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London School of Economics

London

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Least intelligent people at LSE :D

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Reply 20

Xanthe

Bismarck

Nearly every person I know who had grades as high as mine, was naturally talented. None of them (or me) had to work for their grades.

That sounds rather arrogant.

London School of Economics

London

Reply 21

Bismarck

Xanthe

That sounds rather arrogant.

Why?

I'd think it would be arrogant to claim that we got our grades due to hard work, as that would clearly be a lie.

ellomoto

Someone who invests no hard work into their studies and still gets really high grades is someone who must be very gifted; not many people, even 'smart' people, are this gifted...

I see what you mean though.

Anyway, i'm aiming for a 1st, although i'd be perfectly happy with a 2:1.

Don't forget that a vast majority of the people who go to LSE are extremely talented. Whoever makes it into the top percentile must be doubly so. Of course you can be underestimating your own talent. You certainly shouldn't assume that you're below average until you see your competition.

Reply 22

ellomoto

Bismarck

Why?

I'd think it would be arrogant to claim that we got our grades due to hard work, as that would clearly be a lie.

Don't forget that a vast majority of the people who go to LSE are extremely talented. Whoever makes it into the top percentile must be doubly so. Of course you can be underestimating your own talent. You certainly shouldn't assume that you're below average until you see your competition.

Yes, you are right.

After all, the LSE has offered me a place.

:biggrin:

Reply 23

Bismarck

ellomoto

Yes, you are right.

After all, the LSE has offered me a place.

:biggrin:

Shows you how talented the person in charge of admissions is. :wink:

Reply 24

fonzievision

Pegasus

I got ABB at A-level. I missed my offer meaning that most people will have better grades than me and I'll start crying at the slightest mention of calculus.

They let you in, even after missing the offer?

Reply 25

username9303

I got 5 A*s, 4 As and a B at GCSE and then AABC at A-level in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Geography. Compared to everyone else on the Actuarial Science degree, on paper i'm quite dumb :biggrin:

Reply 26

Pegasus

fonzievision

They let you in, even after missing the offer?

You know its funny, that seems to be everyones reaction. Hence the insecurity. :redface:

Reply 27

Bismarck

Pegasus

You know its funny, that seems to be everyones reaction. Hence the insecurity. :redface:

They wouldn't let you in unless they thought you were smart. :smile:

Reply 28

Chi4Zlatan

Im going to study Business Maths and Statistics. I agree with the guy/girl before that said there are people who don't have to put any effort in and get great grades - there are just some people out there who are naturally intelligent, whether it be genes, upbringing...whatever. And its so irritating! Its like they don't have to revise at all, and will get a better mark than you, then you are envying and admiring the person at the same time :flutter:

Reply 29

magdalaina

I have to agree that academic achievement is not synonymous with hard work - occassionally you meet people who genuinly dont need to work that hard to succeed.

However, I do strongly think that what we consider to be intelligence is in many ways illusionary. I think that success has far more to do with your mental state and self belief than pure cognitive ability based on your genetic make-up. I dont mean this in a corny 'if you believe in yourself you can achieve anything' way - we are all limited in some way by our genes. What I mean is if you have been socially conditioned to value intellectualism and trained from an early age to use your brain towards that goal, then you will be far more likely to succeed than someone who has the same fundamental genetic make-up yet has not had these advantages.

My own personal academic experience is that my grades have got better and better (from an addmittedly mediocre start). My genes have remianed constant, the neurones and wiring in my brain consistant throughout, yet the way I am percieved my others has changed radically. This is because of a change in outlook, a new motivation and a belief in my own cognitive abilities.

With this in mind, it irritates me deeply when arrogant people flaunt their own achievements as a infallible indicator of their own genetic superiority. Firstly, as I have already explained - it is not. And secondly, why is it that our society seems to value natural ability over a good work ethic when they achieve the same end? The latter is a personal choice, the former completely out of our contol. Am I the only one who finds this illogical? It annoys me no end when people play down the amount of work they do to make themselves look more 'intelligent'. I found that ay my school being vocal about ambition or admitting to working hard was viewed as a manifestation of arrogance and I really dont understand why this should be the case.

To the people who view themselves as less 'intelligent' than the average LSE student - I would disregard any judgements based on a couple of grade differences. Academic success, in my opinon, is based a mixture on a work ethic (which has a social genesis) and luck as well as a certain degree of natural talent.

If we all got in to the LSE, presumably what we all have in common is a passion for intellectualism, rather than superior neurones or other such nonsense.

Reply 30

Londo

You will go to your classes and then see that nobody speaks in the seminars because everybody believes that their classmates are so smart that if you open your mouth will look like a stupid in front of them (now I breath).

That happens many, many times. And those who believe that they are too smart normally prove that they are wrong when they speak.

About intelligence I don't think that it can be measured, there are many people that are brilliant in a different way.

Reply 31

*Sub

yeah, well at least you all can compare your 3A's and 4A* etc to compare your 'intelligence levels'... think what its like for the internationals!! I have no idea where I stand compared to you.... I was required to get a 97 TER (tertiary enterance rank), now here its a very good score... but you hardly need to be a genius to get it. If you average 75% across all your subjects you get a 95TER to give you an idea. So as far as intelligence goes all I can say is I got into LSE (L101) but whether I scraped in or not... or how intelligent I am compared to you is impossible to guess.

Reply 32

darv87

I don't think you can judge intelligence by grades in particular (and by no means am I saying this just to make myself feel good, because I got AAA). The most intelligent person in my school performed very average in his A-levels, yet most people (including most teachers, I might add) will admit that he is by far the strongest intellect in the school.

He is now going to Keele Uni. Both his parents and his brother are Cambridge mathematicians, and I think his grandparents are also Oxbridge alumni, of some sort. My guess is that he is more "intelligent" than most people at LSE, yet if he were to be judged simply on paper, he would be classed (incorrectly) as "mediocre".

I think the most intelligent people are the ones who, regardless of convention, allow themselves to make their own decisions on the importance of schooling and other aspects of life, and act on this accordingly as to maximise their own "utility". The person I'm talking about obviously didn't care much for school, and rightly so if his intellectual interests lay elsewhere.

Intellect cannot be measured by A's.

Reply 33

Cellardore

ellomoto

Would those of you who got, for example, ABB/BBB for their A-Levels say that if you worked harder, you could have got AAB?

i envy people more who get BBB without revising whatsoever as opposed to someone achieving AAB but had to work their ass off.

Reply 34

darv87

And also, to the person who started this post:

Don't you think it's a little early to be getting an inferiority complex?

Reply 35

Bismarck

magdalaina

With this in mind, it irritates me deeply when arrogant people flaunt their own achievements as a infallible indicator of their own genetic superiority. Firstly, as I have already explained - it is not. And secondly, why is it that our society seems to value natural ability over a good work ethic when they achieve the same end? The latter is a personal choice, the former completely out of our contol. Am I the only one who finds this illogical? It annoys me no end when people play down the amount of work they do to make themselves look more 'intelligent'. I found that ay my school being vocal about ambition or admitting to working hard was viewed as a manifestation of arrogance and I really dont understand why this should be the case.

You're making false dichotomy. The choice is not between a talented and lazy person who can make 5 widgets in an hour and an untalented and hard-working person who can make the same amount; rather it's between a talented and lazy person who can make 50 widgets and an untalented and hard-working person who can make 5.

I do agree that it's incredibly silly to make fun of a person for working hard. All it does it shows a willingness to succeed, and that can hardly be called arrogant. I think it just shows jealousy on the part of the people calling you names, as they either aren't able or willing to work as hard as you.

Londo

True there on both counts. Many of the people who do participate speak absolute nonsense, but since they are participating, they get rewarded in terms of grades. Other people might know more, but since they don't participate, their grades suffer, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I think the best way to get high grades is to show up to class, pay attention to the professor, and participate in class discussions. If you do nothing else, this will almost guarantee you an above-average grade.

Reply 36

S1712

To me, all arguments make sense, some more than others. I heard somewhere that 'its possible to be successful with hard-work and no brilliance but not otherwise', and I think its q.true. Also, I think success is a quantifiable measure.

Reply 37

compys

i didnt have to try that hard to get 3A's does that make me better than all of you?

Reply 38

jiggaman7

compys

i didnt have to try that hard to get 3A's does that make me better than all of you?

yes

Reply 39

Bismarck

compys

i didnt have to try that hard to get 3A's does that make me better than all of you?

Yep. But before we believe you, you must tie a ton of concrete to your feet and jump in an ocean. If you drown, then we'll believe you. If you don't, then you lied.

Least intelligent people at LSE :D

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