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Am I not intelligent enough to make it through college?

Discussion in 'Coming Out Advice' started by Zontar, Feb 7, 2011.

  1. Zontar

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    I'm beginning to seriously question if I have the mental capacity to graduate with any decent degree.

    For most of my life, I was never good at solving anything that resembled a puzzle. If I encountered anything like it, I would sit dumbfounded for hours wondering how to solve it. This would include math problems, brain-teaser games, puzzles in video games, etc...I've had to resort to many walkthroughs just to beat some games because I'll wander for hours trying to figure out what to do. I've nearly failed math almost three times in college (got two B's and a C+ from pre-calc to calc 2) and now I'm in a course where we design computer diagrams...they very much resemble something that would need this creative ingenuity I don't have, and I'm struggling already. I had never taken an IQ test, but I would estimate the result to borderline mental retardation.

    Am I just too unintelligent to make it through college, or do what I want in life? Is this beyond what I was born with? I went to college solely for the income opportunity...if I can't have any reasonable expectation of landing such a job...should I quit? I really don't know what to think anymore...coming to grips with this is tough. All my life I wanted to do something great, but I just don't have the creativity or intelligence for it. Where do I go if I have to drop out?
     
    #1 Zontar, Feb 7, 2011
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2011
  2. Bryan90

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    Let's think of it structurally.

    1) Purpose: You said you were in college just for income opportunities. Can you think of something that you're good at? Will you be able to earn good income doing what you like? Different people are good at different things, some people might not be 'analytical', but they can surely do things like theatre or art which can also earn them some income. Are there any jobs out there that you like doing?

    2) Alternatives. Suppose that college is your only way to get a good income. Then you need to ask yourself, is the prospect of good income worth it? Some people can live happily doing what they like without earning a good income. And it'll be a question of tradeoff. What do you really like doing if income is not a concern?

    3) Optimisation. Suppose that you really want the income and college is the only way you have. What are the resources you can use to help you pass college? Tutoring? Sometimes, your professor might not explain things the way you understand it, and tutors might be able to help you. How many years do you have left? If you put in enough work, would you be able to get through with it?

    Final words:
    We cannot be good at everything, and sometimes, we are not good at things that we need to or want to be good at. And decisions will have to be made. That's life right?
     
  3. Zontar

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    I'm not particularly exceptional at anything, really.

    If income wasn't a concern, I'd be fine doing whatever. But I don't want to live an average life. I wouldn't be happy knowing I can't achieve anything exceptional. I went to college in the hope that I'd be able to achieve whatever with the right amount of work...neglecting to keep in mind natural inabilities, in retrospect...

    Tutors only have helped me so much at one point...what it comes down to is when there are a variety of ways to solve a problem and I just miss seeing all of them. I'll sit there putting something down, then erasing it, then putting something down, then erasing it...meanwhile, someone else will get it in five minutes. I feel like I have some inability, learning disability, or retardation.
     
  4. roborama

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    how you do with things like math is at least half attitude. but still theres plenty of options. not everyone is good at everything but everybody is good at something. first think about what you like and what your skill are (you have them i know you do) then go from there. dont force yourself into something that isnt working. but i doubt you just are "stupid" nobody is, its how they percive life that makes it that way
     
  5. zeratul

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    Here's a lesson I've learned in life. The college/university stuff, you just have to figure out a way to beat the system. Once you get the degree and get that job, nothing is really that difficult as they make it seem in school.
     
  6. Mogget

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    You got a C+ or better in Calc 2? You're smart enough to make it through college with a reasonable degree. Two very good friends of mine got their BS having scraped through Calc 2 with what they termed a "mercy C-" (i.e. should have been a D or F but the prof took pity on them).

    Whatever you may have been lead to believe you are not bad at math. You're actually quite good at it and have consistently performed above average in your upper-level math courses. So shuck this notion that it's a subject you're not good at.

    I'm a science major, I've taken some very upper-level math courses but y'know what? Can't do those sequential puzzle games to save my life. The sort of thinking required for them is totally beyond me. Sudoku confuses me like nothing else. Does this mean I'm stupid? No, it means I'm bad a specific sort of problem-solving.

    If you don't care what you're studying and just want to get through college, I recommend getting a business degree. If your school's anything like mine there'll be some low-level math (nothing you can't handle) and some extremely boring classes on economics, business law, organization and operations, and business math (nothing beyond pre-calc, maybe a stats course. At the absolute worst you'll have to take "Business Calculus" which is calc so dumbed down it's a joke).
     
  7. Ethan

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    I can barely pull off a B+ in my AP Calc class. If you can earn a C+ in Calc 2 while believing you have a "learning disability," imagine how well you could do when you know you don't?
     
  8. Aya McCabre

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    Solving puzzles is a different sort of thinking to doing math etc, so not being able to do them doesn't mean you can't do anything else either. I love sudoku and code cracker and all those types of things, and I do better than average at most of them, but I failed 7th form math, failed math at uni and failed all bar two of the computing papers I've taken. Being able (or unable) to do one doesn't mean you'll be able (or unable) to do the other, so I suspect there's not as much evidence for you being bad at math as you might think.
    If you can find something you really like then you should do OK at it.... most people I kow who failed courses did it because they didn't want to be there. I failed a lot of stuff through being sick (depression) and because I couldn't put up with the amount of sexism there was in those classes. I don't have an aptitude for programming but in the classes where I was made to feel welcome I did OK. I'm now studying something completely different and on track to graduate with honours..... so it is possible to come back from this. You just need to find something that makes you look forward to going to class every day and enjoy putting the time in outside of school.
     
  9. Cool Beans

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    Co-sign on the business degree. I'm in an undergraduate business program, and I've had to take one basic calculus course and two easy business statistics courses; all of my other classes don't require me to do anything math-related beyond what you can do on a spreadsheet or simple derivatives. I didn't do so hot in the calculus course (I got a B-) because I'm pretty terrible at math, but the other math-based things have been rather easy. I'm thinking about concentrating in management and/or accounting because there's not a lot of difficult math involved in either one.

    Or, like others said, you could do something that isn't mathematical.
     
  10. From someone who flunked out of a very selective private college, I'd just like to add that some universities don't work for some people. I'm at a new school now and I've been excelling where I was scraping by at my last school.

    I don't know if that's the case for you, Zontar, but maybe think about it if you decide that the college you're at isn't the right fit for you.

    Another thing that always has helped me is finding out if there's some kind of tutoring program or study centers on campus. Seriously, my brain doesn't seemingly work with any sort of mathematical anything, but with a little extra attention and some deep breathing exercises, I'm making it work.
     
  11. TheRoof

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    I second this. Seriously I go to chem and calc tutor every week to get help on hw and anything that i don't understand. They are so helpful, and imo I learn so much more in tutoring sessions with upperclassmen than in actual classroom setting.
     
  12. Flying Squirrel

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    Remember that at most colleges/universities the grading curve is made around a 75% or "C" average... If your professors used that curve and you got two B's and a C in those classes, then you did better than more than half of your classmates. So keep up the good work :slight_smile:

    As for staying in school... thats up to you! If you feel like you would like to work in a field that requires your degree, then you should stay in. As for the money aspect, my aunt never got a degree, has been working for McDonalds for the last 35 years, and is doing very well as far as money goes... you put the time and effort in and you can achieve a lot!
     
  13. Ianthe

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    I agree with everyone who said that B's and C's are acceptable grades in college, and do not indicate stupidity. A B certainly isn't "almost failing." I'd also like to point out that your post is written in grammatically coherent, complete sentences. Having volunteered in a university writing center, I can tell you, that puts you ahead of the game.

    However, it's possible to be very intelligent, and also have a learning disability. In fact, learning disabilities are more likely to be diagnosed in intelligent people, because one of the telltale signs of a learning disability is that there is a discrepancy between the person's intelligence and their performance; in intelligent people, this discrepancy is more pronounced, and therefore more easily discerned. I, for example, test around the 97th percentile for verbal skills, and in the 70s for math-type things--but in another area, called "processing speed," I have been assessed at as low as the 3rd percentile. The problem is, my deficiency in the processing speed area can sometimes interfere with my ability to make the best use of my intelligence in other areas. Because of this, when I was in college, I received some accommodations--in my case, extra time on exams was especially helpful.

    You seem to me to be describing a severe difficulty in a specific, limited area of intelligence, a very particular type of reasoning. If this is the case, it may very well qualify as a learning disability. If you are in the United States, your school almost certainly has to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). (I'm sorry, I don't know about the corresponding requirements of other countries, or the lack thereof.) The ADA and the IDEA require schools to provide accommodations and services to students with disabilities. Extra test time is common, and note taking. Sometimes, in cases like I think yours might be, they might provide an alternative option for a required course, if your disability interferes severely with only a few courses, but you are otherwise able to complete the program you are pursuing.

    If you really think you might have a learning disability, you should seek an assessment from a qualified professional. Again, if you are in the United States, your school should have an office or department of some kind offering services for students with disabilities. If you call or visit this office, they should be able to tell you where you can go for screening and assessment for learning disabilities. Very often, you can get an assessment through the office itself. At my school, assessments were performed by grad students in psychology. Even so, they cost about $100. (Need-based aid may be available.) You can also get an assessment from a professional not associated with the school. Some people prefer this, especially if they aren't sure they want to disclose the results to the school. If you have a learning disability, you are not required to tell anyone about it, unless you are seeking accommodations.

    The Learning Disabilities Association is a good resource to help you find what you need:

    http://www.ldanatl.org/index.cfm

    If you are diagnosed with a learning disability, you will probably go through something remarkably similar to the coming out process--a struggle with self-acceptance, followed by "disclosing" (what LD folks call coming out) to a few, limited people, mainly where it can't be avoided, and slowly becoming more comfortable with it over time, until, to your own astonishment, you find yourself discussing it openly, without fanfare, with a classroom full of people, and it doesn't bother you at all.
     
  14. titaniumCloset

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    1) Study groups. Having someone to study with means you'll study more often, longer and have someone to ask questions. Together you all can solve the problems.

    2) Help from the TA or Professor during office hours. This shows you care to them and they can help you tremendously one on one. Professors usually have officer hours and no one shows up. They'll be delighted to help you.

    3) Engineering/Math is hard as fuck in college. You need to put in a ton of hours to get it done well. I was in your position as a Freshmen studying Computer Science and I failed out. It was that hard. However, now I have change my major to Criminal Justice and I'm 100000x happier now with my future career and education. Something to think about - things happen for a reason.
     
  15. xequar

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    As a question, have you ever taken an aptitude test of any kind to find out where your natural strengths lie? A personality test?

    I took AP Calculus in high school and managed a C+ in it. That said, though, math is completely and utterly my weakness academically-speaking. However, I didn't realize just how true that was until after I had taken the ACT and saw my language and reading comprension skills in the 30s, my science at a 29, and my math at a 23. I've been considering going back to college with the idea of changing careers, and as I'm doing the legwork for it, I'm realizing again just how weak at math I am. Sure, I can add, subtract, multiply, divide, and do Algebra, and I might even still have some Geometry kicking around upstairs, but I'm slow at it and at some point my brain just kicks out and starts missing steps and jumbling numbers. Besides, I hate math. Math is all about details, and I'm not at all a detail person.

    Why do I mention this? You said you're taking a programming class, and you're obviously majoring in something math-intensive if you're taking Calc 2. So here's the question-are you better suited to something else? Do you have natural strengths in language or some of the soft sciences or writing or some other thing? Are you a detail person or a big picture person? Do you enjoy whatever field you're going into enough to suffer through the math, or do you enjoy doing math?

    Over the years, I've observed a big tendency for people to ignore their strengths and passions and instead go into a field where they think there's a big job pool or where they'll make a lot of money or do a thing because their parents push them in that direction. I assert that this is a bad thing. In my case, I know I'm weak at math. I don't enjoy math. So, why would I go into engineering or physics or some other incredibly math-intensive field and not only torture myself like that, but probably wind up somewhere in the mediocre middle of the pack? Why wouldn't I instead play to my strengths and go into communications or some field where my natural language strengths would be put to good use?

    Seriously, when you're playing Euchre, if you're holding a Jack, Ace, and Ten of Hearts, a Queen of Clubs, and a Nine of Spades, you don't call Spades as trump. You call Hearts as trump. Why? Because you want to win and your hand's strength is in Hearts. You could contribute and maybe get three tricks if Diamonds was the call and the cards all fell in your favour (Left Bower, off-Ace, hope your partner's good for one trick, and really hope your opponents aren't holding the Right and do have to follow suit), but if you called Spades, you'd damn near guarantee getting yourself Euchred. Choosing a field of study and career field is much the same way. Why would you get yourself Euchred in a math-heavy field when you can find real success in the field where your strengths lie?

    Here's my advice-take an aptitude test of some sort, or perhaps you've already taken the ACT or SAT, and figure out where your academic strengths and weaknesses lie. Also, take a Myers-Briggs type personality test and figure out what sort of personality type you are. It won't tell you anything new, per say, but it will tell you a bunch of stuff in one place that will connect a bunch of previously disparate pieces of information into one coherent and cohesive look at your personality type. Do these things and figure out if you're going into the right field, one that you'll enjoy and can find success doing.
     
  16. Darkwing65

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    A lot of people are not good at math. I failed college trig and got a b- in college algebra, and i stil got my degree. It's not a big deal. College is not all about math and science. What are you going into?
     
  17. Chandra

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    Not only is this true, it is in fact an essential criteria of a learning disability diagnosis that the person have average or above-average intelligence. A person with below-average intelligence would be diagnosed as having an overall cognitive disability, NOT a learning disability.

    OP, it's quite clear from your posts that you have strong language skills, express yourself well, and have perfectly normal reasoning abilities. You may have a learning disability or a lack of aptitude in certain areas, but you are certainly not unintelligent. As others have said, I think it's more a matter of finding out where your strengths lie instead of dismissing yourself as incapable of learning.
     
    #17 Chandra, Feb 8, 2011
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2011
  18. starfish

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    Hell I have an Engineering degree and took several upper level math classes as electives. I got a C in every one of them except Linear Algebra, in which I got a B. We won't even speak of the disaster that was Differential Equations. I liked the concepts we covered as you can do some cool stuff with, but my god I really sucked at it.

    Most people struggle with Math in college. It is some very abstract stuff and difficult. So don't let that get you down.

    It could also be that you are in the wrong field of study. That doesn't make you stupid, that just makes you a person. Find a field of study you enjoy and you'll be successful no matter what your grades are.
     
  19. Zontar

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    The core of the issue isn't that I don't enjoy the material. I've been working with computers for fifteen years. I've known since I was younger that I'd be working in this field.

    The problem is...I just don't think I'm intelligent enough to swing it...and I'm afraid I'd have to abandon the one thing I know best for something I'm completely unfamiliar with.
     
  20. Look, I'm no expert, but it seems to me that if you're not doing what you love, then you shouldn't be doing it. If you're studying to make a career out of something you aren't even interested in studying, then maybe you should switch, even though it's scary. Take a class you never thought you'd take and perhaps you'll find something you can be more passionate about.