Are A-Students Actually Intelligent?
How do you define intelligence?
Our formal education system is faulty.
I think.
I say so because, I think the use of grading system to evaluate and categorize students’ intelligence is arguably inaccurate.
I have seen and heard countless stories of students who performed poorly or averagely in school, graduated and turn out to be successful entrepreneurs or even highly skilled and sought-after professionals.
There are tales, countless as well, which show seemingly bright students who have graduated but are not as successful. They are just average. In fact, many end up as employees of the ‘dull’ students! Isn’t that ironic?
Hence, my opinion that our formal education system is faulty in its classification of students’ intelligence, and assumption of students’ probability to succeed after school.
What changed?
I like to believe that some students who weren’t considered A-students are intelligent. And, some students who were seen as A-students, in real sense, aren’t as intelligent as they seem.
What is intelligence?
I came across an acronym that summarizes who an intelligent person is. He or she is one who;
A — Adapts to change quickly
L — Learns fast
A — Abstract thinking
I agree.
It is one thing to possess the ability to absorb or memorize information from text books, blended with some examples and divulge same in tests and examinations.
It is another to navigate real life situations by being responsive to time and changes in time, identify trends and learn them quickly, while thinking abstractly by studying patterns and connecting dots to make meaningful deductions.
A student who displays the former is an A-student but the latter is intelligent. Intelligence is what makes the difference between both categories of students after graduation.
The real Intelligent students know that education begins after graduation. They understand that times change and so do skills. They identify trending skills and knowledge, learn them quickly and position themselves to be seen by employers. Or they identify pain-points for a target market and think of solutions they can provide in exchange for financial rewards.
This brings me back to the title of this article, ‘Are A-students actually intelligent?’
Don’t be quick to judge children by school grades. Even worse, don’t be quick to assume the probability of their success in future by just books.
