Happy prodigies?

Harvard is famous for attracting the most brilliant minds. Still, some may wonder whether Harvardians did really live happy lives. To this end, researchers at Harvard Medical School tracked 268 alumni for 72 years. Among their samples included John F. Kennedy. Initiated in 1938, the 72-year longitudinal study concluded that graduates were suffering under their so-called shell as a “Harvard graduate.” Against this backdrop, the succeeding researcher George Vaillant announced seven secrets to living a happy life; employing mature adaptations to pain, education, stable marriage, not smoking, not abusing alcohol, some exercise, and healthy weight.

Another famous longitudinal survey on prodigal girls was conducted by Stanford University Professor Lewis Terman, who in 1922 researched 90 female students studying at Californian urban schools. While their average Intellectual Quotient (IQ) was 151, they did not achieve much socially as they were living in an era when feminine roles were full of prejudice. However they were living longer in general, not because they showed high IQs, but received higher education, ate less, drank less, and smoked less than the comparative group.

With the request from the Ministry of Education, the Korean Educational Development Institute will pick 800 new students at eight gifted schools to track their lives by the time they turn 40, or 2041. The 25-year longitudinal study was designed to track the correlation between the development factors of prodigy with social achievements and life satisfaction. The new policy came as a complement to prove substantial effect on gifted education which has already marked its 13th year since its initiation in 2003. Skeptics see the special program as a failure, as most of the graduates choose to enter medical schools despite the seven-folds higher injection of national budget than ordinary schools.

Many nations provide opportunities to prodigies with gifted educational programs, under the belief that the bright minds of a kid not only belongs to them, but also serve as a national asset. Graduates of these schools include the Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Nonetheless, Korean gifted schools until now have been poorly understood as another black-hole of private education for candidates and misused as a gateway to top-tier universities. Will these Hogwarts School graduates really enjoy far more success and live happier lives? Fingers crossed for positive findings from the new study.