Do you think you’re not smart enough for college?
To know if you’re not smart enough for college is something you need to think about. Doing well at university isn’t about how smart you are, but how much dedication you put in. We’ve answered your question below.
Are Some People Just Not Smart Enough for College?
Colleges have entry requirements. The hardest programs would require the best grades. This is to make sure that whoever joins would be able to keep up with the studies. Universities make sure that you’ve taken certain subjects too. If you’ve met these requirements, you’re smart enough for the program.
What kind of high school do you go to? It may force you to take advanced classes. You’ll be able to handle what you’d be learning at university well.
Remember that there is a number of things you could get a degree in. Although you may find pursuing higher education in STEM hard, you could do very well in arts.
Am I Not Smart Enough?
Calling yourself unintelligent is not right. It’s likely that you don’t have the right teachers. There’s an easy fix for this – hire a tutor. Additional reading and going through tutorials would also help you understand anything complex.
No matter how smart someone is, they’ll always be able to find someone who is smarter. With a bit of hard work, you would be able to understand more complex topics.
Know that being smart does not equal being successful in life. It’s all about dedication. Intelligence comes in various forms. Although someone you know could be acing their exams, they may not be the most brightest when it comes to other aspects of their life.
How Can I Feel Smart in College?
Pat yourself on the back. You made it into the program because of how great your grades were. If you still don’t feel smart, this may be due to insecurities. Doing well in college would help with how you feel.
Time Management
No one said college would be easy. You’ll be met with assignments, tests and classes. Staying on top of things is all about time management. You’re advised to create a schedule. Try and avoid obstacles. A friend might need help moving in when a test is coming up.
Discipline
If you’re living on campus, it would be easy for you to slack off. After all, you’re living with several friends. Discipline is needed, as you’ll be forced to stick to the schedule you’ve made.
The more you stick to it, the more habitual it would become. Not doing homework for 2 hours every day would start to feel strange.
Read
College professors expect you to have read what they’re about to teach. You’ll find what’s being taught very hard otherwise.
Universities teach something that would take 180 hours for only 60 hours. Reading about the topic beforehand would save you from failing.
You cover everything by going for group studies. If you don’t understand concepts, your friends would be able to help.
Office Hours
Lecturers schedule hours outside of class to meet with students. Utilizing this would let you get extra help. Showing your lecturer that you’re so committed would help him see you in a better light. He or she would respect your dedication.
Tutor
Speaking of you getting extra help, universities have tutoring centers. If you’re finding it difficult to understand topics, don’t wait till too late to get a tutor. There would be too much for them to cover.
Do You Have to Be Smart To Go to University?
It’s a common misconception that college is for the academically gifted. The entry requirements you need varies between institutions. Some don’t require high scores at all.
Does your program require high scores? Achieving them isn’t about how smart you, but how much time you put in.
How Can I Get Smarter Overnight?
You can’t get smarter overnight. There are several things you can do to retain information and improve thought processing, though.
Hand Write
A study conducted at UCLA and Princeton found that people who wrote down notes during lectures retain the information for longer compared to people that type them.
Read Fiction
According to Toronto University and York University, reading fiction lets you empathize with and understand other people better. There’s no clear evidence why, but it may be because reading makes you more open minded.
Drink Coffee
Caffeine blocks the neurotransmitter Adenosine and increases the release of dopamine and norepinephrine. Studies conducted by the neuroscience studies fund by the National Institute of Health suggests that this helps you think more clearly.
Exercise
Studies in the New York Times cited that exercise increases the levels of a protein that promotes the growth of new neurons. Regular exercise would make you smarter, as a result.
Be Mindful
Practice mindfulness. You would improve your problem solving skills. How can you do this? Meditation and yoga are some of the bests. Steve Jobs is known to have practiced mindfulness to help him tackle problems.
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What Do You Do If You Are Not Good at College?
How well you do at college depends on how dedicated you are. There are many ways you can improve your knowledge:
- utilize office hours
- study groups
- tutors
If you’re still not doing well, take a semester break. Your student advisor would be able to help.
If you’ve gotten accepted to the program you’ve applied for, you’re smart enough for it. Colleges have set requirements for a reason. Even if you’ve gotten the best grades, you may not do well at university. This isn’t because it’s very hard, but because you’re not time managing. Anyone you speak to would say that the key to being good at college is hard work. There are many resources you can utilize.
Unfortunately, your teacher may not be the best at explaining. What do you do then? You could switch classes or get the additional help through a tutor.
