Is being smart a bad thing?

I know the title seems a bit odd but I need to give some further context.

I'm arguing that being considered smart has hindered me. For backstory, I've always done well in school, always been top set but with that I never felt the need to revise as I was always near the top of my class and coasted through secondary school. The only subject I studied for was GCSE Comp Sci, my GCSE results reflected the lack of motivation to study, 987776665.

I'm now in Year 12 , I started off at Harris Westminster (Top 5 State Selective Sixth Form in the UK) I left as I didn't like the subjects there although doing four a levels was actually very fun. My point is I always feel annoyed whenever I get a low grade (anything below an A) but I only ever do the bare minimum and Its been very hard for me to break this pattern, is there any was to fix it??. I wish I could study hard like my peers but I just never could, If i dont find the subject fun I tend to not study at all for it.

I do A-Level Computer Science , Economics , Maths and Philosophy , I clearly have the drive to do well but It's not backed up by my revision, how do I fix my complacency? I've moved Sixth Forms so im behind everyone slightly. I'll be honest I have an ego just like many academically smart people I know, I hate not getting high grades but I don't do much to aim for an A* because I get As most of the time by listening in class and doing the homework.

Does being academically gifted sometime reduce your work ethic? Please help.

Reply 1

anosmianAcrimony

It can reduce your work ethic, you can certainly get used to getting the same good results with less effort than other folks. That won't work as well at university and after, though.

The good thing about being smart is that you can more easily conceptualise about your habits and the way you're living, and ultimately live a more examined life. You can identify things in your life that aren't working well, and make changes as necessary.

Reply 2

Mr ADB

I was labelled a child genius but went on to have a pretty mediocre academic record. When I was younger I thought I simply wasn't as clever as people thought I was in the beginning.

Then in the world of work I had colleagues who had been to Cambridge and Oxford hailing me a genius based on work I'd managed to do with not a lot of effort.

It's done me no favours long term though. I'm paid well but I've been stagnant for most of my career. When it's come to more advanced concepts or being pushed out of my comfort zone I've struggled and have never been good at navigating workplace politics. That said it's probably only my natural ability that's got me to where I'm at.

On reflection it would seem that as a child I could effortlessly learn the basics but once things got more advanced and I needed to make more effort I struggled because I never learned how to make effort.

I'm not going to say that being smart is a bad thing but sometimes I wish I was stupid and unaware of my surroundings because at least I'd be happy in my own bubble.

Reply 3

RealFireWizard

Original post

by sstikx

I know the title seems a bit odd but I need to give some further context.
I'm arguing that being considered smart has hindered me. For backstory, I've always done well in school, always been top set but with that I never felt the need to revise as I was always near the top of my class and coasted through secondary school. The only subject I studied for was GCSE Comp Sci, my GCSE results reflected the lack of motivation to study, 987776665.
I'm now in Year 12 , I started off at Harris Westminster (Top 5 State Selective Sixth Form in the UK) I left as I didn't like the subjects there although doing four a levels was actually very fun. My point is I always feel annoyed whenever I get a low grade (anything below an A) but I only ever do the bare minimum and Its been very hard for me to break this pattern, is there any was to fix it??. I wish I could study hard like my peers but I just never could, If i dont find the subject fun I tend to not study at all for it.
I do A-Level Computer Science , Economics , Maths and Philosophy , I clearly have the drive to do well but It's not backed up by my revision, how do I fix my complacency? I've moved Sixth Forms so im behind everyone slightly. I'll be honest I have an ego just like many academically smart people I know, I hate not getting high grades but I don't do much to aim for an A* because I get As most of the time by listening in class and doing the homework.
Does being academically gifted sometime reduce your work ethic? Please help.

Y12 student here, something similar happened to me, but I realised how to fix it in April this year so went from 9999877661 + A predicted to 9999998888 + A achieved. It's not directly an issue with being smart; as you said, it's an issue with complacency. To fix that, you have to challenge yourself. Read ahead (use the textbook with all the content in the specification and read it on your own, I've finished the physics content, got A* in every maths and fm paper i've done), engage with content outside of the curriculum (i use math.stackexchange, nature.com, STEP preparation)and set goals (for example, I'm aiming for over 95% in maths and fm, 90% in physics and comp sci).