https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 29 May 2026 19:37:20 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-242797 Wed, 01 Aug 2012 02:52:52 +0000 DigAPony 242797@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, I've always been a big ol' nerd. When I was young I was that annoying kid whose hand shot up in the air desperately wanting to answer every question. In 7th grade I was not voted "Most Academic" for the yearbook and was really upset about it, and I was voted it the next year. (!) Oh well. I've learned to become less socially awkward about it, and I'm totally okay with being a nerd!</p> <p>Also, while my parents of course wanted me to do my best, they never put any pressure on me. I'm a type-A perfectionist and put all the pressure on myself. Fortunately I'm more laid-back now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-242499 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 18:08:58 +0000 Mrsbells 242499@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes people thought I was smart. I think it helped me because I didnt want to dissappoint. I also didnt like to be ignorant on any topic so I would read a lot and go to the library a lot. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-242479 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 17:55:11 +0000 birdofafeather 242479@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>yeah, but it was because i was in GATE classes and other advanced placement stuff. i actually got in trouble a lot for talking during class because i would finish my work so quickly and then want to talk to my friends. it made my mom crazy that i had high scores and then low scores with behavior. i think she wanted them to give me more work to keep me busy! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-242447 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 17:12:46 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 242447@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yep. Everyone called me smart. I got straight A's and was in the gifted program. I definitely worried about failing at things and not seeming smart anymore. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-242432 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 17:03:23 +0000 MrsH 242432@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes. My parents expectations helped push me. I didn't really care what everyone else thought. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-242422 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 16:58:09 +0000 Sweet T 242422@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes. I was always at the top of my class through elementary and middle school. I went to a magnet school for high school where everyone was smart. It was a little bit of an ego bruiser for everyone when you realized you weren't the smartest anymore! ha! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-242375 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 16:02:44 +0000 Boogs 242375@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bookworm: Exactly! I just wanted to hang out with my classmates. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-242043 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:41:08 +0000 chopsuey 242043@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yep. All through high school i never had to study very hard to get straight A's.. Even in my A.P classes.<br /> Thougt I was the shit going into college and got my ass handed to me first quarter. Hahaha </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-242011 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:22:45 +0000 Bookish 242011@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Boogs: It didn't help me either to be pulled out of class to go to the 'smart kids' class once a week. It was so embarrassing to be pointed out like that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-242007 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:22:03 +0000 Bookish 242007@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yeah, and it ended up backfiring a bit. I started reading at 2 and was placed in Gifted &amp; Talented from elementary school onward, and eventually AP classes. Everyone thought I was a crazy genius kid, and I am smart, but eventually my 'rebellious' phase was getting bad grades in HS because the smart kids didn't think I belonged in their group, and I was working too hard on my grades to hang with the 'cool' kids. Stupid high school!!! It all turned out well in the end, and I'm glad I had such challenging classes to keep me from getting bored! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241996 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:18:55 +0000 Meridian 241996@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was above average and usually in the Gifted or advanced programs in middle and high school. I was decently smart, but LAZY. But I was only OK at math, and BAD at science... not typical for an Asian :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241993 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:17:52 +0000 mynoahbear 241993@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, but I always did really well in school. I think having my parents have higher expectations of me made me try a little harder but otherwise, I didn't care what people expected of me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241982 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:10:22 +0000 Mrs. Train 241982@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>During high school and college people always under estimated my intelligence. I don't know whether I just don't brag or I act like a ditz but people are shocked when they find out my grades or academic achievements </p> <p>In high school I was sent to tutor some of my friends in math. They laughed and asked the teacher why I was tutoring them. He said "well she has a A in AP calculus and you have an F in algebra, I think that makes her qualified."</p> <p>In college at graduation they had all the cum laude and magna cum laude stand. When I stood my friends all looked at my like I was crazy. Luckily one of my friends said " well I guess all those times I got c's and you got a's added up huh?" </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241977 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:08:55 +0000 Boogs 241977@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>They did, I was at a reading level above all my other classmates and had to go to a higher grade the days we did those lessons. It actually hindered me because it made me feel embarrassed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241976 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:08:52 +0000 mrbee 241976@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@serendipity: I'm not a perfectionist! Although when I'm building a website, it can pain me to launch something that isn't as good as it could be. But I usually do it anyway! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241975 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:08:46 +0000 Mrs. Sunglasses 241975@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>All my childhood everyone compared me to my sisters, and how smart(er) i was. I wasn't anything spectacular (i thought) but then realized... of course I am, I'm a lefty! :P </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241974 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:08:43 +0000 MrsTiz 241974@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was, especially compared to my sister ;) I was just very well spoken and knew a lot of things at a young age. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241973 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:08:28 +0000 Rubies 241973@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>People thought I was smart because I got good grades. But really, I'm not naturally smart...I just worked my ass off and had to REALLY try. Fear of disappointing my parents is what drove me to work hard. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241972 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:07:57 +0000 Mrs. Sunglasses 241972@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: wow. i'm surprised you survived as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241970 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:07:01 +0000 BSB 241970@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My parents thought I was the smarter kid because of the grades I got compared to the grades my siblings got. At school, I thought I was smart but not super smart. I wasn't in a gifted program so I knew. I, also, had an accent and thought before I spoke. I still have trouble with my R's. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241967 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:05:09 +0000 Grace 241967@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was considered smart, but I almost feel like I was labeled smart by default. My elementary school was in an underprivileged area and I think a lot of the other kids didn't have the home life that encouraged reading etc that I had. By grade 7, I was in a bigger school and there were a lot of very smart kids. So, I'd say I was smart, but definitely not med-student-getting-all-the-scholarships smart. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241964 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:04:19 +0000 serendipity 241964@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I grew up with a lot of two-physician families and I was not considered the "smart kid" of the bunch. I knew I was very capable but I never worked to my potential because there was so much pressure and competition around me. College gave me independence and I really excelled during those years.</p> <p>@mrbee: are you a perfectionist? That's one of my problems and it can slooooow me down. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241956 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:52:57 +0000 Minnie_Girl 241956@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>People did, though I'm not sure why. My grades hardly warranted it! I happened to be BFFs with the people who really were book smart and I liked nerdy things. That must have been enough. I guess I'm a relatively intelligent person, but it can take me a long time to absorb/master new info and situations. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241925 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:37:09 +0000 SleepyMonkey 241925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was one of the "smart kids" and in the gifted and talented program since I was little. Funny thing is that I didn't think I was smart until I went to college and I ended up doing really well at a very competitive school. I had the same dilemma as @Mrs. Jacks where I was so scared of screwing up and people realizing I wasn't smart that I wouldn't always apply myself to everything and wouldn't try things that were new and unfamiliar to me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241921 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:31:59 +0000 Maysprout 241921@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband had a lot of trouble because of his accent when he first moved back to the states in elementary school. He'd been ahead a grade but then held back once he moved to the US. He's super smart though, he did sound like he had attitude as a kid though which sometimes got in the way of being a 'smart' kid getting good grades. </p> <p>I was always a 'smart kid'. My parents are both in education so I came into elementary school already knowing lots of math and how to read. And I would just work through my mom's math books for fun and I loved to read so I was kinda a nerd and put more time into school then most kids. My parents thought skipping grades was a bad idea so they tried to make separate enrichment programs for me and this other kid, so the school kinda singled us out as the smart kids which made everyone else think of us like that too.</p> <p>I think high expectations helped. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241893 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:13:51 +0000 LuLu Mom 241893@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was always above average, but never considered one of the "smart" kids unless it was in Reading, English, ect. So I did well, I don't think I understood my true potential until I got to college and really started to apply myself. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241891 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:13:44 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 241891@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine was one of those over-praise situations. I was in a special school for gifted kids and skipped grades so I "knew I was smart"... but I always felt like an imposter just faking it and I always felt like I'd be found out.</p> <p>I think being identified as "smart" actually hindered my progress because I was so afraid of screwing up and having people find out that I actually wasn't smart. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241883 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:10:36 +0000 MamaMoose 241883@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, but I was smart. I would say the expectaction helped me because when I would get a bad grade on something because I was being lazy my parents and my teachers would all get on my case because they knew I could get perfect grades when I tried. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-people-think-you-were-smart-growing-up#post-241878 Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:08:19 +0000 mrbee 241878@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The short answer is, no. I had an accent (couldn't clearly say my Rs and Ls) and also, a bowl cut. Plus I wore my sister's hand-me-downs so I was dressed as a girl. Except I had an identical twin, and we were dressed in matching outfits. Plus I had the world's thickest coke bottles on my nose. It's amazing I survived childhood.</p> <p>But no, people didn't think I was smart because: 1) I looked and sounded ridiculous and 2) I was a slow and cautious thinker. Slowly but surely though, I caught up to average and then did my best to get ahead. I remember being surprised at how my peers didn't have to do their own supplementary textbooks in their spare time. In the story of the tortoise and the hare, I always identify with the tortoise!</p> <p>Did people think you were smart growing up? Did people's expectations help or hinder you? </p>