<p>I am taking physics, math, and chemistry in my college right now and for two out of three of my classes I sit next to this super-genius who's had the best pre-college education and quickly grasps concepts that I take days to master. </p>
<p>I came from a decent high school but he's had so much more experience with the math and the sciences at his that almost nothing comes difficultly for him and I sometimes get annoyed at how I would spend two or three hours preparing for a difficult math lecture while he goes into the lecture cold and understands everything at its end while I'm still trying to connect all the concepts. It's the same with my chemistry class too (at least for this year) because his father is a chemistry professor who shared his expertise with my friend and so he doesn't really have to study for anything because he knows almost everything about what's to be taught in the class.</p>
<p>Also, he spends the days before tests watching movies and dancing and computer programming and sleeping and doing everything except study....and yet he still gets near-perfect scores on the midterms and finals. This kills me because I require a bunch of hard work and studying to do decently well in school when he just seems to cakewalk through it, and yes, I'm a little jealous. Of course I can ask him for help and he'll always provide a good answer, but my self-esteem will take a hit.</p>
<p>Maybe I should stop hanging out with smart people?</p>
<p>No. Welcome to the real world. There will always be someone smarter, more talented, etc, than you everywhere you are, be it a job, school, sport, etc. We are who we are, and you just have to find your own strengths and be proud of those. Some people can’t do things you can do. If you have a good singing voice, be proud of that, etc. Your friend may be great at academics, but has he had a girlfriend? Or, can he skateboard, or run fast, or whatever? If he is willing to help you, enjoy the help. As long as he doesn’t brag, gloat, etc, then be happy for him. If he brags, just ignore him, and figure you just haven’t seen his weakness, but they are there somewhere! Share your talents with others - it makes you have a greater appreciation for the talents you have been given that others don’t have.</p>
<p>Honestly, just get over it. This mentality is so high school. I came from a REALLY competitive high school-- tons of incredibly bright students who took 5 APs a year while hardly struggling and simultaneously serving as president of Model UN and were devastated because they only got into three Ivies-- but I learned incredibly quickly that the competition and jealously that this brewed had to end in college. It’s just petty and immature. You’re there to learn things for your future and to introduce yourself to new ideologies, viewpoints, and knowledge you might not have been interested in before. It’s not about getting a better or worse grade than someone else, or studying for more or less hours.</p>
<p>You’ll continue to be unhappy unless you just let it go and live your own life.</p>
<p>Why do you think he is smarter than you? He probably has had more prior experience.</p>
<p>Let me explain: take any problem, p, that you’re asked to solve in one of your classes in math or physics or whatever. There is an infinite space of possible approaches to the problem. No matter how smart you are, you cannot possibly iterate through all of them in a finite (or reasonable) amount of time. Hence, prior knowledge is the most important factor in pruning the possibilities to create a small set of actions to take.</p>
<p>This is basically one of the most uncomfortable truths of life. A lot of people try to cover it up with the delusion that everyone is equal in worth. We’re not. Some people are just more valuable than other people. Does anyone seriously think for a minute that Jonas Salk, the inventor of the polio vaccine is objectively worth the same as Dorthy the blind-mute with Down Syndrome? Some folks are just more intelligent, more talented, better looking and just more valuable than other people. And the rest of us are just going to have to learn to live with that.</p>
<p>Well, the introductory courses he’s taking are what he’s learned before in his AP classes that didn’t give him credit in college…so he’s had a complete preparation for the classes for this year. And yes, I know that there will always be someone better than me at everything no matter what I do but I guess I was just ranting about it on CC.</p>
<p>At least you’re not Terence Tao’s ■■■■■■■■ cousin Greg, who works at a Jiffy Lube. But yeah, just worry about yourself. Oh, and those smart kids in your classes, they’re comparably ■■■■■■■■ next to Terence Tao, so don’t feel too bad.</p>
<p>No one is born with the advanced knowledge of Chemistry or physics. Do not kid yourself, your friend had to study to learn these concepts before! I’ve been there and know that although there are a great many seemingly very intelligent people out there… There are only a few true geniuses. The rest are disciplined and prepped but NOT smarter. Happens all the time in intro classes… Especially in languages but also sciences if theses students were prepped. Generally things even out with the advanced classes. Ask yourself why didn’t this student place out of these intro science/math courses? The obvious reason was to get the great grade! Put your head down and work hard. You will get questions wrong or right on the next exam regardless of the intelligence ( supposed) of your friend. Do not be your own worst enemy.</p>
<p>One of the things I’ve personally learned being at college and observing my peers around the clock is that everyone has weaknesses and strengths. The above posters are right too, that the weaknesses do not equal the strengths, but they do still exist!</p>
<p>Comparing myself to a good friend, I would be more like your friend in the situation - I get good grades without working hard for them. On the other hand, my friend studies for at least six straight hours a day every day, even weekends. You could either see her situation as a weakness because she needs to spend more hours of the day devoted to her classes, or you could see it as a strength because she has the concentration and will power to do that! I actually am a little jealous of her because I can’t concentrate for ****. It’s all in perspective.</p>
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