I think of myself as having average or even low IQ. Some background: I was partially raised in government housing as a child, had parents who were drug and alcohol abusers, and was never encouraged to do anything intellectually stimulating while growing up. I lived in a poor mixed raced city and attended a mostly nonwhite high school. Learning was never a concern of mine while in high school, not getting my face smashed in was (which happened).
I was not in an environment for intellectual growth, nor was I in an environment that would have indicators of high IQ.
Through pure luck, I had a high school teacher that somewhat set me on the right course. For half a day, two years long, I had this teacher for a CAD class. He told me attitude was everything and encouraged me to enroll in college. My first two years weren't great. I struggled in classes like algebra. I also didn't know how to study.
After two years of getting nowhere, I moved to a large US city as a result of certain life circumstances. I finished up my undergraduate degree and took a year off. I didn't feel very happy though. I wanted to get a graduate degree. My company was willing to pay for it, as long as I worked 40 hours a week and made good grades. It was a complete change for me, kind of a fresh start. I decided I would take the university serious. Because my undergrad wasn't computer science, I had to complete all of the undergrad computer science courses. So I had at least four years ahead of me to get my masters.
Only because I worked really hard and studied a lot, I would often be the top performer in my 3 calculus classes, discrete math, and so on (this wasn't always the case... but hey, I was working a full-time job too). I ended up with a masters in computer science, something I never thought was possible for me.
Something that inspired me was that I'd see the international students (mostly east Asian and Indian) study very hard. They would study all day long in the library. They seemed like the very definition of self-discipline. I adapted to that the best I could while still working 40 hours per week doing .net programming.
It seems like I fit the premise of this paper and can relate: Low to average IQ who often did better than my higher IQ classmates and friends.
I've had a similar experience to yours. I grew up with an alcoholic and domestically violent father in a poverty stricken neighborhood. I was encouraged to go to college by a girlfriend of all things. I graduated in the lower half of my class and scored only a 900 on my SAT but despite this I finished my BS with a 3.55 overall GPA and a 4.0 in computer science. I'm currently working on my Master's degree.
I also feel like my intelligence is average but what helped me succeed is how much I enjoyed all my computer science courses.
The good things is that one doesn't have to be gifted to do well in life. What matters are the values a person holds and how well they treat others, but unfortunately being a good person alone doesn't put food on the table. Work hard.
I think of myself as having average or even low IQ.
I'm curious. Did you actually know for sure that your IQ score was below average? ( or the score from similar type of test, like the SAT). It would be interesting counterpoint to the validity of IQ/SAT testing if you actually tested below average, and then ended up in a career that requires much greater than average cognitive skills.
I don't know for sure, I've never taken a real IQ test. I'm making this assumption based on few things. I had to study very hard to do well, but there were not many things that stumped me, but I have a feeling that it took me a lot longer to understand and get to the "ahhh ha!" moment compared to others. My spelling is horrible, as is my vocabulary. Speaking of vocabulary, I did horrible on the GRE verbal section, maybe 450, possibly lower. On the math, I made around 680~. I didn't study at all for the GRE, except for one practice test. Other than that practice test, I walked in and took it. I would usually be at the top of the class in math and sometimes be the one that kills the curve, but I would study for hours and hours two weeks in advance of the test. My friends would study very little, if at all, and do just fine. Usually listening to a professor didn't help, I might as well tune out. I wouldn't learn the subject matter until I read the book or online texts, while it would snap for others in class. I forget things very quickly if I don't continue to use them. For example, I couldn't do a partial derivative right now, but at one time, I was able to do them in my sleep practically. All of these things, plus my families background are indicators to me that I'm average or below in mental abilities.
What I do have is self-discipline, which is why I relate to this paper. Although I was surrounded by drug users, smokers, and alcoholics my entire life, I've never done those things. I wasn't around smart people or people to encourage me to grow intellectually, but around my 20's, I knew what I had to do. Since then (I'm 30 now), I study something nearly everyday, and have learned a lot of valuable skills. I work really hard at it because of the things described above.
A GRE of 1130 maps to an IQ in the 90th percentile ( http://www.iqcomparisonsite.com/GREIQ.aspx ). Hardly below average! Of course, in a good computer science program a lot of people will be at 99+ percentile, which can be a bit humbling.
Usually listening to a professor didn't help, I might as well tune out.
I think that's pretty normal, even among the very smartest.
I forget things very quickly if I don't continue to use them.
I think that happens to everyone. I sure can't do a derivative anymore.
I was not in an environment for intellectual growth, nor was I in an environment that would have indicators of high IQ.
Through pure luck, I had a high school teacher that somewhat set me on the right course. For half a day, two years long, I had this teacher for a CAD class. He told me attitude was everything and encouraged me to enroll in college. My first two years weren't great. I struggled in classes like algebra. I also didn't know how to study.
After two years of getting nowhere, I moved to a large US city as a result of certain life circumstances. I finished up my undergraduate degree and took a year off. I didn't feel very happy though. I wanted to get a graduate degree. My company was willing to pay for it, as long as I worked 40 hours a week and made good grades. It was a complete change for me, kind of a fresh start. I decided I would take the university serious. Because my undergrad wasn't computer science, I had to complete all of the undergrad computer science courses. So I had at least four years ahead of me to get my masters.
Only because I worked really hard and studied a lot, I would often be the top performer in my 3 calculus classes, discrete math, and so on (this wasn't always the case... but hey, I was working a full-time job too). I ended up with a masters in computer science, something I never thought was possible for me.
Something that inspired me was that I'd see the international students (mostly east Asian and Indian) study very hard. They would study all day long in the library. They seemed like the very definition of self-discipline. I adapted to that the best I could while still working 40 hours per week doing .net programming.
It seems like I fit the premise of this paper and can relate: Low to average IQ who often did better than my higher IQ classmates and friends.