Intimidated?

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>Am I the only person who feels intimidated by how everyone around me is so smart and will beat me in every test and class I take, no matter how hard I work? I feel inferior compared to everyone else because I'll be surrounded by geniuses. This is a feeling that has to be common to a lot of people... right?</p>

2

<p>Not exactly. Everyone is good in their own aspect.
First cure your inferior complex by not competing but striving in your area.
Secondly, if you are at newyork. And You have to go to mexico and your friend/competitor to europe. Then, dont compare rhe component of your motion along the direction of your friend’s motion.</p>

3

<p>A random dude at the satellite tutoring center in Houston the night before 114 final:</p>

<p>“Uh, where are the smart dudes? I don’t get math.”</p>

<p>No joke. Just come to Penn and you’ll realize how mind-numbingly mediocre so many people are. Some are brilliant, of course, but they’re the minority.</p>

4

<p>You only get that feeling if you make yourself feel that way. Relax a bit and take your mind off the competition for a while. Academics is not about competition all the same; it’s important to stay focused on what you’re learning and your interests rather than being number one every single time.</p>

5

<p>

</p>

<p>Says the Columbia student who–for some strange reason–likes to pretend he’s a Penn student and ■■■■■ against Penn in the Penn forum:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/13404106-post1141.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/13404106-post1141.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/13402396-post1125.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/13402396-post1125.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/columbia-university/1183470-switching-jj-single.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/columbia-university/1183470-switching-jj-single.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/india/1162351-indian-thread-20-a-74.html#post13399423[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/india/1162351-indian-thread-20-a-74.html#post13399423&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>

</p>

<p>You sound like a real *******. Judging from your location, you probably have a massive inferiority complex over not getting into HYP (especially Princeton). What can I say? Your demeanor probably came off in your essays.</p>

<p>The kid in question was obvoiusly being facetious. Chances are he is quite competent at math and just skipped a bunch of classes because it’s first semester freshman year, and the quality of the MATH 114 professors this semester was, according to my friends, awful. It was a stupid choce on his part, I’m sure, but it doesn’t make him mind-numbingly mediocre.</p>

<p>I suppose there’s no arguing with you, though.</p>

7

<p>^ Keasbey, PrincetonDreams doesn’t even go to Penn–he’s a Columbia student (see my post #5, above, and the posts/threads linked therein). He’s been an anti-Penn ■■■■■ since 2010, and recently has taken to pretending in the Penn forum that he’s a Penn student.</p>

8

<p>There are a ton of brilliant students here but that doesn’t mean you should be intimidated. Most of the smartest kids I know here are very humble and don’t in any way give off an intimidating vibe. From my experience, most people are very hard on themselves but not cutthroat with others. I hear there is a little of that in Wharton but it is not looked highly upon and comes from a smaller group than you would think.
Yes there are some students who do not seem that smart (it is important not to judge a book by its cover!), but that is a reflection of the application process at top schools, not of Penn. SAT scores, grades, and extracurriculars don’t always pick out the smartest people. Some people can do well with those things without being brilliant.</p>

9

<p>My S just finished his 1st semester @Penn/Wharton and he loves it that he isn’t the smartest one like in HS. Most of his friends at the dorm and M&W are not only brillant but also always willing to help. He thinks it’s great that on his floor there are 3 guys who got 5s on AP B/C Calc so he never feels stuck.</p>