Does IQ really mean anything?

Question

I've always been curious about IQ's and never really talk about it because I don't want to feel like I'm bragging and people probably wouldn't believe me because for some reason I feel that I come across as a dumb blond.

Anyway, I have been told I had an IQ of 137 by my high school principal. He took me into his office and knocked me HARD on the top of the head and showed me my IQ. The knock was because I was failing ALL of my classes. I always failed at school beginning around 2nd grade. I just had no motivation. So I guess my question is does IQ really mean anything at all and if so doesn't my IQ mean that I should have been excelling?

Answer 1

First of all, the principal is NOT supposed to hit you.

Secondly, a student is generally not told their IQ, because it is a tool for educators, not a definition of YOU as YOU... it only measures how fast you think, recognize patterns, and use logic.

Thirdly, if you are failing all you classes due to poor motivation, why does the principal think whapping you on the head will cause you to want to learn?

I would strongly suggest looking at these sites:

http://www.brainy-child.com/expert/gifted-underachiever.shtml

http://www.personal.kent.edu/~depeters/data/gifted/gifted2.htm

http://www.carolyncoil.com/ezine13.htm

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/underachiever.htm

Answer 2

An IQ of 80 is considered normal, but most people have an IQ of over 100. I have a pretty decent IQ and I failed all of high school. I was going to be held back so much that I wouldn't have graduated High School until I was 20 or so. Mainly for me it was the same as you, no motivation. The teachers treated everyone like they were 5. Then my mother died a few weeks before I started my "junior" year, so I fell into a deep depression, which caused me to not even be interested in school anymore. I couldn't concentrate, so eventually I had to drop out. Now I go to college full time and I have my G.E.D. I'm making mostly A's and B's. Of course, I go to a community college, which is so much easier than high school ever was. The university will be difficult, but at least with college, since YOU'RE paying for it, it kind of gives you the motivation to pass.

Answer 3

Intelligence is (in my opinion) your ability to communicate. Those who use big words and talk over other peoples heads are NOT getting their points across are they? But by speaking in a general language that everyone can understand there is less confusion and you can still get your point across without all of the "huhs?" and questions that would normally be peppered thoughout your communication.

Lets look at it this way: The average IQ is 100. Take -37 points from 100 and you 63 which is called Retardation. Now, add +37 points to 100 and you have 137, and this is indeed a nice score, depending on which test you took (Standford-Binet, Weschler, etc.) it could be considered genius.

With your IQ it doesn't mean you "should have been excelling" what it means is that YOU HAD EVER CHANCE TO EXCEL IF YOU WANTED TO. In other words, only study (which is LEARNED) and and discipline kept you from achieving higher scores. But don't feel bad, your IQ is still the same and you can still improve from today forward, YOU STILL HAVE IT IN YOU.

Answer 4

IQ is a good way to gauge potential, but it's overrated as well. People are intelligent in different ways, some are intelligent in the classroom, some are intelligent as far as putting things together, or electronics, building. IQ tests measure only one type of intelligence, they don't take into account the whole person, or other areas of life. Also cultural differences may effect a person's score on an IQ test.

I think your principal knocked you on the head because your IQ of 137 means that you have potential in the classroom, and are not applying yourself and getting the most out of it. Just bear down, give it a little more effort. There is proof that you have potential.

Answer 5

Grades are not based on what you know, but what you show. As an example, I am sure you know the answer to "2 + 3 = " However if you were to leave that question blank on a test or write in 6 because you did not read the question carefully (I know, it's a stretch here, but is is just an illustrative example) and though the + was a X then you would get the question wrong.

IQ measures your intellectual abilities to solve complex problems. It is not uncommon for highly intellectual people to get bored in school because it does not challenge them. This normally leads to poor grades. Hopefully your principle will move you into more challenging classes and this will help to motivate you.

Answer 6

IQ means "Intelligence Quotient", or more simply put, your aptitude to learn.

Being smart and having a high IQ can be mutually exclusive, they don't have to co-exist. Further, when it comes to grades (or just about anything, for that matter), effort is rewarded just as much as intelligence or knowledge are. Conversely, if you're not trying hard enough, it makes zero difference whether or not you're brilliant or a lobotomized couch potato.

I'm sure what your principal was trying to get across is that he/she believes you have much more potential than you are currently tapping into; and believes you are capable of excelling despite your past failures.

Answer 7

It means you're good at taking standardized tests. As my college psychology professor once pointed out, it's hard to generalize it any further than that. Today people seem to think IQ stands for more than it was ever meant to.

Having a high IQ doesn't mean you write good essays or know how to deal with people or any of about the five billion other skills it takes to do well in school and life.

Answer 8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IQ

*It just draws a likelyhood of your life, imo, not necessarily a controller of your destiny. Your own motivation and desires will effect your life far more than your intelligence. But there are factual grounds to believe that you have better means to a better life.

Please review the above link (scroll to 'practical validity') and look at the below data.

I suppose the most complicate thing you'll have to confront is what you want out of life, and to have the desire/motivation to get it. With your intelligience it might be easier to get there if you have the other part of the equation.


IQ Level/Lives in poverty/Had an illegitimate baby (mothers)/US population distribution


IQ

<75 -----------30------32-------5

75–90----------16 -----17------ 20

90–110----------6------8------50

110–125-------- 3------4-------20

>125------------2------2-------5

Values are the percentage of each IQ sub-population, among non-Hispanic whites only, fitting each descriptor. Compiled by Gottfredson (1997) from a US study by Herrnstein & Murray (1994) pp. 171, 158, 163, 174, 230, 180, 132, 194, 247–248, 194, 146 respectively.

Answer 9

not if you know anything about Dr. Gardener's Theory on Multiple Intelligences. Garder stated that not all people are good at the same things....we all excell in different areas. there is no one test that can show all of our intelligence at once. IQ tests do nothing for people who are physically intelligen (play sports), musically Intelligent(play an instrument or conduct a band), or of artistic genius( paints etc.) for example.

And the reason why you are failing school is mabye because teachers fail to and or don't know how to push you in the correct direction and you are bored so you fail.

Answer 10

IQ does not mean that you should be excelling in school. Doing well in school has little to do with intelligence; it usually depends on how much effort you put into it and whether or not you find the material interesting. Those are going to be bigger factors in how well you do in school vs. IQ. People with high IQ usually do not need to put in as much effort but you still have to make the effort to do well in school.

Answer 11

A high IQ means you scored high on an IQ test. AND in your case it means you have a lot of potential that you're not using.

IQ scores correlate with a number of things but success isn't one of them. You have to put your intelligence to work no matter what your IQ is or else its really just a number.