Prodigy Kids!

Is it just me or is it really annoying to hear about prodigy kids. I read today about a 9 year-old having got an A at A-level Maths!

She then got a first class degree in Maths at 13!

It pisses me off.

The parent's of a 13 year old getting his god damn A2 results tomorrow are compaining that he cannot go to university. I quote them, "He is far better than most 18-year olds". It makes my blood boil.

How about you?

Reply 1

It'sPhil...

2

Unregistered

Is it just me or is it really annoying to hear about prodigy kids. I read today about a 9 year-old having got an A at A-level Maths!

She then got a first class degree in Maths at 13!

It pisses me off.

The parent's of a 13 year old getting his god damn A2 results tomorrow are compaining that he cannot go to university. I quote them, "He is far better than most 18-year olds". It makes my blood boil.

How about you?

Why are you angry? Jealousy? There was a guy at my school who was in the top 5 mathematicians in the country. He was in the IMO squad and everything. I think its pretty amazing - these kids have a gift, why shouldn't they use it to their full potential?

Reply 2

Unregistered

OP

I agree, it is pretty amazing.

Reply 3

Unregistered

OP

Unregistered

Is it just me or is it really annoying to hear about prodigy kids. I read today about a 9 year-old having got an A at A-level Maths!

She then got a first class degree in Maths at 13!

It pisses me off.

The parent's of a 13 year old getting his god damn A2 results tomorrow are compaining that he cannot go to university. I quote them, "He is far better than most 18-year olds". It makes my blood boil.

How about you?

I think you should, instead, feel happy for them. Happy about the fact these prodigies have achieved what many people could not achieve.

I guess you're comparing yourself with them? You shouldn't. They probably have a natural talent from birth or that they were forced to learn so much material at such a young age.

Reply 4

LH

15

Unregistered

Is it just me or is it really annoying to hear about prodigy kids. I read today about a 9 year-old having got an A at A-level Maths!

She then got a first class degree in Maths at 13!

It pisses me off.

The parent's of a 13 year old getting his god damn A2 results tomorrow are compaining that he cannot go to university. I quote them, "He is far better than most 18-year olds". It makes my blood boil.

How about you?

these people have a gift, but I worry that their parents are pushing them to do a degree at 10 but are depriving them of a social life. If they are Maths geniuses at 9, they'll still be Maths geniuses at 18, they'll probably be even better and will have had a normal childhood. One girl who started a degree at Oxford when she was 13 left two years later to escape the 'hell' that her parents had created. Her dad went into lectures with her. She is now living with foster parents and is attending a state school.

So I would say, if the kids really want to start a degree now, they can, but I think it unfair if they are pushed by there parents, which they usually are.

One more point.
Would you like to spend your entire time at university with your parents? Especially if you were 13 and so could not enjoy the social life of university and make friends? Even if I were a genius, I would have to wait so I could be fully involved with a university; remember, a university is more than an educational institution.

That 13 year old boys parents were upset because Cambridge wouldn't let him in. Three points on this:
1. He was 13, I would be worried if they just let him straight in.
2. Cambridge did not want to pay to have their lecturers vetted so that they could teach an under 16-year-old.
3. At AS, he got something like A B C. Cambridge turn down people with AAA, so why should he get special treatment?

Also, ABC shows that he is not 'better than most 18-year-olds'.

So to sum up, rather than feeling anger towards him, I fell a certain degree of pity.

Reply 5

scorpio

i think that they are doing well. the only thing that i would be annoyed with is if parents put pressure on these 13 year olds to do even better. they are 13 years old for heaven's sake! they have prolly just started puberty!

Reply 6

Unregistered

OP

I started the thread:

I agree with you; their talent's should be celebrated.

However, the thing that pisses me off is the whole concept of "being the best".

Someone in the year above me was the best GCSE English Student in the country; having lost 1 mark on every single English coursework and exam. It is a tremendous achievment; I respect and look up to the guy but I do not like the way that his achievement was reported by the school.

He was given "special mention" which he did deserve, but it all actually downheartened me; it made me and the rest of us feel that we needed tpo be the best in the country before the school actually recognised our efforts. My friend however achieved a range of Cs and Ds, but had put in the most tremendous amount of effort; and dare I say more than these prodigy kids yet is not recognised or celebrated - If i was him I would have given up months ago.

It is unfortunate that we are judged on attainment as opposed to effort - surely alongside our grades we should get official "effort" grades to allow employers etc to assess a person's determination etc. It would also give those who give up due to believeing they will not get all A*s a chance to shine - competition in effort is surely more productive than competion in intelligence which is largely hereditory.

Reply 7

Unregistered

OP

i was o child prodegy i did my gcses a yeer early

Reply 8

emom100

8

i feel so sorry for the progidy kids and while i envy their brains i would never want their lifestyle. When the parents of that 13 year old kid that did a-levels said he got on really well with his peers in 6th form, I can't believe it. When everyone else in your year is going to pubs etc, how can a 13 year old fit in. How many of you can honestly say if you had a 13 year old in your class you'd take them out. 5 years is a big gap and i can't see that kids in that environment are going to grow up socially normal. They're missing out on so much. Can you imagine how horrible it would be to go to uni when you couldn't enjoy the social side and were sourrounded by people you can't relate to.

I agree with Lord Huntroyde when he says he feels pity for this kid. What is the kid ging to do now, he'll be in some sort of limbo till he's old enoughto go to uni properly.

Also i really can't see the point of parents making 6 year olds do GCSE's when they come out with an E or something. Why bother when if they turn out to be realy brainy later they won't declare it on ucas form anyway. It seems to me like some parents seek personal gratification by parading their kids infront of their friends and trying to make them be better than all their friends kids. kids that age should be playing, not revising. I didn't really see the point either of making 7 year olds do sats.

Reply 9

bones

2

emom100

i feel so sorry for the progidy kids and while i envy their brains i would never want their lifestyle. When the parents of that 13 year old kid that did a-levels said he got on really well with his peers in 6th form, I can't believe it. When everyone else in your year is going to pubs etc, how can a 13 year old fit in. How many of you can honestly say if you had a 13 year old in your class you'd take them out. 5 years is a big gap and i can't see that kids in that environment are going to grow up socially normal. They're missing out on so much. Can you imagine how horrible it would be to go to uni when you couldn't enjoy the social side and were sourrounded by people you can't relate to.

I agree with Lord Huntroyde when he says he feels pity for this kid. What is the kid ging to do now, he'll be in some sort of limbo till he's old enoughto go to uni properly.

Also i really can't see the point of parents making 6 year olds do GCSE's when they come out with an E or something. Why bother when if they turn out to be realy brainy later they won't declare it on ucas form anyway. It seems to me like some parents seek personal gratification by parading their kids infront of their friends and trying to make them be better than all their friends kids. kids that age should be playing, not revising. I didn't really see the point either of making 7 year olds do sats.

I agree, while it may seem an incredible advantage to be a natural genius, I think they are actually not as content with their life as 'normal' people. They miss out on so much, and time to develop social skills is so underated. I can't imagine how lonely it must be, not only because of that, but because everyone would be jealous of your abilities. So, curse or blessing? A bit of both I think. It's weird how, whatever advantages people seem to have in life, there are always consequences in other areas. In the long run, we are not worse or better off than our peers. My personal opinion is that to have a happy life, you must find the right balance between these things in life. Study hard, but don't become a machine; play hard, but don't become a slug, etc.

I also like that person's comment on not comparing with others. It's human nature to compete, but we really shouldn't judge ourselves against others with different circumstances. This is a bit of an extreme example, but if I lost a race in an old Peugeot 304 against a Porsche, I'd be silly to get annoyed :smile:

(I'd also be silly to have accepted the race in the first place!)

Prodigy Kids!

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