As an ordinary genius

Ethan's final semester was a whirlwind. After years of pushing himself, late nights, and relentless hard work, he finally began to feel like he belonged. He wasn't a prodigy or naturally gifted, but he had something others sometimes overlooked—determination.

Slowly but surely, Ethan started to catch up to the other students. His work began to stand out—not because it was perfect, but because it was thoughtful, detailed, and polished through sheer effort.

One morning, Ethan sat in Advanced Algorithms, scribbling notes as Dr. Carter went over the complexities of graph traversal.

"Now," Dr. Carter said, turning to the class, "I want you all to consider the practical applications of Dijkstra's Algorithm in real-world systems. Mr. Queen, care to share your thoughts?"

Ethan froze for a moment but quickly composed himself. "Uh, it could be used for optimizing navigation in mapping software. Like finding the shortest route between two points."

Dr. Carter nodded. "Exactly. Good answer, Ethan. It's impressive how much progress you've made in this class. Keep it up."

Ethan's classmates turned to look at him, some surprised, others nodding in approval.

In the final semester, the capstone project took center stage. Ethan and his group worked tirelessly to refine their productivity assistant app.

During one late-night session in the library, Aria leaned back and sighed. "You know, Ethan, I wasn't sure about this project at first, but it's actually coming together."

"Thanks," Ethan said, smiling. "Couldn't have done it without you guys."

"Still," Nathan said, adjusting his glasses. "You've been putting in the most effort. It's like you're always one step ahead."

"Not always," Ethan admitted. "I just don't want to fall behind again."

"Well, whatever you're doing, it's working," Aria said.

The day of the final project presentation was nerve-wracking. Ethan and his team stood in front of the panel, showcasing their app.

After the demonstration, one of the professors, Dr. Patel, spoke up. "This is an excellent example of a well-thought-out project. The UI is clean, the functionality is practical, and the underlying logic is solid. Ethan, I remember you struggling in earlier semesters, but this... this shows incredible growth. Well done."

"Thank you," Ethan said, trying to suppress a grin.

As the team walked out of the room, Nathan clapped him on the back. "Told you you'd kill it."

Later that week, Dr. Carter called Ethan to her office.

"Ethan," she said, gesturing for him to sit. "I wanted to talk to you about your journey here. When you first started, I honestly didn't think you'd make it this far. But you've proved me wrong."

Ethan blinked in surprise. "Thank you, Dr. Carter."

"You've shown that hard work can bridge gaps talent alone can't," she continued. "That's a valuable lesson—not just for you, but for everyone. I hope you carry this mindset into your career."

"I will," Ethan said, his voice steady.

That evening, Ethan and his friends celebrated at a local café.

"To Ethan," Aria said, raising her glass.

"To hard work," Nathan added.

"And to finally being done with this nightmare of a degree," Mike said, grinning.

Ethan laughed, feeling a sense of pride and relief wash over him. He wasn't at the top of his class, but he had proven something to himself—that with enough effort, he could achieve anything.