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I'm yet to meet someone that can "WOW!!!!" me in conversation. Most people who thu guy described as gifted CANNOT hold a normal conversation. I've never been overawed by someone else's intelligence.

100 % in Exams and all that, yeah it's good, but I'd rather work hard for 100% than not work at all.

Where's the satisfaction in just turning up?

Let's face it though, every real genius will meet a challenge in life. These guys just haven't got there yet. When they do, they'll wish they actually tried to work hard previously because they will have no clue about how to overcome these obstacles at 28 years old.

'You can't teach an old dog new tricks' as the saying goes....

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guest1984
I am 21, in my 3rd year at uni, been at another uni' for half a term

I only met one gifted student back in 2002, he was 21, sure you get thoses who get straight A's and 90%+ in uni' exams and coursework. But they work incredibily hard, they try to pretend they don't do no work! They have been coached on how to study and do well in coursework and exam.

This gifted guy was chinese, and he was a international student. He bascially reads the notes, he doesn't even bother using recommended textbooks, he would get 80-100% doing the work the night before or even a few hours before the deadline. He was so lazy, it was unbelievable, and he was doing a computing engineering degree.

He even did his coursework a day before it was due in, doing an all nighter

Hes been coached in China and has tons of money from parents, he also copies his chinese friends coursework, 'cause he can't be arsed to do it himself, he knew the work he copied

So, anyone know any gifted student?


This also seems illogical, considering that in essays you need references to get higher marks too.
Also I'd like to add to this, I know people who could be described as genii (Alan P fans), but still cannot spell properly.

How do you explain that?
Reply 22
When I was doing the Ogden Business Competition, every group was good BUT there was this one guy, absolutly AMAZING at his presentation, his projection of his personality, his persuasion, just everything he did was impressive....
Most people i know are clever + try really hard though..
Reply 23
guest1984
Do, anyone know any gifted student?


All my friends are gifted; they all get presents.
Reply 24
Platocrates
Also I'd like to add to this, I know people who could be described as genii (Alan P fans), but still cannot spell properly.

How do you explain that?

Dyslexic?
Jenn xx
Could be, but I meant with no impediment.

I should have clarified that.
Reply 26
Platocrates
Could be, but I meant with no impediment.

I should have clarified that.


You don't have to spell well to be intelligent, and vice-versa. Spelling is more a matter of how many books you have read than how good your reasoning skills are. After all, how can you ingeniously deduce the spelling of a word? You can't, especially in English.
Reply 27
meathead
You don't have to spell well to be intelligent, and vice-versa. Spelling is more a matter of how many books you have read than how good your reasoning skills are. After all, how can you ingeniously deduce the spelling of a word? You can't, especially in English.


This is true. It takes a lot of concentration for me to remember/guess how to spell "physics", and I'm supposedly good enough at it to be doing a degree in it! It usually comes out looking more like something a fortune-teller would be studying :redface:
*******s.

I am a naturally good speller, I didn't do it by reading books at all, I just happen to be very good from birth. I'm not saying it should be a marker of intelligence, I'm merely saying that surely a high level grasp of English is desirable for any real academic/genius. I'd be shocked if I saw a Oxbridge lecturer for example having trouble spelling words.
Reply 29
Platocrates
*******s.

I am a naturally good speller, I didn't do it by reading books at all, I just happen to be very good from birth. I'm not saying it should be a marker of intelligence, I'm merely saying that surely a high level grasp of English is desirable for any real academic/genius. I'd be shocked if I saw a Oxbridge lecturer for example having trouble spelling words.


Having a high-level grasp of English and not being able to spell are not mutually-exclusive.

Just the same as the fact that ability to do simple arithmetic is not required to be good at maths.

I don't have lecturers who are bad at spelling, but I do have one or two who have put up some absolutely awful mathematical howlers (like adding 2 and 2 and getting 5), and have not noticed until it's pointed out to them. In one or two cases, they vehemently insisted they were right, unitl they took a step back, looked at it again, and realised they weren't.

And no, I'm not at Oxbridge, but I am at a Russel Group university with a very good reputation.
Reply 30
Platocrates
I am a naturally good speller, I didn't do it by reading books at all, I just happen to be very good from birth.


Oh, please. Are you telling me you could've spelt everything correctly at birth, without ever having read a book? Because that's what your sentence means when taken to the extreme.

And fine, school spelling lessons worked for you. Some of us (me for one) can't learn from lists, and had to read books in order to learn new words and spellings. It's the same way I learn a foreign language (not surpring, because writing *is* a foreign language, in a sense) - by immersing myself into it until I learn to react automatically, not by learning vocabulary lists.
Reply 31
itz_ant
I know loads of ppl like that.
I used to go to a private school.
Atleast 1/5 were like what you describe.

Very Lazy, arrogant (some of them), easily get top marks Unlike normal people, they wouldn't ask each other what as level grades they got, instead they would ask how many 100%'s in modules they each got.

Most of them have schlorships too, and rightly so.
About half of them, are just good academically, while the other half, can do either loads of sports or loads of music, or sometiems both.

They just make me realise how crap i am :frown:


I got 100% in a module once














It was general Studies



What about extra-curricular - I know the old leader of my orchestra I would say is gifted but her academic grades weren't great...
Princess Ana
Oh, please. Are you telling me you could've spelt everything correctly at birth, without ever having read a book? Because that's what your sentence means when taken to the extreme.

And fine, school spelling lessons worked for you. Some of us (me for one) can't learn from lists, and had to read books in order to learn new words and spellings. It's the same way I learn a foreign language (not surpring, because writing *is* a foreign language, in a sense) - by immersing myself into it until I learn to react automatically, not by learning vocabulary lists.


That's what I'm trying to say, school didn't teach me how to spell, I could just do it. They may have nurtured me, but they did not teach me per se.

And as for your example of the arithmetic howler, that's more of an error than actually not knowing. There's some difference.

Example - People who spell definitely; Definately is simply not good spelling.

Anyway, I believe true intelligence is not only being a exam king, I also think it's about rationality, artistry, creativity etc Some of these Chinese geeks for example, I dare say there's a good few who can't hold a decent intellectual discussion with anything other than a random number generator.

Look at the TV programme Have I Got News For You.

Ian Hislop = Oxbridge man through and through, academically bright

Paul Merton = No notable eduacation to speak of.

I'd say Paul Merton is more of a genius.
Reply 33
Princess Ana
Oh, please. Are you telling me you could've spelt everything correctly at birth, without ever having read a book? Because that's what your sentence means when taken to the extreme.

And fine, school spelling lessons worked for you. Some of us (me for one) can't learn from lists, and had to read books in order to learn new words and spellings. It's the same way I learn a foreign language (not surpring, because writing *is* a foreign language, in a sense) - by immersing myself into it until I learn to react automatically, not by learning vocabulary lists.

I think he just meant he didnt have much problem grasping how to spell stuff... I'm the same; I used to get full marks in all my spelling tests in primary school without any prior work and the teacher would always be like 'oh look how well Maryam's done, she must have done lots of revision. You should all do the same.' Lol.. :redface:

(not saying that this makes me more intelligent than the next person.. it is after all just a primary school spelling test lol.)
Reply 34
One guy, he's in my Maths class. He's able to do really well in A-Levels with terrible (if any) notes. He would easily get into a top university and possibly even get into Oxbridge.

Too bad he's lazy and unmotivated and is planning on studying at Liverpool to stay near home.
Reply 35
Platocrates


This also seems illogical, considering that in essays you need references to get higher marks too.


Yeah, i made a mistake, he did use references on books
Some people are just better at doing exams. Good old Einstein did rubbish at school and ended up a celebrated genius - result!
AlphaNumeric
The problem with people describing one another as "gifted" is that the majority of people see a clever person and an actual genius as about the same, because they don't understand the material those two people are doing. To the "just" clever person, he/she can see the enormous gap that will exist between themselves and the person who is a genius.

I suppose then it comes down to what exactly you define as "gifted". Is it just being very good at something, or is it being truely exception, standing head and shoulders above your peers, who are themselves considered very much above average?


I couldn't put it better.
Reply 38
soulsussed
I find it interesting how everyone seems to view ''gifted'' as one thing: academic intelligence - there has only been one referance to another type of gift that was 'sport'.


Actually, that's probably just because that's "Talented" in school jargon.

You don't necessarilly have to be particularly gifted to get a Nobel Prize - you need determination, which is not the same thing, and dumb luck is often involved as well, as you have to be in exactly the right place at the right time.
Reply 39
I disagree...there are people for example that are talented at music and there are people who are gifted. Theres a huge difference!

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