Youth of Today - How smart do you think you are?
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Original post by Bobifier
It never fails to amuse me how in threads about intelligence of any sort people suddenly using words that are about twice as long as those that they would normally use.
Indubitably.
It's difficult to say.
I personally believe that GCSEs/A Levels are not getting easier.
I think that the high A Level grades are probably due to people actually working hard as it's so tough getting into university/jobs (BTECs may also have something to do with it though).
With GCSE grades I don't see why they're so quick to jump to the conclusion that they're easier than they used to be. The overall amount of student getting 5 A*-C grades is like what, 60 something %? I think that's a pretty appalling amount to be honest, and that it's probably the push for more passes and the gradually improving education that's actually boosting the grades...
Just what I think though. I do see the point that teachers may be teaching to the exam rather than teaching the knowledge though. Tricky subject.
I personally believe that GCSEs/A Levels are not getting easier.
I think that the high A Level grades are probably due to people actually working hard as it's so tough getting into university/jobs (BTECs may also have something to do with it though).
With GCSE grades I don't see why they're so quick to jump to the conclusion that they're easier than they used to be. The overall amount of student getting 5 A*-C grades is like what, 60 something %? I think that's a pretty appalling amount to be honest, and that it's probably the push for more passes and the gradually improving education that's actually boosting the grades...
Just what I think though. I do see the point that teachers may be teaching to the exam rather than teaching the knowledge though. Tricky subject.
(edited 12 years ago)
I think, on the whole, this generation is smarter (academic intelligence only!) than previous ones. Partly because we're forcing teenagers to stay in school/college/uni for much longer than we used to. However I think we should encourage more people to drop out of school and learn a trade. The number of people I know who are wasting their time/money at uni (because they were pretty much forced into it by the school chasing 'good' statistics) is ridiculous when there are others who quit school and are making a good living doing plastering/building type jobs.
In previous generations if you were no good at school then you'd leave and learn a manual craft. Nowadays if you're no good at school you're useless to society. At least that's what seems to be implied by politicians and schools trying to get everybody into higher education without considering people's abilities or skills. Just because you're no good at learning facts and regurgitating information doesn't mean you're not smart.
So in that sense previous generations were 'smarter' because they all knew a useful skill, either academic or manual.
TL;DR: It depends what you mean by 'smart'.
In previous generations if you were no good at school then you'd leave and learn a manual craft. Nowadays if you're no good at school you're useless to society. At least that's what seems to be implied by politicians and schools trying to get everybody into higher education without considering people's abilities or skills. Just because you're no good at learning facts and regurgitating information doesn't mean you're not smart.
So in that sense previous generations were 'smarter' because they all knew a useful skill, either academic or manual.
TL;DR: It depends what you mean by 'smart'.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Rascacielos
I don't normally just go randomly picking people up on their grammar to prove a point, but when you're claiming to be the most intelligent person you know, it helps to get your grammar basics right.
I don't normally just go randomly picking people up on their grammar to prove a point, but when you're claiming to be the most intelligent person you know, it helps to get your grammar basics right.
If I were to write a disquisition which would cost me a final grade or similar, I'd actually set some time apart and proofread it. I don't take the same care on TSR.
Original post by philistine
If I were to write a disquisition which would cost me a final grade or similar, I'd actually set some time apart and proofread it. I don't take the same care on TSR.
Getting your grammar right isn't a matter of care; it's a matter of education.
A*s mean nothing. The people with a few As and A*s and the rest low grades are much more likely to be quirky and intelligent than people with 10 A*s. What a disparity between what A*s are and what they are in the eyes of those who get them...
If you're thinking the kind of things that get you straight A*s at GCSE...chances are you're not brilliant. Personally it does the opposite of impressing me. It's a little better at A level and with Mathsy type subjects.
Anyway. Kids give just a little less than what adults expect, on average. Obviously the solution is to up the expectations. Once they start to do that again, things will go better.
Thought it was very sad when the boy on Jamie's Dream School starting talking about British schools being stuck in the past. He had no idea.
Completely snobby post, of course. Apologies if I've offended anyone.
Re: the comment about tops and bottoms of scales, assuming you don't mean social....hasn't the illiteracy rate been plummeting for the last 100 years!
If you're thinking the kind of things that get you straight A*s at GCSE...chances are you're not brilliant. Personally it does the opposite of impressing me. It's a little better at A level and with Mathsy type subjects.
Anyway. Kids give just a little less than what adults expect, on average. Obviously the solution is to up the expectations. Once they start to do that again, things will go better.
Thought it was very sad when the boy on Jamie's Dream School starting talking about British schools being stuck in the past. He had no idea.
Completely snobby post, of course. Apologies if I've offended anyone.
Re: the comment about tops and bottoms of scales, assuming you don't mean social....hasn't the illiteracy rate been plummeting for the last 100 years!
Intelligence is not a result of education. People have about the same intelligence, unless you take the Flynn Effect at face value, in which case it's slightly (but not significantly) higher.
Original post by chinaberry
A*s mean nothing. The people with a few As and A*s and the rest low grades are much more likely to be quirky and intelligent than people with 10 A*s. What a disparity between what A*s are and what they are in the eyes of those who get them...
If you're thinking the kind of things that get you straight A*s at GCSE...chances are you're not brilliant. Personally it does the opposite of impressing me. It's a little better at A level and with Mathsy type subjects.
Anyway. Kids give just a little less than what adults expect, on average. Obviously the solution is to up the expectations. Once they start to do that again, things will go better.
Thought it was very sad when the boy on Jamie's Dream School starting talking about British schools being stuck in the past. He had no idea.
Completely snobby post, of course. Apologies if I've offended anyone.
Re: the comment about tops and bottoms of scales, assuming you don't mean social....hasn't the illiteracy rate been plummeting for the last 100 years!
If you're thinking the kind of things that get you straight A*s at GCSE...chances are you're not brilliant. Personally it does the opposite of impressing me. It's a little better at A level and with Mathsy type subjects.
Anyway. Kids give just a little less than what adults expect, on average. Obviously the solution is to up the expectations. Once they start to do that again, things will go better.
Thought it was very sad when the boy on Jamie's Dream School starting talking about British schools being stuck in the past. He had no idea.
Completely snobby post, of course. Apologies if I've offended anyone.
Re: the comment about tops and bottoms of scales, assuming you don't mean social....hasn't the illiteracy rate been plummeting for the last 100 years!
What evidence do you have for that stupid statement?
Original post by im so academic
What evidence do you have for that stupid statement?
Stupid? Gosh, did that hit a nerve?
Hmmm....well, since I haven't conducted any world wide research in the exact declining relationship between quirkiness and A*-ness, I doubt you'd be interested in my reasoning. So let's just agree to disagree.
Original post by chinaberry
Original post by chinaberry
Stupid? Gosh, did that hit a nerve?
Hmmm....well, since I haven't conducted any world wide research in the exact declining relationship between quirkiness and A*-ness, I doubt you'd be interested in my reasoning. So let's just agree to disagree.
Stupid? Gosh, did that hit a nerve?
Hmmm....well, since I haven't conducted any world wide research in the exact declining relationship between quirkiness and A*-ness, I doubt you'd be interested in my reasoning. So let's just agree to disagree.
How does the presence of A*/A make you quirky/intelligent, but having straight A* doesn't?
There is minimal difference between them too.
What a stupid way to second-guess a person's personality - through the proportion of the amount of A*s they have.
Original post by im so academic
How does the presence of A*/A make you quirky/intelligent, but having straight A* doesn't?
There is minimal difference between them too.
What a stupid way to second-guess a person's personality - through the proportion of the amount of A*s they have.
There is minimal difference between them too.
What a stupid way to second-guess a person's personality - through the proportion of the amount of A*s they have.
What, there's minimal difference between A* and D? Well, I do agree with that
Well, whatever. I don't think it's stupid- and I know who I like to spend time with. Of course I don't automatically select on the basis of GCSE results, if that's what you're choosing to focus on.
(edited 12 years ago)
I do fairly poorly in exams (due to somewhat of a nervous disposition) however I have a strong general knowledge (not gossipy knowledge) and know a lot more about the world than many people in older generations.
I also tend to do very well in subjects that I enjoy and badly in subjects that are purely about memorizing facts/equations. (I.e. I have a really bad physics teacher who makes us copy notes all lesson without giving us enough time to stop and understand what he's actually saying
)
I also tend to do very well in subjects that I enjoy and badly in subjects that are purely about memorizing facts/equations. (I.e. I have a really bad physics teacher who makes us copy notes all lesson without giving us enough time to stop and understand what he's actually saying
)There's certainly more scope to be intelligent with the internet, tv, phones etc providing loads and loads of information. However in schools pupils are mostly just taught to the syllabus and taught to pass the exams and so in this sense people aren't as clever as they are just taught exam structure and a few facts.
Very few teachers will actually talk about interesting issues in schools if they aren't related to the syllabus due to fear of their students not getting the best grade and the teachers looking bad.
Very few teachers will actually talk about interesting issues in schools if they aren't related to the syllabus due to fear of their students not getting the best grade and the teachers looking bad.
Original post by I-Am-A-Tripod
Original post by I-Am-A-Tripod
Given that the general consensus being reported in the UK is that educational standards and exams difficulty are falling year on year -
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/secondaryeducation/8510925/Ofqual-alarm-over-falling-A-level-and-GCSE-standards.html
Do you feel this is a fair comparison on your generation and more imprtantly - Do you feel you are smarter, less smart or about the same as previous generations of graduates?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/secondaryeducation/8510925/Ofqual-alarm-over-falling-A-level-and-GCSE-standards.html
Do you feel this is a fair comparison on your generation and more imprtantly - Do you feel you are smarter, less smart or about the same as previous generations of graduates?
Apparently our generation has a greater ability to think abstractly, in particular in terms of solving or overcoming problems or obstacles, than the previous generation. However, we lack the all round practical intelligence of previous generations, i.e. performing house repairs, cooking, etc ...
That's what my sociology teacher taught me, at least.
very dumb, i did teribel in english an maths (as ye can probly tell!) an im very ignorant, i know cos people always be tellin me how ignorant i am!
Original post by Newerfield
Apparently our generation has a greater ability to think abstractly, in particular in terms of solving or overcoming problems or obstacles, than the previous generation. However, we lack the all round practical intelligence of previous generations, i.e. performing house repairs, cooking, etc ...
That's what my sociology teacher taught me, at least.
That's what my sociology teacher taught me, at least.
Overcoming problems like of the avoiding of tough exams by doing more course work about x factor instead and lacking the practical intelligence that is required for mathematics, literacy, scientific analysis ie all the important stuff.
Original post by Indo-Chinese Food
Original post by Indo-Chinese Food
Overcoming problems like of the avoiding of tough exams by doing more course work about x factor instead and lacking the practical intelligence that is required for mathematics, literacy, scientific analysis ie all the important stuff.
I don't really follow. Choosing to do course work over exams has little to do with whether more people of this generation possess higher levels of abstract intelligence than the last generation, as far as I can make out.
Plus, I wouldn't call intelligence relating to mathematics, literacy and scientific analysis, practical intelligence. Though, I'm not an expert in the academic study of intelligence, so this really might be a case of semantics.
Original post by Newerfield
I don't really follow. Choosing to do course work over exams has little to do with whether more people of this generation possess higher levels of abstract intelligence than the last generation, as far as I can make out.
Plus, I wouldn't call intelligence relating to mathematics, literacy and scientific analysis, practical intelligence. Though, I'm not an expert in the academic study of intelligence, so this really might be a case of semantics.
Plus, I wouldn't call intelligence relating to mathematics, literacy and scientific analysis, practical intelligence. Though, I'm not an expert in the academic study of intelligence, so this really might be a case of semantics.
'Abstract intelligence' is nice way for teachers to be positive on an otherwise unimpressive students report card. I doubt it ihas any significant meaning or practical application in real terms. The intelligence relating to mathematics, literacy and scientific analysis etc is pratical ( and therefore more important) because it is applicable to most of the business, research and politics the world is run by.
Original post by JakeStenson
There's certainly more scope to be intelligent with the internet, tv, phones etc providing loads and loads of information. However in schools pupils are mostly just taught to the syllabus and taught to pass the exams and so in this sense people aren't as clever as they are just taught exam structure and a few facts.
Very few teachers will actually talk about interesting issues in schools if they aren't related to the syllabus due to fear of their students not getting the best grade and the teachers looking bad.
Very few teachers will actually talk about interesting issues in schools if they aren't related to the syllabus due to fear of their students not getting the best grade and the teachers looking bad.
With more sources and gadgets to aid learning, it can be argued that the effort to think, calculate and research is less - you no longer have to read a book if you can track a synopsis online about it. Obviously this isnt giving you the full understanding of the topic, but it seems is enough to simply get you through exams.
Of course its widely acknowledged that the introduction of calculators and computers has completely destroyed school leavers ability to manage basic mental arithmetic. Spell check removes the need to memorise correct spelling etc
Original post by Indo-Chinese Food
Original post by Indo-Chinese Food
'Abstract intelligence' is nice way for teachers to be positive on an otherwise unimpressive students report card. I doubt it ihas any significant meaning or practical application in real terms. The intelligence relating to mathematics, literacy and scientific analysis etc is pratical ( and therefore more important) because it is applicable to most of the business, research and politics the world is run by.
So to some extent it was a question of semantics.
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