?

但是在現實社會中哪種人比較成功呢？

A study looking at publications produced by economists in their first six years after graduation showed that top students in the 99th percentile,

一項研究調查了經濟學家們在畢業後前六年發表的文章數量，結果顯示在美國前五大名校中百分等級 99 的頂尖學生，

i.e. smarter than almost every other person at the school, from the top 5 schools in America were producing an impressive amount of publications.

也就是幾乎比學校裡的其他人都還要聰明的那些人們，有著驚人的出版量。

But those in the 75th percentile, still the top quarter of best students, are publishing next to nothing.

但是那些仍然在前四分之一，百分等級 75 的學生，卻幾乎沒有任何文章發表。

Essentially failures in their field.

基本上等同於在該領域成為了失敗者。

But if we now look at the best students from the 30 worst schools, we see that they’re publishing more than those in the top quarter of the best schools in the country!

但是如果我們看看在排名倒數的 30 間學校中最優秀學生的表現，我們發現他們出版了比頂尖學校前四分之一學生還要多的文章！

Clearly, your surroundings and peers matter.

很明顯地，你所處的環境和同儕的確會影響你的表現。

Now, of course, this doesn’t cover every aspect of going to a top ranked school, including the fact that having a degree from one of them can be a badge of honor, and may help you find a job more easily.

當然這並不包含所有就讀頂尖學校的考量因素，比如說從這些名校之一取得學位的榮譽感、以及這個學位可能會幫助你更容易地找到工作的這個事實。

But, that’s if you ever even graduate.

但是，前提是你要能順利畢業。

So when you’re applying for school, or even at your new college, keep in mind that whether you go to the best or worst school, the formula for success is mixed.

所以，當你在申請學校、或是正在一個新的學校就讀時，要時時提醒自己，無論你唸的是最好或是最差的學校，成功的方式是複雜而且多樣的。

Remember the importance of confidence in your abilities, and how being a Big Fish in a little pond can sometimes be more important than your school itself.

要記得對自己能力有信心的重要性，還有如何當一條在小池塘中的大魚有時可能比你唸了哪所學校來得更重要。

If you’re worried about doing your best at school, you can check out our previous video on the 9 best scientific study tips with link in the description.

如果你對如何在學校中表現優異感到擔心，你可以看看我們之前發佈在「九個學科學的小撇步」中的影片，連結可以在文章敘述中找到。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos!

訂閱我們的頻道，就可以看到更多每週科學影片喔！