why do i have high iq but suck at school?

Question

i took and iq test and scored 127 which is considered superioir intellegence. but i barely finish high school gettig all d's in my last semester. i need all my classes in last semester to finish. i admit i didnt try my best but still, school was kinda hard.

Answer 1

I'll tell you why. Just because you have a high IQ doesn't mean that you will do well in school. Everybody learns a different way. Some people learn well with books. Some people learn well doing hands on activities (ex. If "carpentry"is being taught, they won't learn a thing by reading a book on it but will learn very well if they actually do a carpentry project). Some people learn more by listening. Unfortunately, creative people don't learn well through books and listening (this is my theory, but there was actually a book written on this very subject. I just can't remember the name. I will look it up and contact you at a later date). And more unfortunately, the schools mainly teach through books, so it's really hard for some people to learn. Do you understand? I don't want to sound confusing. But I wouldn't worry if I were you. Just do your best in school and get through it. Also, if you are really having problems you can do a search for alternative schools. There are many different schools out there with different methods of teaching. They would be private schools and would probably cost some money but you could talk to your parents and explain your situation. See what they have to say and what kind of help they can provide you with.

Penguinxcrossing also has a very valid point. Your brain is not being stimulated. You aren't being challenged. Therefor you are bored. But it just goes along with my theory I think. I also think that alot of people diagnosed with ADHD don't really have ADHD, they are just very intelligent people that are bored to tears because they aren't challenged. Unfortunately they can't recognize what their problem is so they end up acting out. Thus being misdiagnosed. It sucks. There are alot of misdiagnoses of ADHD out there and these poor kids end up being medicated and all their potential goes down the drain......but I guess that's another totally different subject. LOL!

Answer 2

Your punctuation and grammar demonstrate that you are a long way from being ready for the real adult working world.

IQ only shows your ability to process information. It does not account for how much or little useful information you have absorbed over the years.

Getting good grades has very little to do with IQ and everything to do with your ability to concentrate and retain the information they feed you. I suspect that you have trouble focusing on things that you have little interest in.

Don't worry about getting good grades, just do well enough to pass - BUT - continue to read and learn. I too had an above average IQ and I barely graduated high school, but I continued to read non-fiction in just about every subject. Since most people stop reading non fiction, it didn't take long to pass up all the college graduates. Six years out of high school, I was making more money than anyone I went to school with who had a college degree, but more interestingly, I surpassed them intellectually as well. Just keep learning, and never stop.

SUCCESS!

Answer 3

Well your IQ score indicates that you're intelligent, but that doesn't guarantee that you will do well in school. Doing well in school requires a lot of things including hard work, taking tests well, getting along socially with teachers and students, interest in the subjects you're studying, etc... Perhaps you weren't challenged enough in your classes, got bored, and did poorly. Or maybe you did well on tests because you knew the material, but never did the homework and therefore had low grades. Whatever the reason, it's good to know that at least you have the intelligence and the potential to do well in your life and perhaps get an even higher education. You just have to reexamine what's important to you and figure out how to get it.

Answer 4

unfortinately school isn't like how someone does on iq tests or other tests that may be given outside of courses in school. You may be very smart but your learning ways or where you intellegence sits may be different than the way you are taugt in school. Try to learn how you do best, some need t oreview regularly while others do better when cramming. Try finding a study buddy. If you are a poor test taker that can bring your grades down alot too. If thats the case work hard on written assignments. You can also speak to a teacher for extra help or suggestions on what you can do differently.

Answer 5

The problem is most likely with the school system, you might need something more chaining. Or perhaps just learn in a different way, in our school system there isn't`t really much time or room for teachers to spend the extra attention on students as individuals. They teach in a way that is designed to teach majority of the pupils. They like to say some kids don`t do well because they have ADD or just don`t care, but really they don`t know themselves what the problem is. Also they try to cram all of the information that your going to need to know into 12 short years. Once your out of high school you`ll see that the same rules don`t apply, plenty of millionaires never graduated high school. But they had the smarts to know how to get things done. They don`t teach common sense in school, you just have to have it. If you have this then you shall succeed at whatever you wish. Don`t worry about grades, people want to hire a person they get a good feeling from, many idiot's have degrees for various things but don`t have the ability to have an original thought nor hold a conversation out side of a classroom setting.

Answer 6

Because schools are designed after the factory model to make conformists out of everyone. If you don't think like a conformist, you may find a lot of trouble with the entire 'plan' they had for you. This is why many people homeschool. You may want to investigate problems with your attention and focus, but you may also subconsciously realize that the current model for society is going to fail, and you need to find things that you are interested in that don't conform to what 'everyone else' wants to do. Good grades generally relate to making more money. Perhaps you have more important things that you would like to do than compete with a bunch of economic bullies. The only thing that has ever been proven with IQ tests is that people who do well on IQ tests are good at taking IQ tests. They don't relate to your success in life, or to what you think is really important.

Answer 7

hi. i have the same problem. not to be consided or aragont but its important to the question im SUPPOSED to have an iq in the upper 140's to lower 150's but when it comes to school im have a 2.7 gpa. there are many theories on why gifted people do poorly at work or school but heres my theory. we dont do so well because we arent challenged and secretly we are perfectionists. if you are saying hey im not a perfectionists belive me i didnt think i was either before i was presented with this theory. we subconsiouly think they if i have the least bit doubt in the fact that i cant get it done perfect then i wont do it.

i also just find school analy retentive. its stupid and inorder to get good grades all you ahve to do is spit facts out that you memorized from a book. you learn way better in the real world


jsut to give you an idea of how stupid i really act but how learning is better in the real world at the age of 16 ive made homade explosives using a buck and a short trip to wal-mart while it may sound all smart like cause i can do this whats not smart is lighting it was a zippo and just standing there and then relizeing the fuse is almost out ;-)

Answer 8

Was going to school and enjoying hard, or just your classes? I too had this problem, only because I didn't like the institution, normal public school usually holds back the more intelligent thinkers, while the average kids breeze right through. I feel your pain, I could have went to Harvard or any college based on my testing back in Freshman year. Then I started really hating school. Now I have to start at community college and work my way back up the ranks. Good luck dude.

Answer 9

Intelligence is only a small part of doing well in school.

Study skills: ability to take in and remember what you hear and read, ability to take good notes and understand what is important for exams.
Determination: the desire to do well coupled with willingness to follow through and complete assignments on time or study for exams. Many are extremely apathetic toward the future.
Passion: Pride of a job well done, and love for learning. Desire to do things well and understand things for your own sake rather than doing just enough to get by

These qualities are far more important to success in general (not only success in school) than is intelligence.

Edit: in response to some above answers: The rats who jump from a sinking ship drown as well. Catch a lifeboat: get an education.

Answer 10

IQ tests don't test how much you apply yourself in school or how good you are at memorizing different topics. They are more of a test of general intelligence, reasoning, and logic. Plenty of smart people don't do well in school. Take Einstein, for instance. His grades were abysmal. Just find some aspect of school that you enjoy and focus on that and it is very likely that you will do well in that. :-)