the typical nerd

Pre-College Issues High School Life
21

<p>glasses: yeah, but I wear contacts. all the time.
braces: yes.</p>

<p>sports: got you there. I play varsity field hockey and I <3 horseback riding (every summer). I also really enjoy dance-type drop in workout classes. Yoga, on the other hand, I can only do alone. Neon lights, cold floors, and the creepy people breathing next to you are SO not condusive to finding inner peace. </p>

<p>partying: if IB parties count (lots of monty python + communism themed costumes), then sure! but none of the drinking type stuff.
dressing up: Is it wrong to think about shoes more than my history essays? haha. I'm not that bad, but I do love dressing up. I can't WAIT for grad dress shopping. Senior year finally has a purpose! </p>

<p>reading: When I was little, definetly. I just don't have the time now to read everything I want. That's why summer is good!
studying: Not really, no. I do study, but it's not excessive.</p>

<p>other: I'm a confirmed music nerd. :) I'm in honor band, wind ensemble, fiddle group, private lessons, theory, etc. Oh, and being one of 8 people in my grade of 650 in full french immersion IB probably helps the nerd status too!</p>

22

<p>glasses: Yes. Very thick ones that had to be sliced several times because I can see as well as my (3) dead hamsters did in the past - before they jumped off the cold, icy cliff, that was my desk, and descended into the dark, abyss that was the previous night's supper. (Oh, and my pair is black-rimmed and very snazzy if that helps. I found an older pair of my glasses and switching from the old pair to the other was a real shocker - I can see. I really can. :)) </p>

<p>braces: Oh no no. Never have I worn braces. My teeth are straight and my canines are nice, sharp, and dripping with blood. (I pierce my gums sometimes.) </p>

<p>sports: I used to play many sports but have narrowed it down to running. I'm very good at badminton and kicking people. </p>

<p>partying: No - not in the sense that one goes out to a very hip-and-happening club and gets drunk and is blackmailed by embarassing photos nor in the sense of the type of parties portrayed by teen movies.</p>

<p>dressing-to-impress: Hmm, mostly, I wear sweatpants and windbreakers and whatever random shirt I have and large boots or very squeaky sneakers to school. I might hide under a very large, warm jacket or coat as well. The only times where I have to "dress-to-impress" is on that very miserable day that is PICTURE-DAY where I plaster a smile on my face as well, for those brief, fleeting moments. (Oh, and I dress nice for reunions and graduations and weddings.) </p>

<p>bookworm: Well, mostly in the summer. I will, however, choose reading something over watching the telly. </p>

<p>studying: No. I don't enjoy studying. I'm mostly nonchalant when plowing through a textbook and usually become incredibly conscious of how slowly the lights on my digital clock change. </p>

<p>:)</p>

23

<p>nobody is going to admit that they are a nerd</p>

24

<p>I'm not a nerd!! I'm not hard out like most of the ccers.. I am the belowbelowbelow average cc'er.. And I'm pretty sure I'm not percieved as a nerd at school. Actually, in school, we have no steriotypical nerds - we have smart SMART people but they hang around with other smart people so they are ..ok. The only losers I can think of are thos guys and girls who think they're all goth - YOU ARE NOT GOTH OK? SO LOSE YOUR UGLY DYED BLACK HAIR AND LOSE THE ATTITUDE. IT'S NOT COOL TO BE GRUMPY :P</p>

<p>glasses: contacts</p>

<p>braces: Yes but i like them.. Apparently I look cute in them..? I think it's cos I always do cheesy smiles and stuff and they sparkle lol</p>

<p>sports: LOVE soccer and volleyball. I love p.e. I love all sports that have nothing to do with catching cos I suck at catching.</p>

<p>partying:Crazy parties are fun. The subtle ones are boring</p>

<p>bookworm: .. I'm really picky on things to read so I don't read much of those 'grown up' books</p>

<p>studying: I like studying! It's so fab when you grasp a hard concept and the lightbulb lights up and you go "wow I'm so smart"</p>

<p>Not everyone's a nerd on cc. Nerds are people are study study study and have no friends. CCers are brilliant people that tries to get into the top colleges - by that, you need good grades and good ecs. ECs - new friends, socialising, etc.. And I'm pretty sure Harvard doesn't pick nerdy people.. they want active people. I also think most ccers are thin too (because htey have to be active all the time)</p>

25

<p>Although I match typical nerds in terms of intelligence, there are several things that I do not match with them:</p>

<p>glasses: 20/13 vision both eyes w/o glasses/contacts. Can't get much better than that.</p>

<p>braces: I just got them off</p>

<p>sports: Swimming, Table Tennis, and Kendo</p>

<p>Partying: There better be wine at this party.</p>

<p>Bookworm: Not really into fiction, but I'm REALLY into scientific articles</p>

<p>Studying: Not too much, not enough maybe</p>

<p>Other: I'm addicted to my molecular biology lab at NIH, and I get really excited when playing with these little organic chemistry sets where you can build organic molecules out of these small sticks representing bonds and balls with holes in them representing different atoms.</p>

26

<p>Glasses - just got contacts
Braces - got them off a couple years ago
Sports - not really into them, but I don't hate them.
Partying - not the kinds of parties where people get drunk, but the kinds of parties where you just hang out with friends
Bookworm - not really. I've tried to finish the 1st Lord of the Rings book 10 times already, but still haven't gotten more than halfway done.
Studying - I'll do as much as I need to to get an A.</p>

<p>Otherwise, the only thing I think that can make me a nerd is that I do math and computer contests. But I'm not obsessed with them, and I don't really talk about it that much to people. And usually if I do talk about those kinds of things, its someone else who started asking me about it, not the other way around.</p>

27

<p>I nominate myself as the nerdiest person to grace CC (so far) and am proud of it. Of course the definition of nerd differs. Marie Curie was intensely focused and unidirectional and didn't care about a social life. In any case, she might be just as nerdy as me because neither of us cared about anything - though she was more focused than me and I lazier and play more computer games. And it shouldn't be surprising considering that I have Asperger's (aka Nerd) Syndrome</p>

<p>glasses: Yes. 20/70 - 20/100 for a long time, since 4rh grade</p>

<p>braces: Got them off a while ago. While I am inclined to discount the stereotype, perhaps there is a possibility (uninvestigated as of yet) that people more likely to be nerds (Asians, Jews) may also have the genetics for abnormal tooth positions.</p>

<p>not really into sports: I just can't do sports, period.</p>

<p>not really into partying: True, noone does anything interesting in them.</p>

<p>no need to get dressed up or impress anyone: To an extreme (you don't want to know how extreme). I don't care and am moreover, frequently too lazy to dress up so I don't even wear pajamas. I dress for comfort and my parents buy me all of my clothing. </p>

<p>bookworm who just enjoys reading: True on factual material, which makes me nerdier than one who reads fictional material (fiction bores me to tears: when given a Harry Potter book, I just instantly flipped to the back, read it, and gave it back). </p>

<p>Studying: I'm lazy as hell, enormously inefficient, and have a low attention span on top of that. I play a lot of computer games (and pull all nighters with them). In fact, I study most often in semi-social situations when I'm not in front of my computer or my bed or my computer games, which are the major barriers to studying. Still, I'm really trying to motivate myself to study more. It's war between id (more computer playing) and ego (more studying). Id's winning so far</p>

<p>I literally live on my computer and surf Wikipedia, research articles, and play computer games ESPECIALLY RTS and RPG, never go outside unless I'm under duress, never had a girlfriend, rarely listen to music, don't watch TV, am said to be thin (though I've just hit the 100 pound mark gah) and short (barely over 5 ft), am always seen carrying something factual around, and talk really weird and monotonically.</p>

<p>Plus, I'm Chinese and I don't even go to the bathroom during the morning to brush my teeth or comb my hair (and then it often sticks out) because I'm too lazy. I've always traditionally taken showers at most once per week (and no one notices) but I've never had body odor or acne so I find it pointless.</p>

<p>Nerds may also be pictured as people who play the violin or some musical instrument but that's not me. I am just a factual analysis, computer game addict, too lazy to do anything else person. So IMO this adds to my nerdiness. Hey - something to be proud about - I'm different and don't conform. I'm also vegetarian - which many nerds aren't, but not many others are vegetarian either. Still though, being mildly autistic makes me more sympathetic to animals than others.</p>

<p>I am in other words, the stereotypical nerd. There are numerous essays linking Asperger's Syndrome (which I have) or high-funtioning autism with nerdiness and it's been said that Asperger's SYndrome is becoming very prevalent in Silicon Valley.</p>

<p>Still, my classmates deny that I'm a nerd. I think it's because I'm so nonconformist that I defy pretty much all stereotypes. While I'm normally introspective especially in 1v1 conversation, I frequently speak without addressing anything in particular at all. Inf act, I'm pretty popular at school (as measured by what other people told me and by the applause I receive when I win awards). I am also really impulsive and say a lot of random things and bring random things in school like a CUTE MALLARD DUCK. It's just...weird. People think I'm a genius when I'm really not one but why respect me for being smart when others aren't as respected like the USAMO qualifier at my school?</p>

28

<p>I consider myself nerdy, but I'm not sure if I'm the stereotypical nerd...
Glasses: no
Braces: no
Not really into sports: Quite the opposite. I'm a TKD instructor, and I like to go to the gym.
Not really into partying: Sometimes I like it... other times I'm not bothered.
No need to get dressed up or impress anyone: Well I live in t-shirts, baggy jeans and skate shoes... I only dress up when I'm on a night out.
Studying: I'm lazy as hell and love video games. I study when I need to.
Reading: I love a good book... I'll read pretty much anything.
What's nerdy about me? Well I'm a female CS major, I've done 3 years of college maths, I'm either messing with my computer most of the time or playing games... I'm fascinated by the sciences in general, and I'm becoming more and more interested by linguistics and Asian languages.</p>

29

<p>Ahh, this thread describes me so much I can't resist carrying on about myself.....</p>

<p>I'm known for bringing math/science textbooks to read pretty much everywhere (for example, my summer program dance) and carry a HEAVY load and yet at the scene, I just gloss over the words. In fact, glossing over the words is one of my major habits.</p>

<p>Still though, I might not be 100% nerd on retrospection. I actually do interact with other people at school (as opposed to the 100% nerd who interacts only for academic purposes) but otherwise barely interact with anyone outside of school.</p>

30

<p>I'm kind of nerdy. The bad part is I think I've got the "social outcast" part of nerdiness down, but not necessarily the "brilliant genius" part, which is obviously the perk of being a nerd.</p>

<p>I think one could conclude that we're all nerd just because we spend our free time coming on a message board and discussing schoolwork with people we don't even know. :)</p>

31

<p>Haha, I like this thread! I fit NONE of those stereotypes. I play on two varsity sports, I love fashion and shopping--I just got new Chanel sunglasses and I have more Coach purses than you can shake a stick at, I party all the time, I was a homecoming princess, I sometimes spend hours on my hair, I don't wear braces (although I do wear cute Prada glasses sometimes, contacts other times), I have clear skin, I haven't been without a boyfriend for more than 2 months at any point since 9th grade (although I've been dating my current BF for 2 years, and he's a wide reciever on the varsity football team), and I have no idea how to play chess or Magic: The Gathering. I'm not bragging, I'm just saying I have lots of friends, I'm very social, and I pay attention to my appearance. I'm not a blonde, by the way. I'm actually half-Latina so I have brown hair, brown eyes, and dark skin.</p>

<p>I'm also quite intelligent and plan on applying to a number of great schools like Dartmouth (the social Ivy), UVA and Vanderbilt. I'm a nerd on the inside. I watch Discovery Channel A LOT. And I have a secret love of video games.</p>

<p>I'm really into CC because I think choosing a college is like choosing a prom dress. It's so much fun to research and consider all the options and really get to make the CHOICE for yourself. It's the first really major life choice I'll make since I choose to spend $6,000 on my '96 Mustang convertible. :)</p>

32

<p>
[quote]
Plus, I'm Chinese and I don't even go to the bathroom during the morning to brush my teeth or comb my hair (and then it often sticks out) because I'm too lazy.

[/quote]

simfish you don't brush your teeth in the morning? I mean, the nerdiness should stop here! Do you often get weird reactions when you speak to people? lol but if it makes you unique, I guess it's all good :)</p>

33

<p>I'm not a stereotypical nerd. You can put under the next generation of cool nerds;). I have a good social life. I don't look dorky, although I wear glasses. I'm physically active. Bicycling is one of my favorite pastimes. I'm constantly looking for and having a good time. I'm a regular teen who happens to do well in school. </p>

<p>Some of my friends will say otherwise, but it's all in good-natured fun. I admit I do indulge in a few "nerdy" activities. The school library is one of my most popular destinations. Chess is growing to be my next guilty pleasure. There's a Math and Science enthusiast in me and English has a place in my heart, too :). </p>

<p>I don't like school, contrary to what some of my above interest has led anyone to believe. If I have my way, kids will be educated through another way than the school systems that are in place now. Although I'm not in favor of the systems of education throughout the world, I do appreciate and engage in learning. And, I think that is what makes me a nerd.</p>