Average intelligence

Hi everyone-
Have you been told at school and by friends that you are bright just to only now be hearing from your mum that you are only of average intelligence?
Ho would you react?
I took it pretty badly , but to be honest I shouldn't have been that surprised because I found university hard and find it hard to grasp new concepts fast. However I am hard working and try to achieve academically partly to please my parents.
Just wanted some thoughts on this ? Has this happened to anyone else , and what can a person of average intelligence take from this to make them feel like they can be successful?

Well her meaning of average I thought was pretty harsh. Basically 6A*s and 3As at GCSE and A*AB at A level is average?

Academic performance and intelligence are not the same thing. How hard did you work to get those grades? If you barely put any effort in then that would suggest you are above average in terms of intelligence. If you had to work very hard to get those grades then your mum is probably right.

In terms of what you do to be successful, just continue to work hard.

I'm all for positive reinforcement, but possible your mum's just trying to instill the idea that you shouldn't go about thinking you're significantly smarter than anyone else.

Yes, IMO those grades are broadly average, bear in mind there are exceptional people who at 15 are already finishing their degrees, let alone people getting A*A*A* at school. you need to do pretty damn well to escape 'average'.

I'm all for positive reinforcement, but possible your mum's just trying to instill the idea that you shouldn't go about thinking you're significantly smarter than anyone else.

Yes, IMO those grades are broadly average, bear in mind there are exceptional people who at 15 are already finishing their degrees, let alone people getting A*A*A* at school. you need to do pretty damn well to escape 'average'.

Honestly, It is far more of a compliment to be told you are hardworking than bright.
Being bright will only get you so far in life, but being a hardworker means there is no limit to your achievements.

My mum so calls me average but hardworking. She calls my brothers very intelligent. Guess who has got offers for medicine, the best GCSEs and the best A-level predictions. I would always get so angry that she wouldn't say I was intelligent too. But if you look at all the people that are mega successful, all of them are hard workers.
take it as a compliment

Those grades are nowhere near average.

Out of interest what would you say those grades are on a scale from below average -above average ?

Those grades are nowhere near average.

As said, it's my opinion, To put it another way, I don't see those grades as anything distinctive. Nothing to be ashamed of and i'm sure they took hard work...but I don't see them as particularly setting them aside from all the students that 'did well but messed a few bits up'.

What do you both consider average, and why?

Honestly, It is far more of a compliment to be told you are hardworking than bright.
Being bright will only get you so far in life, but being a hardworker means there is no limit to your achievements.

My mum so calls me average but hardworking. She calls my brothers very intelligent. Guess who has got offers for medicine, the best GCSEs and the best A-level predictions. I would always get so angry that she wouldn't say I was intelligent too. But if you look at all the people that are mega successful, all of them are hard workers.
take it as a compliment