<p>Not smarter. I just have more drive than alot of my peers. </p>
<p>When you think about, if everyone had the same drive and dedication, we would all be "equally" smart: we'd all get all As, all 5s on APs, etc, etc</p>
<p>
[quote]
I just have more drive than alot of my peers.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>well put MetdethGNR</p>
<p>I very much doubt that, Metdeth. To believe so is naive and it belittles the efforts of those who are struggling to understand and to succeed in subjects that they simply do not easily understand. Please, ask any teacher of the lowest-level classes that are offered at your school. I am positive that they will tell you that there are people in their classes whose difficulty is not effort.</p>
<p>I suggest you posit your theory to the parent of someone who is in lower-level classes and see how they react to your calling their child lazy and unambitious.</p>
<p>If a child in lower level classes had enough drive to sit down and actually try and understand it, read the book, get tutoring and do everything in their power to understand the concept, they can. it's just that they lack the drive to do so.</p>
<p>How can you possibly substantiate a statement like that, Courtney8?</p>
<p>im saying that a lot of people (NOT ALL) in lower level classes don't have enough drive. of course there are some who really can't grasp a concept but a good portion of them simply don't have enough drive.</p>
<p>well I'm very good at math... >_> I remember getting Cs and Ds for cumulative homework grades but still acing every math class I've taken. hell I didn't do a single piece of math homework this semester and I'm still getting an A in my multivariable calc class.</p>
<p>but I suck at writing essays so it balances it out.</p>
<p>really though, I honestly respect people who try hard. They don't care if they're naturally smart in a subject, but they put in the great effort. I don't know how they do it; even when I'm motivated, I can't get myself to study for more than a few hours and get distracted by the internet. It doesn't matter if you're smart: if you don't put in effort and utilize your 'smartness' then you might as well just be dumb.</p>
<p>Thanks for proving our point, Courtney. The generality was the flaw in Metdeth's statement: that all under-achieving students simply lack the drive to get A's and 5's.</p>
<p>I'd like to know how many lower-level courses Courtney8 has observed or taken, because the impression I get is that she is making generalizations about a group of people with whom she has had little contact.</p>
<p>I'm not saying I have a theory one way or the other, but rather that I haven't seen any actual evidence supporting the "many low-achievers could succeed if they didn't lack drive."</p>
<p>at school??? no by far! I try to get 'A's and get them, people don't try and get 'A's...I try and am interested...which lets me beat out the smart lazy people.</p>
<p>no, but i'm smart enough to know when i know stuff and when i don't know stuff. which is a really important skill. and it's the only reason i'm good at math and science. (i'm pretty stupid actually compared to my friends.)</p>
<p>
[quote]
The reason intelligent people often display such lazy tendencies is because we live in a society that doesn't reward briliance. Being successful in a high school environment, and to a large extent a testing environment, requires little more than memorization. Depth of understanding helps, of course, but I've seen plenty of people do just fine without it.</p>
<p>After a point, the intelligent person begins to feel marginalized, realizes what a sham it all is, and withdraws intellectually, focussing on what actually interests him or her, and potentially suffering a GPA dip as a consequence.
[/quote]
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<p>Well, I know that spelling "brilliance" and "focusing" correctly is a skill rewarded by our society.
(sorry I had to say it)</p>
<p>Other than that, I think you make a really interesting point. All of us know the kid who is ranked in the top 10 who barely breaks 2000 and has the intellectual depth of an eighth grader. </p>
<p>Thinking deeply about assigned books doesn't pay off in English classes, either (at least, not in my honors and AP English classes; I got B's, even though I read all the books, thought critically about their implications, and wrote excellent papers--my teachers simply preferred to focus on the trivial minutiae of novels and neglect the "big picture" approach of relating literature to the modern world and discussing its social and political implications in the culture in which it was created, a practice which I believe is essential to any formal study of literature or art history), since most English teachers would rather you regurgitate THEIR opinions in your papers than come up with a unique perspective on a book.</p>
<p>I think I'm tied with two others for being the most intelligent in my school, since that is the general consensus. However, as far as CC goes, I'm far from being intelligent. My grades and test scores will probably make someone perceive me as 'average'.</p>
<p>Typos duly noted. Well done.</p>
<p>You're right on about the English papers, even though any teacher is loathe to admit it. The claim is that if one supports any position with logical reasoning and textual evidence, it doesn't matter what the position is. The truth is that you're as likely if not more likely to ace your paper by writing exactly what your teacher said last class than by devising your own theories, however intricate. Another concession toward unoriginal memorizers.</p>
<p>Think???
...I KNOW I am.</p>
<p>...haha jk :)</p>
<p>Naturally, I think I'm about average. Since I'm pretty dogged when it comes to my future, I'm not extremely worried. (That only happens when I check the 'chance me' threads...nightmare...)</p>
<p>So I guess I'm the kind of person that gets on MelancholyDane's nerves, haha. (From your other post.)</p>
<p>Anyways, there's nothing more irritating than an arrogrant prick that thinks he/she knows everything...and acts like it. </p>
<p>(I actually know a girl who told me my face: I KNOW that I can do anything. I can be whatever I want. If I wanted to anything, all I have to do is try and I'll get it. There's absolutely no need for me to go to college. -Okay, it doesn't sound arrogrant but it WAS when she said it...if you could only hear her sometimes...)</p>
<p>No matter how old you are, I've always felt that a little humility was a good thing. </p>
<p>Rambled quite enough now...eh...</p>
<p>I feel so stupid here :'(</p>
<p>I feel like an idiot here...;)</p>
<p>No! I mean, I'm smart if my grades indicate anything, but I'm not actually smart in every class. I don't figure certain things out, like in Math or Science, easily. There are so many smarter people in my grade that it would be stupid for me to think that I'm smarter-they are freakishly smart.</p>
<p>Even when teachers tell me I'm really good (or in one case, "the best") at something, I still can't help but think there's someone better at it. </p>
<p>I have thought I'm the most passionate about certain things, though...</p>
<p>Do I think I'm smarter than everyone else?
Probably not everyone else, but most people. But with all those brilliant minds out there (and my extremely un-brilliant mind), who really knows. Compared to most of my peers though, I'd say I'm above average.</p>
<p>In CC..................not so much.</p>
<p>How well you do in school doesn't really reflect your intelligence though, especially if you have other talents. For an example, one of my best friends lags behind academically, but is an AMAZING artist.</p>
<p>Yep I'll be the first one to say it I'm smarter then everyone on CC and if anyone one wants to prove me wrong then I'd like to see you try. I promise not to use google.</p>