--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was not a good student. I did not spend…" description: "\"I was not a good student. I did not spend much time at college; I was too busy enjoying myself.\" — Stephen Hawking" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/889/stephen-hawking-389_busy_i-was-not-a-good-student-i-did-not-spend_2116118.jpg" --- # I was not a good student. I did not spend much time at… ![“I was not a good student. I did not spend much time at college; I was too busy enjoying myself.” quote by Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/889/stephen-hawking-389_busy_i-was-not-a-good-student-i-did-not-spend_2116118.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/889/stephen-hawking-389_busy_i-was-not-a-good-student-i-did-not-spend_2116118.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/889/stephen-hawking-389_busy_i-was-not-a-good-student-i-did-not-spend_2116118.jpg) > “I was not a good student. I did not spend much time at college; I was too busy enjoying myself.” [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He admits neglecting formal education to prioritize personal enjoyment, suggesting alternative learning paths can be valid. **In simple terms:** He valued life experiences over school. Key Takeaway Balance learning with living. Themes education personal growth priorities Mood reflective thoughtful Type autobiographical philosophical When to use this quote - travel - creative projects - personal development - career changes Key Concepts self‑directed learning experience over formal study Questions to Reflect On - What knowledge have you gained outside school? - How do you value experience vs. credentials? A Different Perspective Formal education still offers structured knowledge and credentials. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Good student](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-student/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Student](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/student/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I was 16 and did a play at school. I was a rather good student... And then I did a play when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-azaria/i-was-16-and-did-a-play-at-school-i-was-a-rather-good-student-and/) [Hank Azaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-azaria/) > [I was an arts student. I did graphic design. Being an artist, I did a lot of paintings. I have always had that creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gauri-khan/i-was-an-arts-student-i-did-graphic-design-being-an-artist-i-did-a/) [Gauri Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gauri-khan/) > [I was not an outstanding student. I did a reasonable amount of work. I got generally good - pretty good grades, but I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-case/i-was-not-an-outstanding-student-i-did-a-reasonable-amount-of-work-i/) [Steve Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-case/) > [My first-grade teacher told me I was the dumbest student she ever had. She did me a favor. If she told me I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-gallo/my-first-grade-teacher-told-me-i-was-the-dumbest-student-she-ever-had/) Ernest Gallo > [I was a good student, but I was the biggest procrastinator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-hennig/i-was-a-good-student-but-i-was-the-biggest-procrastinator/) [Shelley Hennig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-hennig/) > [I wasn't a good student in high school. I mean, I got through it, but unless it had something to do with music, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-trunk/i-wasn-t-a-good-student-in-high-school-i-mean-i-got-through-it-but/) [Eddie Trunk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-trunk/) > [I was a good student in school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenan-thompson/i-was-a-good-student-in-school/) [Kenan Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenan-thompson/) > [I was actually a pretty good student. My problem was that I didn't know what I wanted to study.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mila-kunis/i-was-actually-a-pretty-good-student-my-problem-was-that-i-didn-t/) [Mila Kunis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mila-kunis/) > [I used to be a reasonably good student.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajiv-menon/i-used-to-be-a-reasonably-good-student/) [Rajiv Menon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajiv-menon/) > [If you're last in your class at Harvard, it doesn't feel like you're a good student, even though you really are. It's not smart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/if-you-re-last-in-your-class-at-harvard-it-doesn-t-feel-like-you-re-a/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [I was a good student. My mom is a teacher, and her side of the family is all teachers. 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Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) ## More by Stephen Hawking > [The doctor who diagnosed me with ALS, or motor neuron disease, told me that it would kill me in two or three years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-doctor-who-diagnosed-me-with-als-or-motor-neuron-disease-told-me/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [We are the product of quantum fluctuations in the very early universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/we-are-the-product-of-quantum-fluctuations-in-the-very-early-universe/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The human race does not have a very good record of intelligent behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-human-race-does-not-have-a-very-good-record-of-intelligent/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“We have finally found something that doesn’t have a cause, because there was no time for a cause to exist in. For me this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/we-have-finally-found-something-that-doesn-t-have-a-cause-because/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [ \[On President Bush's plan to get to Mars in 10 years\] Stupid. Robots would do a better job and be much cheaper because you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/on-president-bush-s-plan-to-get-to-mars-in-10-years-stupid-robots/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [I believe the simplest explanation is, there is no God. No one created the universe and no one directs our fate. 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He reasoned that something invisible must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/empedocles-noticed-that-if-you-cover-the-neck-before-you-immerse-it-a/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [The human race shouldn't have all its eggs in one basket, or on one planet. Let's hope we can avoid dropping the basket until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-human-race-shouldn-t-have-all-its-eggs-in-one-basket-or-on-one/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [I hope I have helped to raise the profile of science and to show that physics is not a mystery but can be understood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-hope-i-have-helped-to-raise-the-profile-of-science-and-to-show-that/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) [Explore all 601 Stephen Hawking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) ## More Busy quotes > [Success doesn't have a downside for me. I'm busy, but I've always been busy whatever job I've had. My very first job working in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-derbyshire/success-doesn-t-have-a-downside-for-me-i-m-busy-but-i-ve-always-been/) Victoria Derbyshire > [I remember till 997th film, but after that I got so busy with multiple projects; I'm not sure which one released as my 1,000th…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brahmanandam/i-remember-till-997th-film-but-after-that-i-got-so-busy-with-multiple/) [Brahmanandam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brahmanandam/) > [I love to work in football, so for me it's not work. I'm not here first in the morning and last in the evening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-farke/i-love-to-work-in-football-so-for-me-it-s-not-work-i-m-not-here-first/) [Daniel Farke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-farke/) > [We all have time away from football to get our head down. At the same time it is a very busy schedule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-james/we-all-have-time-away-from-football-to-get-our-head-down-at-the-same/) [Reece James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-james/) > [I am on sabbatical as of right now, been too busy to think of about my OWN needs as of late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-diamond/i-am-on-sabbatical-as-of-right-now-been-too-busy-to-think-of-about-my/) [Jim Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-diamond/) > [“I don't envy "busy." Busy means having a schedule, not living life. What I really covet is leisure and peace of mind. Those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-lynn-hope/i-don-t-envy-busy-busy-means-having-a-schedule-not-living-life-what-i/) [Donna Lynn Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-lynn-hope/) > [Focus on being productive instead of busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/focus-on-being-productive-instead-of-busy/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [I do spend a lot of weekends on the road. I have to pace myself. It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-do-spend-a-lot-of-weekends-on-the-road-i-have-to-pace-myself-it-can/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) > [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [I have no social life. There is no time for one. Once in a while I may go to dinner with a friend but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-halliday/i-have-no-social-life-there-is-no-time-for-one-once-in-a-while-i-may/) [Liz Halliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-halliday/) > [I like acting too much and it's too, I'm just too busy doing that and I'm too hungry for it, to get behind the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-weisz/i-like-acting-too-much-and-it-s-too-i-m-just-too-busy-doing-that-and/) [Rachel Weisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-weisz/) > [The hollow horn plays wasted words, proves to warn that he not busy being born is busy dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/the-hollow-horn-plays-wasted-words-proves-to-warn-that-he-not-busy/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Films are tricky because for years you're getting told you're about to make it and you're about to be busy for four or six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mills/films-are-tricky-because-for-years-you-re-getting-told-you-re-about/) [Mike Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mills/) > [Never be too busy for the people you love. Never allow pursuits or possessions to become bigger priorities than your relationships. Love is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-willis/never-be-too-busy-for-the-people-you-love-never-allow-pursuits-or/) [Dave Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-willis/) > [“Get busy live'n, or get busy die'n”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-shawshank-redemption/get-busy-live-n-or-get-busy-die-n/) The Shawshank Redemption Browse all 3,372 Busy quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was not a good student. 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