[Memphis93]

Do you guys think smart people also get bad grades? Well I've been considered really smart by a lot of people and I'm predicted A*s at GCSE, but I already have 2C's in the two most pointless subjects I did in year 10 and that makes me feel like I'm stupid. Does anyone feel like this sometimes?

[Nihilum]

Usually grades aren't representational of how intelligent a person is.

[narnia123]

I always get ****e grades and im a genius..

[RobertWhite]

Steven Fry got rubbish grades originally because he didn't try. I didn't use to try at GCSE but after a little bit of realisation and interest in the world my cognitions seemed to flourish somewhat. Yes, intelligent people can get bad grades but it depends on their intelligence. If someone is intelligent in the traditional sense then they'll get bad grades if they don't try/aren't taught correctly. If someone is intelligent in what we might call the creative sense then they may also get bad grades but flourish in subjects such as drama, music or art.

[AspiringGenius]

I get relatively good grades (not TSR good, but you know) and I have the common sense of the average round pebble.

In fact I would go so far as to say limestone has notably more street smarts than I do.

[GuitarWorm]

In my opinion GCSEs aren't really representative of intelligence


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[Antifazian]

Yes, for a number of reasons; bad home environment, bad teachers, can't be bothered to try, doesn't care about grades, simply isn't academic, bad luck, not having good exam technique, etc.

[3nTr0pY]

There is a correlation between the two but nothing more. On the most simplistic level, your grades are a simple combination of hard work and intelligence. To be the best at anything, both are required, in copious amounts.

But usually exams only test rote learning. Creativity (both mathematical and artistic) are rarely tested and instead emphasis is usually placed on being able to memorise facts. Thus exams rarely reflect the most admirable form of intelligence, although they often do indicate other qualities which are to be admired.

[johnnyavfc]

Grades don't represent the level of intelligence a person has..

[M1011]

I think often truly intelligent people get bored and disinterested in school work. However I wouldn't expect an intelligent person to get C's (to be honest), but perhaps to under perform relative to their potential.

[Picture~Perfect]

You can't measure a persons intelligence by the grades they have achieved, at the end of the day it's just a piece of paper, it doesn't define you.

[RowingGoose]

Yes of course they do. There are different kinds of intelligence anyway, so just because you're not good at something, doesn't mean you not amazing at something else (even if they're not academic like art and sport or having good people skills).

Having been through A Levels and uni, I can see that GCSEs are essentially just a memory test and how well you can communicate this memory. That's why teachers tell you what you need to know for a certain exam, not what you need to know to help you in life.

[Inverse]

Regurgitating information is not a valid test for intelligence.

[Fen]

I never really got what makes a person particularly smart, so no opinion on that.

In my experience grades are more showing of a person's hard work(or lack of) than smarts, with a bit of luck involved. No use being smart if you don't bother exercising and learning the necessary information, you know. And no use being hard-working if you feel sick during an exam. The people who claim that they don't study and "just get good grades" are usually exaggerating and/or lying for various reasons.

[themancunian]

I think what tends to happen is 'smart people' get big headed and think they pass it easily without doing the required effort in trying.

[3nTr0pY]

(Original post by Fen)
I never really got what makes a person particularly smart, so no opinion on that.

In my experience grades are more showing of a person's hard work(or lack of) than smarts, with a bit of luck involved. No use being smart if you don't bother exercising and learning the necessary information, you know. And no use being hard-working if you feel sick during an exam. The people who claim that they don't study and "just get good grades" are usually exaggerating and/or lying for various reasons.

But on the flip side, some people naturally memorise things/understand things better than others. I remember I need only need read the textbook a few times before I had memorised and understood everything perfectly. But then again, perhaps that was because at the same time I was reading popular science books for fun (with encouragement from my parents).

So maybe it was upbringing but I'm sure natural talent plays a massive part. If you can learn the entirety of your GCSEs in a few weeks what do you do for the rest of the year? In my case I lazed around not achieving much (until I got to Cambridge).

[MedicalMeister]

One of friends is extremely smart, but he's also one of the laziest people I know.In year 7 we had to do a CAT test and he got the highest in the year was hailed a genius by all the teachers. In GCSE's he bunked most of the lessons and mainly screwed about on his Xbox playing call of duty and other games. On results day he got mainly D's.

After his pretty bad grades at GCSE, he worked his ass off at A level and he's undoubtably the smartest guy at the college, getting like 97%-100% for every module that he's done.

What I'm trying to say is that the brightest students can get really bad grades if they dont put any effort. There are numerous reasons why they may not fulfil their potential,good grades don't reflect intelligence.

[Dr A]

It's true that grades aren't solely indicative of a person's intelligence.

Perhaps the most significant argument that can be put forward is that because, as the expectations on 'smart' people are huge, they fail, more often than not, to perform to their true potential.

[Emrys141]

(Original post by Memphis93)
Do you guys think smart people also get bad grades? Well I've been considered really smart by a lot of people and I'm predicted A*s at GCSE, but I already have 2C's in the two most pointless subjects I did in year 10 and that makes me feel like I'm stupid. Does anyone feel like this sometimes?

Getting A*s doesn't immediatly make a person smart. A person can be smart in many different ways.

[The Fez]

Not always, because there are intelligent people who are willing to work hard and study hard, and they're unstoppable.

I'm not stupid, my grades were okay because I didn't try hard in high school (actually, I didn't even try at all!) and sometimes I regret it. But then again, if I had studied too hard in high school I wouldn't have done lots of extracurricular activities and sports and social activities, so I'm pretty content with the "balanced lifestyle" as opposed to the "12 A*" lifestyle. Also, liberal arts FTW!!!


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