Have you ever studied so hard, and then found out that your grade was lower than someone who did not study at all? Aren't there so many people out there that are just naturally smart? Sometimes, you really feel inadequate next to them.
For a while, I was considered a "smart" student. My rank in high school had been pretty high in my freshman year. During that time, I never really studied, and then people called me "smart." In truth, I was not really smart-I just paid attention in my classes. No, my classes weren't low level-they were all honors. I had some difficulty in areas such as math and biology-and in these cases, I had to start studying.
During this time, I noticed that one of the students only studied during the five minutes before the biology or Algebra II test, and she always achieved near-perfect grades, like 97s or 98. When I looked at that, i felt pretty angry at myself because then I thought that I wasn't smart. If there was someone who never studied got a better grade than me, then I wasn't very bright either. To add to that, there was another girl in my Civics and World History class that contributed so much that I felt that I did not know anything. Being around these "smart" students actually made me feel "stupid." However, since I wanted to beat these two students, I studied more,and I did get close to them.
However, things changed in my sophomore year. Many students that I never knew existed suddenly appeared in my high level classes. Now these students were a great challenge because they never studied. So this time, instead of feeling insecure with two students who were geniuses, I had to compete with five others now. My rival started to get ahead of me: she was able to get into a more advanced math class faster than me. Math was a subject that I had trouble comprehending since childhood, and this person can do the work so fast!
Don't you ever feel incompetent next to students like these? Sometimes, I study so hard, whereas the geniuses don't, and they still get a higher grade than me! Maybe there are some subjects that they are weaker at, but for now, I feel like I am losing my motivation. I think that is what happens with many students when they see other "bright" students. I guess the most important thing for us hard workers is to never lose our motivation and use our own uniqueness as strength. I just wanted to share my feelings on this subject matter.
What do you guys think?
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I have sometimes felt that inadequacy when I struggle with a subject that someone else had no problem with. I usually had problems with Algebra and Statistics. No matter how hard i tried, i couldn't get very good grades. However, in classes like history and english, I had no problem. I think it all has to do with your own personal strengths. You may suck at something, but chances are you're also really good at something too. Not the most lyrically put, but I think you get the idea.
Things aren't always as they seem. I'm one of those bright students... always have been. I'd read in my calculus class, because I didn't have to pay attention to get most of the concepts. However, while I pretty much always said I didn't study, I actually did a great deal. I'd read over my notes, and I'd pay avid attention in class. And I'd beat myself up if I didn't understand something, and after studying it a little more, it made sense. So, essentially, I did half of my studying in class, because I made connections in class, and jotted them down, and then took time outside of class to connect the dots. Yet it would look like I never studied.
My boyfriend was also one of those kids that would study 10 minutes before the test, and get an A on it. But if you asked him to tell you what the test was over afterwards, he couldn't... he forgot all about it once the test was over.
~C
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Everything you just said was so true. I was labeled a "smart kid" and people hated me for it. They tried to copy my work and when I wouldn't let them I was ostracized. Never mind about that horror though...
Basically everyone thought it came so easy and I agree that I didn't have to work hard, but I did work. But after a test I would be on auto-pilot and I couldn't repeat what was on the test 5 minutes before. Now it has managed to stick, but there things are not what they appear.
Unfortunately genetics and environment have equal play in your intelligence. Things like if your parents read to you as a child or if your parents were hard pressed for C's back in their day really affect how you will turn out. It sucks, but you are a product of your family and childhood.
Think about it...
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yes i feel this way all the time!
for example, i studied my butt off for this one vocab quiz and got a c+ cause my head wasn't there...my friend studied for like 10 minutes and got an a.
not fair!
You should know by now that life isn't fair! Not everyone gets to be an astronaut when they grow up.
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I know how you feel. I actually am one of those "bright" students, somewhat. My thing is... I do pay attention in class but I also have an excellent memory. I can usually remember what we were talking about on any given day or where the information I need is in the book. I study more now than I did in, say, freshman year, though. But I feel I'm at a disadvantage now... like everyone else is charging on ahead and I'm losing my ability to remember things and only now, in my senior year, learning how to study. It's not good. I really think that people who learned how to study back when they were meant to are the people who are going to succeed, because each year of school seems to get more and more difficult (as it should). Eventually even those bright kids are going to have to study, but they're not going to know how.
I would probably say that im one of those smart kids... but i dont feel any smarter than others. I would say I learn the best when i am listening and paying attention to teachers in class but when i dont study or review things not discussed in class i dont do as well. On one vocabulary test i only got a 60% when i didnt study much before hand.. so not all those smart kids are actually smarter.. they just learn differently.
I have to agree with mvenus that things aren't always what they seem. For most of my life, I've been one of those students that has never had to study. I could go in and take a test and make an A without cracking the book. And some people really hated that. What most of them didn't know, however, was that I'm completely inept at math. Even simple grade school math gives me trouble.
I'm in my senior year at college now and until this term, maintained a 4.0 with relative ease. And then, of course, I had to take college algebra. I couldn't put it off any longer. I spent hours and hours and hours a week on the subject and made it out with an 85 by the grace of many people here who cheered me on and spent hours helping me when they didn't have too and more work than I have probably put into all of my previous classes combined. And believe me, I should be thrilled with that 85 because I have never passed algebra on a first attempt... and instead I'm kicking myself about it.
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~Fallon~
“What is insanity, anyway? Is it when you scream and everyone else whispers, or is it when you fight for what's right, even when everyone else thinks your wrong?” Ethergoth
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Yeah, I probably would've gotten a low B if we hadn't stopped doing vocabulary tests my senior year in high school for English. Those were horrible.
~C
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I've heard that from other people too! They always say that even when they try their best, and they get a B or B+, it's still good because they tried their best!
Some people are able to do well in classes without studying, but then they get into a pattern of not studying, Once the classes start getting hard and they actually need to study to do will, they will not have the advantage, where you, the one who studied, do. Dont worry about others and just stay focused on yourself. You will do much better without the hard pressure to stay above the rest.
I'm one of those people who tends not to study. I credit a good memory and innumerable neumonics for my success, for the most part. I never studied for my economics class, read books or did homework for other classes in class and still got A's. Same for French. In general, I just remember things well. In may interest/comfort(?) you to know, though, that I tend to do badly in history and math. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses.
/::) Good memory, huh?
Yeah, I only have that for history, english, and french, but unfortunately not at math, but thanks for sharing your feelings on this- I appreciate it!
I totally HAVE to agree! It's really hard to feel like you are smart and then you compare yourself to others, at least for me, and you feel like an idiot. I have lots of great examples with this...
In my freshman year there were these 4 guys in my grade who were super smart and everyone knew it. I felt inferior to them. I still do, if I let myself think about it, since we are all still going to the same school. As long as I pass the AP exam this year and I don't find out the score of one of the "grade geniuses", I'll be fine. :)
Smile! It makes each day brighter! :)
Don't forget that some people study at home, too. I had a friend that would only study at home so others would think she was smart.
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