<p>I realized this is the funniest thing I hear all day. I hear it atleast once a week from someone. I also can't help but let out an massive roll of my eyes when someone does say it. </p>
<p>Now these people DO exist. I know atleast two, but I think it's hysterical how every single average person manages to come up with this idea that they're this fantastically intelligent person that just does not apply themselves. They never have anything to back their claims up either. No scores that are significantly seperated from the average, almost never a decent GPA, and most of the time they emanate stupidity. </p>
<p>■■■■■. Yeah, I hear that a lot too, from random people who you know it’s not true.</p>
<p>& then there’s my best friend, who would sleep through AP World lectures freshman year, get called on, and still know the answer. That drove me crazy.</p>
<p>Being “smart” is useless. Being average intelligence and an efficient, hard-worker is much more valuable. There are also plenty of smart, hard-workers out there that raise the bar for excellence. Also relevant is smart in what areas. Being “smart” more or less means you are above average at learning a concept or idea. A rare few are just generally geniuses and can do advanced math with little studying, write great essays, construct excellent arguments on any topic, learn music quickly, etc. Most people seem to find their niche where they excel in one of those areas. And while being “smart” definitely has a genetic/environmental component, it’s also something you can earn as well. Maybe you are no math genius now, but spend enough time with it, do enough practice problems, and eventually you’ll see a new mathematical concept and be able to understand it quicker than most.</p>
<p>@mikeyc765: I agree with almost everything you said, but probably 95% of the time the people that say this to me don’t excel at anything. I’ve met my share of those who suck at math and then write essays that make me say “holy ****”. The majority of the people that say they’re smart and they don’t try have just decided that they are, in fact, intelligent without anything to base it on.</p>
<p>@Sandrock: Yeah this one kid literally didn’t do anything for our AP Chemistry class (and I mean anything), and got a 5 on the exam. Another time we got into groups to solve this one big physics problem and he was in our group. We sat there for 5 minutes bouncing ideas off eachother and failing. Then this kid sighs heavily, lifts his head up, and proceeds to explain how to do it. After that he put his head back down.</p>
<p>I’m smart, but I don’t try. I also have a 4.0 and NMSF. Most kids who say that simply aren’t smart. And yeah, I hate it too. It takes away merit from kids who are actually smart and don’t try. I’m sorry, but if you’re getting C’s in calc AB, you’re not smart. Regardless of how little effort you put in, you’re still a dumbass.</p>
<p>That statement is the story of my life no joke! Everyone who knows me says the same thing. I always laugh at people who get mad when I say that because they have to work hard and it comes naturally for me :)</p>
<p>There are also the people who write all over the place about how they’re “mature” (i.e. “I drink a lot can I has grown up now?”) and have “trust issues” (MY BOYFRIEND OF TWO WEEKS BROKE UP WITH MEEEEEEEEE). Generally the same group as the “smart but don’t try” people.</p>
<p>A year from now they’ll be whining about “the college experience.” Can’t wait for that.</p>
<p>It’s not smart to not try, you were simply just blessed with good genes. I don’t think on people who don’t try yet make 100s smart, i think of them as lazy people with good genes/ good tutors.</p>
<p>^ Explain to me why someone who has ‘good genes’ should try any more than necessary to get a 100. If they have a 4.0 GPA and presumably equally excellent SATs and AP scores, why would they try any more than necessary to get perfect? If they’re at perfect with 10% effort, what’s the point of putting in more than 10%? You don’t make any sense. It’s not laziness, it’s being efficient.</p>
<p>For example, I don’t read my APUSH book until the night before the test, literally. I consistently score above the curve and get >100 on all the APUSH multiple choice tests, and have been getting decent and improving essay scores. Am I lazy because I don’t try harder than that? No, I just realize that I can get an A with that level of effort. I don’t see any reason to study for an hour every single day when a few hours on the last day will suffice.</p>
<p>In addition, I don’t try very hard in my Advanced Calculus (BC Calc + multivariable) class because I am talented in math. My homework is mostly copied out of the answers. I have been getting a streak of 100s on the tests because I find the material intuitive and easy to grasp without the need to do additional practice problems very often. Does this make me lazy? I don’t think I’m lazy for not wanting to waste my own time. Rather, it just means I can devote time to things that require lots of it.</p>
<p>By the way, I’ve never been tutored before.</p>
<p>Although I probably have good genes. I’m Chinese, after all!</p>
<p>^ I can not believe I am saying this but I agree with Kiro. Seriously Dax, why should one put in the extra effort if one hs no need to especially if it is in a subject that one has no serious interest in…</p>
<p>Well, Kiro probably IS someone who’s smart and doesn’t try. I wasn’t really trying to call out those people. The ones that bug me are the stupid ones that can’t back up their claims with their mediocre grades in their regular and CP classes.</p>
<p>That’s why i said i don’t respect them because they put in no effort. </p>
<p>Just because, you’re good at math doesn’t mean i’ll bow down to you. </p>
<p>I naturally talented at foreign languages. I don’t need to study at all and i’ll usually make an A but, i’m not proud of it. It’s usually a meh feeling.</p>
<p>Everything else that i have to work for, gives a me a feeling of stratification when i get an A? Do you comprehend what i’m saying? Nobody gives a hoot that i’m some linguistic wiz kid because they know i don’t try and, they don’t respect that. All 'm saying is that unless, you go to some elite high school, college will screw you over. You’ll soon find out that you’re not good at everything and that studying the night before isn’t going to cut it.</p>
<p>–Just my two cents, No need to get butthurt----------------------</p>