<p>I am naturally intelligent, but my success is more due to my hard work than innate ability.</p>
<p>have any of you that stated that they are naturally bright ever gotten like a B on a test you actually studied for? I mean it seriously..I'm trying to put things into perspective</p>
<p>^ No.<br>
Actually, maybe once, in Physics. I think I made an 89. The definition of "studying" however, is debatable. I may have looked over a problem set for 30 minutes or so.</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure I have... however, my "studying" involves mostly not studying, if you catch my drift.
It's mostly them darned Multivariable Calc tests that I get B's on. Gawrshdarnit!
And one Economics test.
But I've definitely gotten B's on tests before... just not B averages. Only once, freshman math.</p>
<p>mm. I guess I lean more towards the former because I detest "studying." </p>
<p>However, I almost always stay up to finish all my homework, no matter how late I have to go to sleep. I don't think I ever went to sleep before midnight anytime from my sophomore year to present time mostly because of homework and partly because of habit. I usually have a naturally good memory, so I feel like doing the homework IS studying and no more is necessary. But then again, I rarely, rarely skew the curve if ever -- I get A's, but in the middle range, you know what I mean? So I'm not a genius either. </p>
<p>Yup, I'm one of those kids who does all the homework, but doesn't "study," unless you count cramming five minutes before the period begins. :P</p>
<p>I would argue that intelligence beyond aptitude demonstrated in someone's early years is really just an intelligent work ethic.</p>
<p>....Reading over that sentence, I can tell I suck at conveying my ideas with writing:</p>
<p>That kid at Juilliard who's amazing with a piano?</p>
<p>100 to 1 he just plays the piano a lot.</p>
<p>That kid at Harvard that's good at being an arrogant self absorbed old money putz?</p>
<p>Chances are he really did grow up in a manse, was raised by a nanny, and is living off dad's money. </p>
<p>The team that America takes to International Chemistry Olympiad? </p>
<p>I can tell you right now that they come from families that encouraged them (pushed them with kind words and a menacing display of medieval weaponry) to excel in Math and the sciences.</p>
<p>I like to think of people like myself (and MANY others) who seem to just glide through academics with ease as people that learned how to learn; we aren't necessarily more intelligent, just well practiced.</p>
<p>To me, the difference between a "hard worker'' and an ''intelligent'' person is simply their means and scope of practice.</p>
<p>While a hardworker can become incredibly proficient at completing problem sets, memorizing formulas, and excelling in a mathematics class, an ''intelligent'' person is simply good at learning, and thus has no problem learning mathematics.</p>
<p>With the exception of savants, people that seem to accomplish one thing with no effort at all are typically good at a wider range of things. They just learned how to learn, they didn't concentrate on learning a specific thing.</p>
<p>Looks like everyone's being real modest about themselves.</p>
<p>^ Agreed. Haha.</p>
<p>And in the interest of all those prospective applicants out there, those on this thread who say they've never gotten B's in anything have not been accepted to Yale (at least not yet). Also, that kind of "of course I've never gotten a B on anything" attitude is not desirable to Yale or any other top school. You are not expected to be perfect. If anything, I would think that attitude would be undesirable to the admissions committee.</p>
<p>Sorry if I was harsh to those who posted that, but I think it's important for the people reading this thread to know that not all Yale applicants are 'perfect' grade-wise, or at least vocally so.</p>
<p>^ I completely agree with you, Ephemeral2. Being fortunate enough to get acceptance in Yale, I am not ashamed to say that I've gotten B's, C's, and even and F's (very few, granted) on exams. However, I've made up for it by working incredibly hard, and anyone who says they didn't is uttering a complete lie. I would say that I'm pretty naturally intelligent, but I've leavened it with hard work- even though I may not be perfect, I've put in the time to show that I take my education seriously enough to excel in my courses, notwithstanding a few bad exams I've taken during off-days. </p>
<p>I hope all of you Yale deferrees and RD applicants receive good news April 1, and keep the faith!</p>
<p>I'm hardly perfect grade-wise. To be honest, I suck at math and physics (I need to control my habit of falling asleep in class).</p>
<p>It was nice to hear that other people have gotten Bs I have gotten 6 Bs while I was in high and four of them were from my sophmore year. I was beginning to feel stupid.</p>
<p>I don't know if my school grades harder than others or you all are just geniuses who never slip up, but I don't know anyone who hasn't gotten a B. I had a B for the year in chem and B's for a quarter in US history 1, driver's ed, sophomore English, and gym (lol), and I'm still second in my class. Being exempt from a final requires all A's, and out of a class of 306, only three were exempt from honors Spanish and four, including only one person in our top 4, were exempt from honors physics junior year.</p>
<p>People do get into top colleges, and almost all of them must have a few B's, so it really depends on your school, I suppose.</p>
<p>^ Well, no one has ever graduated from my school with a 4.0, but that's because a 4.0 is all 94s and above in every class since freshman year. I made one 93 freshman year and one 92 this year (stupid Physics).</p>
<p>So my school IS difficult, but I just make sure I do well enough to pull that A :)</p>
<p>Interesting question! I'm a hard worker for sure... but then I've had no choice- it's been ingrained into who I am because of my tumultuous childhood/adolescence. I've been to over eight schools all over the world, some with clashing teaching systems/curriculae and with very little continuity overall. I've also been to schools in which the language of instruction was -in part- one I was in no way familiar with... hence, I've had to self-teach my way to straight As from 10th grade onwards. My last school was a joke but I took maximum course-load nonetheless, studied whenever I wasn't involved in extracurriculars and still found hours to make money by tutoring etc.</p>
<p>I'm no child prodigy, but I like to think I'm naturally intelligent... I wouldn't be where I am today without all the hard work I've put into my education, however.</p>