I took on community service hours because it was a requirement on a resume. Looking back at my younger self I'm disgusted that I did that, and disgusted that I

I took on community service hours because it was a requirement on a resume. Looking back at my younger self I'm disgusted that I did that, and disgusted that I was a part of a culture that encouraged that sort of calculated, self-serving motivation for public service. However, I still did the community service hours, and it exposed me to places and things I wouldn't have known or seen otherwise. Similarly with standardized testing - I was very into studying for standardized testing because my parents put it into my blood that this is what I ought to do. So I took the tests, got perfect scores, got into an elite school. But I also learned a ton of math and science as a result of that study. So, while it's true that getting into an elite school means playing a certain game, the game is not entirely without value.