Is It Better to Be a Big Fish in a Little Pond or a Little Fish in a Big Pond?

[LevelUP]

Is It Better to Be a Big Fish in a Little Pond or a Little Fish in a Big Pond?
https://ed.stanford.edu/news/stanford-ed...s-globally

I see some people post threads on here saying something like they are afraid of taking Algebra again in college. 

One person on some other forum posted that they failed College Algebra scoring in the '40s three times and then went to SNHU and scored a 98%.

Thoughts on college or jobs in general of the big fish/little fish theory?

[SweetSecret]

I think ideally is at least medium fish in the big pond. Usually the resources required to survive in the small pond are very little, so big fish in a small pond will always survive but might not necessarily thrive out of the feeling that they could always be doing better elsewhere. However, sometimes even the big fish from the small pond can't make it as a medium finish in the big pond and if the resources required in the big pond are adding up enough the small fish can't survive. Of course, I'm purely thinking in terms of economics. This is like the 80/20 rule at play.

[nyvrem]

in the working world, you'll be a fish, out of the pond, into a fryer, expected to know how to fly.

[Vle045]

Being a big fish in a small pond is great for building confidence.  Being a small fish in a big pond could help you become more humble.  

[bluebooger]

Being a small fish in a big pond could helps me do less work

EVERY time I'm in a meeting (in person, zoom or phone) and open my mouth I get assigned work.
I've learned to SHUT UP and be so small that no one notices me.

[bjcheung77]

Hmm, it all depends, I like being the smaller fish as I like to work... If you're the big fish, you can get the "smaller fish" to do all the work for you while you slack off... they'll be your lackey!

[Maniac Craniac]

I'll take the fillet-o-fish with small fries.