One year, back in high school, the academic hierarchy of our class faced a major shift. Out of nowhere, one of the students started excelling in all subjects, leaving us baffled as to how he ‘became smarter’ overnight. Perhaps he was always smart and never took his work seriously until now? Maybe he started taking extra tuition, or he could have prayed really hard and received divine intervention? Whatever it was, were his results now a true reflection of his intelligence?
Many studies have been done to prove whether one is academically successful based solely on their IQ, or if personality traits have something to do with it as well. However, it’s a debate that cannot be resolved with just one answer, since everyone has their own unique way of grasping information and articulating their understanding.
We can see this difference in the way we make use of academic tools on a daily basis. Take tutorials for example: some students have an arsenal of answers at their disposal so their hands are already up before the question is even fully asked, but freeze when it comes to writing a test. Others choose to sit quietly and absorb information, waiting to spill it on paper the first chance they get. Some may even find it difficult to do either, but that doesn’t necessarily make them unintelligent.
Intelligence is a subjective matter. Being able to score a first in all assignments may not necessarily mean you are successful because of your IQ. Intelligence goes far beyond just being able to answer a question on something you were given the answer to a few months before. It’s about being able to apply and manipulate data into new and atypical scenarios so that they work out best for you.
You may not be great at fitting into an institution’s paradigm of being intelligent, but that does not mean you aren’t knowledgeable. A lot of the time, scholastic systems are flawed in the way they cater for students. They do not tailor their programs to accommodate or support students that find it difficult to fit in, especially due to special needs or disorders.
The most common type of intelligence people focus on is being academically smart, but there are different ways one can prove their intelligence. This means someone can be smart in one field and not in another, as intelligence is not something that can be taught, nor does it encompass a set idea.
Sure, that guy from my class went on to become an engineer, but it doesn’t always make him the smartest one in the room.
Written by: Nadia Ghumra
Originally published: varsitynewspaper.co.za/opinions/4703-s-academic-success-same-intelligence
