Can you go from being a dumb kid to being a full mark kid?
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Original post by Anonymous
Yep, I totally get you. I'm quite the same. I've been told I'm only 'smart on paper' before. But to be fair I'm a very secluded person who doesn't get out much or socialise much at all so I'm guessing that contributes to why I may seem dumb to most people. But I still wonder, is 'common sense' or just being perceived as smart/dumb something you are born as, or something that is acquired through experiences?
I think that common sense is partly innate but has a lot to do with experience as well. In a way the notion/definition of common sense seems a little flawed to me as the name kind of implies that regardless of your background and upbringing you should have it. For instance practical stuff like cooking might fall under the "common sense" bracket; I have barely any skill in this area but that's not because I'm incapable, it is because it isn't something I've done much of. There is stuff like basic spacial perception, not putting yourself or others in unnecessary danger, being able to respond to/understand simple social cues that is pretty common and within my and most people's grasps.
I think you are more likely to be perceived as dumb if you are socially reserved. Although I have the capacity to write very well I rarely display the same grasp of language or ideas in conversation with people. I answer in a somewhat robotic and laconic fashion and rarely "guide" the conversation/take the initiative. If you do not display your intelligence via social interactions, it will likely be assumed that you do not have much, rather than that you are simply introverted. If you are thought of as intelligent, it is as you say; they will only go so far as to think you "smart on paper". And it may well be assumed that you can only be all that good at "technical" subjects where there are concrete answers. An educational parrot, if you will, lacking any kind of creativity.
It is amusing as I spent my childhood writing pages upon pages of fiction; I've spent much of my adolescence writing music. But without knowing these facts and having solely speaking to me as a way of seeing what I'm like people would consider me dumb. I'm not saying this is some great evil; it is the natural and obvious consequence of somewhat extreme introversion - to be honest if I met someone similar to myself I would jump to these same conclusions even with my experiences as they seem the most sensible given the evidence you have.
edit: sorry for the long ramble, it seems I am missing essay writing..
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Anonymous
Yeah that makes sense. Going off the thread topic but what other math modules did u do and how did you find them?
I did M1 and S1. M1 is very easy. S1 I found hard and didn't do so well. I'm good at stats now which is ironic. C3 is not so difficult just be strong at differentiation and functions. C4 I think is definitely the hardest, the trig and integration can get tricky.
Original post by Tabstercat
i went from Bs and Cs at GCSE to AAA at A-level and a first in my first year at uni. Its not full marks but i dont know many people who are similar
Congrats to you!
Do you think it was not getting the A grade at GCSE that may have motivated you to up your game for A Level? What did you change?
Original post by Anonymous
Congrats to you! Do you think it was not getting the A grade at GCSE that may have motivated you to up your game for A Level? What did you change?
Do you think it was not getting the A grade at GCSE that may have motivated you to up your game for A Level? What did you change?i think mainly it was just a matter of maturity. I am a summer baby so was very young for my year in year 11. I was more mature in sixth form. also the fact that I was only studying subjects I was interested in when in sixth form so motivation was a lot higher.
Original post by stochasticking
I did M1 and S1. M1 is very easy. S1 I found hard and didn't do so well. I'm good at stats now which is ironic. C3 is not so difficult just be strong at differentiation and functions. C4 I think is definitely the hardest, the trig and integration can get tricky.
Woah you found M1 really easy? I've not done it so Idk but I remember my teacher making my class do S1 because apparently M1 is 'too hard'. Testament to this is the fact that everyone who did M1 in another school (that's sort of linked to our school) got E's and U's but didn't do too bad in core maths. But really? M1 easier than S1? S1 has questions where you only have to plug a formula in
Original post by Anonymous
Woah you found M1 really easy? I've not done it so Idk but I remember my teacher making my class do S1 because apparently M1 is 'too hard'. Testament to this is the fact that everyone who did M1 in another school (that's sort of linked to our school) got E's and U's but didn't do too bad in core maths. But really? M1 easier than S1? S1 has questions where you only have to plug a formula in
So does M1.
It's when you get to M2 that you start to wonder why you ever bothered with mechanics in the first place. I did the WJEC papers for maths and, literally, there was always that one question at the end on vertical circles which required way more steps than you had the time to write in the appropriate time. I remember there being quite a few 'show' questions in the past papers and often all the algebra and simplifying would take up more than one side of A4, and it's supposed to be a six-marker. :/Original post by Anonymous
Woah you found M1 really easy? I've not done it so Idk but I remember my teacher making my class do S1 because apparently M1 is 'too hard'. Testament to this is the fact that everyone who did M1 in another school (that's sort of linked to our school) got E's and U's but didn't do too bad in core maths. But really? M1 easier than S1? S1 has questions where you only have to plug a formula in
Well I found M1 a lot easier at the time I got a strong A in M1 and if I didn't make a small mistake would have got close to full marks but only got a C in S1. This is just my personal experience, I just don't think I tried hard enough in stats, because it's my best subject at degree level
Original post by 1 8 13 20 42
I think you are more likely to be perceived as dumb if you are socially reserved. Although I have the capacity to write very well I rarely display the same grasp of language or ideas in conversation with people.
This. Story of my life... I do think it's because of the introversion because I very much prefer to avoid socialising with people for longer than is necessary for something that I need (selfish, I know). People never understand when I say that I prefer to write than to talk - it just seems so much better, being able to edit one's thoughts before they're communicated to somebody else, something that can't really be done in conversation and has the potential to make me look like an idiot who can't string together a coherent sentence, which only reinforces my preference for writing over speaking. :/
Anyway, it's nice to know that somebody else has the same experiences.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by stochasticking
Well I found M1 a lot easier at the time I got a strong A in M1 and if I didn't make a small mistake would have got close to full marks but only got a C in S1. This is just my personal experience, I just don't think I tried hard enough in stats, because it's my best subject at degree level
Cool, you doing math at uni? Did you do further math aswell? I'm starting to find math so awesome... used to hate and dread it as a kid
Original post by Anonymous
So recently I've been thinking about whether intelligence is something you're either born with, or if its learnt through your experiences. So was wondering, is it possible for someone to be a dumb or even average kid in school to becoming an exceptional student achieving exceptional grades across all subjects (90%+). Some one has told me they have they were like this. And also, do you think being academically smart makes you an actually smart person? Things like common sense don't actually have much to do with academics which is mostly about how much you memorize and revise things right? Sorry if this has been discussed before but what are all your takes on this? Personally I achieved quite good GCSE results but still consider myself really dumb tbh
Ask the drug dealers in Limitless or Lucy.
Original post by Hydeman
So does M1. It's when you get to M2 that you start to wonder why you ever bothered with mechanics in the first place. I did the WJEC papers for maths and, literally, there was always that one question at the end on vertical circles which required way more steps than you had the time to write in the appropriate time. I remember there being quite a few 'show' questions in the past papers and often all the algebra and simplifying would take up more than one side of A4, and it's supposed to be a six-marker. :/
It's when you get to M2 that you start to wonder why you ever bothered with mechanics in the first place. I did the WJEC papers for maths and, literally, there was always that one question at the end on vertical circles which required way more steps than you had the time to write in the appropriate time. I remember there being quite a few 'show' questions in the past papers and often all the algebra and simplifying would take up more than one side of A4, and it's supposed to be a six-marker. :/There's algebra and simplifying in Mechanics? I thought it was all like physics hahaha sorry excuse my dumbness
i definitely err toward intelligence being developmental and psychological rather than an innate trait.
to convince me it's genetically inherited i'd first want to see some sort of consensus on what intelligence actually is, and a reasonable theory on how it might be biologically present in an individual. from what i've seen so far all that exists is an abstract concept tacked onto a genetic correlation
oh yeah, i failed all my exams as a kid but am doing ok now as a v/mature student.
to convince me it's genetically inherited i'd first want to see some sort of consensus on what intelligence actually is, and a reasonable theory on how it might be biologically present in an individual. from what i've seen so far all that exists is an abstract concept tacked onto a genetic correlation
oh yeah, i failed all my exams as a kid but am doing ok now as a v/mature student.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Anonymous
There's algebra and simplifying in Mechanics? I thought it was all like physics hahaha sorry excuse my dumbness
In WJEC M2 there is, yes. :/ It's usually on questions regarding circular motion. You'll be given like one or two actual numbers and then do the rest by algebra. Once you get the hang of it, though, it's quite wonderful. There's a strange beauty in being able to calculate the angle a string makes to the vertical/original position when it goes slack, causing the ball to stop performing circular motion.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Anonymous
So recently I've been thinking about whether intelligence is something you're either born with, or if its learnt through your experiences. So was wondering, is it possible for someone to be a dumb or even average kid in school to becoming an exceptional student achieving exceptional grades across all subjects (90%+). Some one has told me they have they were like this. And also, do you think being academically smart makes you an actually smart person? Things like common sense don't actually have much to do with academics which is mostly about how much you memorize and revise things right? Sorry if this has been discussed before but what are all your takes on this? Personally I achieved quite good GCSE results but still consider myself really dumb tbh
I was in the bottom sets for EVERYTHING from primary school through to the end of year 10.
All my school reports were horrific.
I got tested for every learning disability under the sun. Turns out I had nothing wrong with me. I was just 'thick'. Or extremely lazy. 😏
At parents evenings my parents were always told how much 'I struggled academically'.
In fact, it wasn't unusual for me to get 0 in exams.
I picked up a text book for the first time ever in year 10 when I sat my core science GCSE. I was meant to do foundation as I was so thick at the time, but ended up doing ok in a mock so my teacher allowed me to do the higher papers. I got a B which at the time was really good for me 😂
I ended up with a mix if As and Bs at GCSE .
I then got AAB at alevel ( very almost AAA) and am now studying law at a Russell group university a and hoping to become a lawyer.
People who knew me when I was younger expected me to end up working at the rubbish dump or something 😂
Original post by Anonymous
I was in the bottom sets for EVERYTHING from primary school through to the end of year 10.
All my school reports were horrific.
I got tested for every learning disability under the sun. Turns out I had nothing wrong with me. I was just 'thick'. Or extremely lazy. 😏
At parents evenings my parents were always told how much 'I struggled academically'.
In fact, it wasn't unusual for me to get 0 in exams.
I picked up a text book for the first time ever in year 10 when I sat my core science GCSE. I was meant to do foundation as I was so thick at the time, but ended up doing ok in a mock so my teacher allowed me to do the higher papers. I got a B which at the time was really good for me 😂
I ended up with a mix if As and Bs at GCSE .
I then got AAB at alevel ( very almost AAA) and am now studying law at a Russell group university a and hoping to become a lawyer.
People who knew me when I was younger expected me to end up working at the rubbish dump or something 😂
All my school reports were horrific.
I got tested for every learning disability under the sun. Turns out I had nothing wrong with me. I was just 'thick'. Or extremely lazy. 😏
At parents evenings my parents were always told how much 'I struggled academically'.
In fact, it wasn't unusual for me to get 0 in exams.
I picked up a text book for the first time ever in year 10 when I sat my core science GCSE. I was meant to do foundation as I was so thick at the time, but ended up doing ok in a mock so my teacher allowed me to do the higher papers. I got a B which at the time was really good for me 😂
I ended up with a mix if As and Bs at GCSE .
I then got AAB at alevel ( very almost AAA) and am now studying law at a Russell group university a and hoping to become a lawyer.
People who knew me when I was younger expected me to end up working at the rubbish dump or something 😂
Omg wow congrats! I love hearing stories like this! Good on you. Why do you think you used to struggle academically? Were you just lazy? I used to always work hard despite not being naturally smart so that's why I did Ok in my school years
Original post by andiewithanie
i definitely err toward intelligence being developmental and psychological rather than an innate trait.
to convince me it's genetically inherited i'd first want to see some sort of consensus on what intelligence actually is, and a reasonable theory on how it might be biologically present in an individual. from what i've seen so far all that exists is an abstract concept tacked onto a genetic correlation
oh yeah, i failed all my exams as a kid but am doing ok now as a v/mature student.
to convince me it's genetically inherited i'd first want to see some sort of consensus on what intelligence actually is, and a reasonable theory on how it might be biologically present in an individual. from what i've seen so far all that exists is an abstract concept tacked onto a genetic correlation
oh yeah, i failed all my exams as a kid but am doing ok now as a v/mature student.
Why do you think that? As a v/mature student, I'd like to hear more of your views.
Original post by Hydeman
In WJEC M2 there is, yes. :/ It's usually on questions regarding circular motion. You'll be given like one or two actual numbers and then do the rest by algebra. Once you get the hang of it, though, it's quite wonderful. There's a strange beauty in being able to calculate the angle a string makes to the vertical/original position when it goes slack, causing the ball to stop performing circular motion.
Sounds super awesome! I used to HATE math and physics and all of that sort of stuff but now I just want to devour it!
Original post by Anonymous
Sounds super awesome! I used to HATE math and physics and all of that sort of stuff but now I just want to devour it!
Same.
Unfortunately I didn't practice enough to prepare me for the really unusual papers of this year so ended up with a B in maths. :/ Don't make that mistake and you'll come out with an A/A*! Original post by Anonymous
Omg wow congrats! I love hearing stories like this! Good on you. Why do you think you used to struggle academically? Were you just lazy? I used to always work hard despite not being naturally smart so that's why I did Ok in my school years
I was definately lazy as I seriously didn't see the point of working hard until GCSE and a-level. I knew all along I would try when it mattered, and that I did want to do well eventually.
A lot of my friends who were very bright at school did worse than me at alevel because they wore themselves out before it even counted, which is why it annoys me when I see mums being pushy with their kids. I mean, what does it matter if you get 13% in your year 8 geography exam?! It's just unnecessary pressure.
My parents were never pushy like that which meant I always had to motivate myself.
I also think I was very preoccupied with social problems. I had a tricky time maintaining friendships and got picked on a fair bit which was a distraction.
I don't think intelligence is innate. I know this myself I started from what you'd call a set 6 to gradually making it to top. You need to learn one thing which is that you're the one who will have to work 10 times harder and smart than you did last time. You know what mistakes / excuses you did when revising etc the last time. You ain't going to let it happen again.
Also, it really depends on whether you actually have that mindset.
Also, it really depends on whether you actually have that mindset.
(edited 8 years ago)
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