[NT] NT's Opinion on school

[ed111]

Did you excel at school?

No. Although I finished top of my year at age 16, in the grand scheme of things I was nowhere and I think I knew that at the time. Things went further downhill by 18. I started at a new school at 17 and didn't fit in. Everyone was better educated than me and instead of trying to catch up I drifted. By 19 I was left feeling like a complete failure. I was in and out of jobs for a few years. I decided to go back to university, taking on a course that I thought I might be able to pass. It was only at this point that I really started to do well.

Is theory easier for intuitive types?

I'm not sure. However, I will say that for me I prefer theory to practice.

Did you find yourself drifting into your own world, wanting to come up with your own theory's, not really caring about the ones being taught?

I generally hated school, although I had a core of great friends. I used to sit at the back of math classes playing chess or reading books by Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams.

In your opinion what temperament are schools most geared towards? SJ, SP, NT or NF ?

It definitely rewards those that do as they are told and do it by given deadlines.

Any other thoughts on school?

Time and time again I have been underestimated by teachers. I don't know whether it was reverse psychology on their part but I doubt it. I suppose they may have disliked me because I would refuse to participate, was very arrogant, and was clearly wasting what talent I had. I don't know whether this is a trait of INTJs or just me. I can understand their sense of anger and frustration and why they would prefer other students who were keen and did what they were told. My school career was exemplified by one particular report. For one subject I scored 1 for achievement (the best), and G for effort (the lowest). I used to gloat about this, but now I see it for what it is - a waste of potential. The head of year commented that "the results do not augur well for the future". In the short term she was wrong, in the medium term though she was spot on.

However I don't blame the teachers because they are working within a system. It's difficult for me to critisize the system as I can't think of a better alternative. School is simple: the object of the exercise is to achieve the highest grades you are capable of and to hopefully discover what it is that will interest you for the rest of your life.

I've learned that you cannot beat the system. Instead you should use it to your advantage. It's taken me a long time to recover from the effects school has had on me. I have had a lot of issues and it has been pointed out that it may have started at the age of 12 when told by the headmaster's wife that I was a spoilt bastard for refusing to sing in the choir. Since then I've had an unhealthy distrust of all authority figures especially teachers.

 

[Blank]

Sorry for being off-topic, but damn! That reminded me that I really want to read the Discworld stuff...or really anything by Pratchett. Is he any good?

 

[Rajah]

What type are schools geared towards? Depends on the school and program.

In my experience... high school? SJ. Grad programs in linguistics, media law and law school? For the most part, NT. Law school values an ENTJ like no other.


Being an NT,

Did you excel at school? Yeah, I did/do okay.

Is theory easier for intuitive types? Yes.

Did you find yourself drifting into your own world, wanting to come up with your own theory's, not really caring about the ones being taught? Yes and no. I love learning about others' theories and synthesizing them. I'm pretty confident neither I - nor anyone, for that matter - is going to come up with something out-of-left-field novel. Breakthroughs come from understanding and building on other people's work.

 

[FigerPuppet]

Did you excel at school?

In the subjects I care about, yes.

Is theory easier for intuitive types?

It is for me.

Did you find yourself drifting into your own world, wanting to come up with your own theory's, not really caring about the ones being taught?

Sometimes.

In your opinion what temperament are schools most geared towards? SJ, SP, NT or NF ?

(High school) Definitely SJs. Teachers' pets; the SJs write a huge amount of notes. They are not creative at all, and need to read how to connect A to B. They depend on the memorization of material, where we depend on our understanding of it. I believe this enables us to come up with solutions to a problem without having memorized a method.

Any other thoughts on school?

No.

 

[Oom]

Being an NT,

Did you excel at school?

Not at all, but I "can". I've seen school as a pain and it isn't the best way to look at it I guess.

Is theory easier for intuitive types?

I would think so, making connections would make things easier in a learning environment wouldn't it? I think sensors would be the kids in class that just dink around.

Did you find yourself drifting into your own world, wanting to come up with your own theory's, not really caring about the ones being taught?

Most of the time I do this. But I also like other's theories just as much as my own. It just takes a lot of thought on part of the "theorizer" to interest me.

In your opinion what temperament are schools most geared towards? SJ, SP, NT or NF ?

SJ maybe.

Any other thoughts on school?

Highschool was the strangest experience of my life.

 

[ed111]

Sorry for being off-topic, but damn! That reminded me that I really want to read the Discworld stuff...or really anything by Pratchett. Is he any good?

I particularly enjoyed the first two: The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic. They're all mildly amusing though.

 

[cheerful-pessimist]

1. Yeah.
2. I guess so. I've never had a problem with it.
3. Sometimes, depending on the subject. I like learning about other people's theories, though, because it opens doors that I hadn't thought about.
4. Probably SJ.
5. My normal high school probably wouldn't have been worth my time if I had stayed there. Anywhere that contains people of different levels of work ethic is bound to be boring for anyone who might care about learning. I remedied that by actively seeking challenges and attending an accelerated, college-level high school. That's the only thing that made high school worth my time and attention.

 

[nucleaReligion]

Did you excel at school?

If I was bored with the class, I didn't do well. If I enjoyed the class, then yes, BUT, there were times when I'd underachieve...and my professors know it.

Is theory easier for intuitive types?

I think so, maybe because we like to play with things.

Did you find yourself drifting into your own world, wanting to come up with your own theory's, not really caring about the ones being taught?

If by proving them wrong, maybe

In your opinion what temperament are schools most geared towards? SJ, SP, NT or NF ?

Not sure, but I would say not NT....we get bored to easily, we want more action. We enjoy learning, but on a different level than taught.

Any other thoughts on school?

Being in college for five years, I think it's okay...but right now, I have about three ideas I'm floating around for a business and am about ready to say, you know what, why not pull a Bill Gates and see what happens

 

[onlyonemorgan]

Did you excel at school?

I did well in elementary school. I was fortunate enough to go to a private school for a few years where they taught in a very different way and when I went to public school in 4th grade I was put in the gifted program. I don't know how much it's different, but I guess it was able to keep my attention and challenge me enough. Once I got to high school however I lost all interest in school. It wasn't intellectually stimulating, the focus was on busy work and it just started way too early in the AM. College has pretty much sucked too as most of the gen ed classes make me feel like I'm back in high school again. I do well in all my art classes though...I guess the point is that if something is interesting I'll be at the top of the class, if not I just don't show up.

Is theory easier for intuitive types?

I think so. It's too bad the educational system, at least where I've been, has rarely focused on theory.

Did you find yourself drifting into your own world, wanting to come up with your own theory's, not really caring about the ones being taught?

I certainly drift into my own world, especially if I already understand what is being taught (which is usually the case after 10 mins of lecture on a topic) If I'm not being told why something is important I will not care about it either.

In your opinion what temperament are schools most geared towards? SJ, SP, NT or NF ?

SJ...they can follow the rules and do meaningless work

Any other thoughts on school?

Most of it is a waste of time and is just a glorified babysitting service.

 

[The Decline]

Did you excel at school?

Kinda. Once "they" thought that I was intelligent, they placed me into higher courses. Unfortunately, the higher-level material and ways of teaching involved more course work, which I could never stay on top of consistently. The problem is that they expect you to jump through the hoops constantly, and memorize a lot of nonsense. College has been a lot better than high school, however. They actually call for critical thinking and encourage rhetorical writing skills.

Is theory easier for intuitive types?

I don't know. I'm good with theory.

Did you find yourself drifting into your own world, wanting to come up with your own theory's, not really caring about the ones being taught?

Sometimes, but I didn't always disregard the ones being taught. I believe I had an earnest thirst for knowledge.

In your opinion what temperament are schools most geared towards? SJ, SP, NT or NF ?

Whatever types find motivation and satisfaction in "succeeding". Also, being able to cram as much as you can into your short term memory is a big plus.

Any other thoughts on school?

In the US K-12, it's a terrible agent of socialization that is in dire need of reform.

 

[Cady]

Did you excel at school?
Yea, but I never really work very hard, it seems like most of the time I just put in the bare minimum amount of effort to get the grade I want...although occasionally I'll get really into a project and will spend a disproportionate amount of time on it.

Is theory easier for intuitive types?

It depends how rigid it is. If it's open for exploration through discussion and not set in stone I love it. If it's one of those concrete theories they give you that's "not up for discussion" I can't stand it.

Did you find yourself drifting into your own world, wanting to come up with your own theory's, not really caring about the ones being taught?

I can usually asses the merit of what's being taught to me pretty quickly. There's a lot of stuff that's boring, but I know it's useful or applicable enough to my thinking skills that it's worth paying attention too. I have no tolerance for things being taught too slowly. I spent all of elementary school glancing at what was being taught, realizing I already know what they're saying and going back to whatever book I was reading under my desk. It would get me in a lot of trouble.

In your opinion what temperament are schools most geared towards? SJ, SP, NT or NF ?

It really depends on the subject, NT's seem to be good all-around thinkers in that we can easily hold our own in most art and sciences fields. I really think ST's have the potential to surpass us in more technical fields. They're better at following regulation than us.

Any other thoughts on school?


I think the way we're taught today is extremely outdated. I know there've been measures made to move away from it, but memorizing large amounts of factual information on a preset curriculum seems like an inefficient and inflexible way to learn. I did very well in school if the only measure is good grades but I had a reputation for being one of the most difficult students to have in class. Most teachers dislike being challenged, especially in front of their class, and unfortunately that's really how ENTPs like to learn!

I would make teachers cry, get sent to go sit in the office, get to talk to the councillor about how I wasn't going to make it through high school. It's pretty hilarious being a delinquent and one of the top students in your year. Authority doesn't know how to handle it!

I was also really lucky to have a few debate loving teachers who actually admired and encouraged debate and discussion. One in English, one in Poli-Sci and one in Biology...any wonder those are three of my favorite subjects now?

 

[Cady]

Abt high school:
*I excelled in courses that I attended. I always got As on all my exams and papers, but I had such poor attendance that I almost failed out.
*Theory was simple, but they never taught theory - just rote memorization.
*Always drifted into own world, skipped classes like it was my religion and passed notes relentlessly.
*School is geared towards SJs, imo.
*I hated high school. I hate the way everything is taught. I hate learning something the first day and then listening to the teacher repeat the same damn thing for the next 2 weeks.

I had really bad attendance too. Something like 30 days missed one semester? Procrastination was a big issue with me too.

 

[AOA]

Man, I hated school - especially the school my parents made me go to.

 

[The Decline]

I had really bad attendance too. Something like 30 days missed one semester? Procrastination was a big issue with me too.

Me too

 

[Lucifer]

Did you excel at school?

I did when I tried.

Is theory easier for intuitive types?

It would make sense, and I had an easy time of it.

Did you find yourself drifting into your own world, wanting to come up with your own theory's, not really caring about the ones being taught?

I wanted to learn quantum mechanics and super string theory and all they taught was the simple atomic elements; electron, proton and neutron bullshit, it bored the hell out of me.

In your opinion what temperament are schools most geared towards? SJ, SP, NT or NF ?

I don't think modern school is a justifiable way of teaching any type.

Any other thoughts on school?

Is there any way I can get my time back ?

 

[Redbud]

Being an NT, Did you excel at school?
Yes and no. I was in the gifted program when I lived in the West (US) and the school won all kinds of awards for that program and for being structured in more of a Montessori style. I loved it and stayed well ahead of grade level. Then I moved to the South in the 70's and the material being taught was several grades behind what I had already done. The teachers didn't know what to do with me and several openly resented me for asking questions they didn't know how to answer. The culture clash didn't help either. I talked fast and used big words...the native teachers didn't. Regrettably the gifted teacher was one I was having problems with so I ended up dropping out. I also lost interest in the rest of my classes-which were structured around memorization. There was one teacher who seemed to 'get' me-I think she was probably an NF from up North-and she took an interest and kept me interested in English until I was out of that school. We didn't have middle school-high school was a little better but mostly I just coasted by passing the tests and not doing the homework. I read novels through all of my classes and got a lot of speeches about not reaching my potential. I was absent whenever I got the chance.

Is theory easier for intuitive types?
Probably-but I tend to need concrete examples and hands on experience too.

Did you find yourself drifting into your own world, wanting to come up with your own theory's, not really caring about the ones being taught?
I remember in middle school that I was horrified to discover that scientists didn't actually 'know' all these things that the teachers were presenting as facts and laws. I realized that I was having to memorize somebody's guesswork and that we weren't being presented with opposing viewpoints or other options. Then I didn't drift. I jumped with both feet into books. I read about other theories and stories.

In your opinion what temperament are schools most geared towards? SJ, SP, NT or NF ?
I could agree with an argument for SJ. Funny thing is that I think standardized tests are very intuitive but classes are based on memorization and homework. I would say that it isn't really geared towards any of the types. It certainly leaves kinesthetic learners in the dust. This is an interesting topic for me-my oldest son is an ENTP who seems to be very kinesthetic as well. I am struggling with what to do in order to make his school experience more productive than mine. I can't tell what my youngest is yet-too young-but given all the destruction/experimentation and the constant stream of 'why' questions, I wouldn't be surprised if he was an NT as well.

Any other thoughts on school?
I liked college a lot better than high school. I had to go back and actually pick up some study skills, and I still resented 'core' classes that got in the way of what I actually wanted to learn. So many interesting ideas though...I plan on taking some kind of college level courses for the rest of my life.

 

[Ruthie]

Hmm...

Being an NT,

Did you excel at school? Dropped out of high school.

Is theory easier for intuitive types? Isn't that kind of a defining trait of intuitive types?

Did you find yourself drifting into your own world, wanting to come up with your own theory's, not really caring about the ones being taught? Definitely.

In your opinion what temperament are schools most geared towards? SJ, SP, NT or NF ? Equal number of pitfalls for each type. It just depends on the context.

 

[Ruthie]

I had really bad attendance too. Something like 30 days missed one semester? Procrastination was a big issue with me too.

52 days my sophomore year. And I don't think I turned in a single assignment. Ahh... good times.

 

[onlyonemorgan]

I wanted to learn quantum mechanics and super string theory and all they taught was the simple atomic elements; electron, proton and neutron bullshit, it bored the hell out of me.

Oh my goodness yes! My Chemistry teacher actually loved having me in class. It was almost like we had our own separate little lecture. Spent so much time after class just elaborating on theories with him. Quite funny really.

I always hated those monkey work lab exorcises though.

 

[onlyonemorgan]

I had really bad attendance too. Something like 30 days missed one semester? Procrastination was a big issue with me too.

haha, I almost didn't graduate high school because I missed so much class. I think the only reason I got a diploma was because they wanted to get rid of me.