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[NT] Who else has a horrible time in school?

FDG

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Well, one thing I learnt is that a part of my grades is controlled by what, in insurance, is called "idiosyncratic risk". That means that no matter how prepared I am, there will always be situations in which I will perform poorly. Over time, I have tried to focus more and more on the part of "school risk" that can be easily managed, avoiding for example an attempt to "cover all the bases".

In the end, I am not very good at measuring the effort I put in things - generally I don't really feel like I am putting effort in anything since my year as a semi-pro cyclist, when I learnt what real fatigue was - but by this method I have been able not to sacrifice anything of my life to do decently (I absolutely hate the word "sacrifice").

Btw, I'm not in engineering, so the situation could perhaps be different.
 

JonJT

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This idiosyncratic risk you speak of is an interesting way of defining performance problems. Certainly there are things that I won't perform well at and maybe they are due to quirks in my personality or habits. I'd have to think about that more.

I wouldn't say I'm bad at measuring effort expended, but I surely am bad at judging how much effort an undertaking is going to require. When it comes to school, my response has been to throw everything I have at the problem, sacrifice all that i've got to get it done right so that I reduce the risk of Fing up. Naturally, this never occurs. I'm just not the type to sit down and study; erudition is not my strong point. And i always feel I have inadequately prepared myself because of this. Eh
 

yenom

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I do not piut much faith in school and let it decide my future. Generally thr cream of the crop in school are not always the most successful people in life and always habor a featr of failure, that is not something i want to live with,.
 

Cenomite

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Any other NTs or specifically INTPs have difficulty with testing and/or just doing well as a student in higher level education?

I'm having the same sort of problem. I know I have the ability to succeed, but I just can't bring myself to do the work required. I'm horrible with a test based grading system, and it doesn't reflect my abilities at all.

I get B's and A's in my major, but C's in all the other required classes. Maybe it's just that I can't bring myself to work hard on something I don't care about and will never use.
 
G

garbage

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I've already posted in this thread, but I'd like to share some specifics that are probably related to my type.

Time management has never been an issue for me.. that much should be obvious with a quick glance under my avatar ;) But when it came to memorization of formulas and quantities, forget it. I'd either have to write those problems off, derive the formulas myself, or develop my own methods entirely to tackle them.

With some homework and projects, and even entire classes, I saw them as a waste of time at present but also as a means to an end in the future.. a degree and a job. That's what drove me to actually do well on them.

As far as tests themselves, I've developed this ritual of writing the numbers of the problems on the first sheet, knocking the easy problems out first (that is, not necessarily going in sequential order), and crossing out the numbers of the problems as I do them so that all of my bases are covered. Not only does steamrolling over the easy problems get my confidence up for the rest of the test, it also means that I haven't paralyzed myself brooding over the more difficult problems first.

For reference, my training has been in two engineering degrees, and I'm working on a computer science degree right now.
 

Siegfried

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I've already posted in this thread, but I'd like to share some specifics that are probably related to my type.

Time management has never been an issue for me.. that much should be obvious with a quick glance under my avatar ;) But when it came to memorization of formulas and other quantities, forget it. I'd either have to write those problems off, derive the formulas myself, or develop my own methods entirely to tackle them.

With some homework and projects, and even entire classes, I saw them as a waste of time but also as a means to an end in the future.. a degree and a job. That's what drove me to actually do well on them.

As far as tests themselves, I've developed this ritual of writing the numbers of the problems on the first sheet, knocking the easy problems out first (that is, not necessarily going in sequential order), and crossing out the numbers of the problems as I do them so that all of my bases are covered. Not only does steamrolling over the easy problems get my confidence up for the rest of the test, it also means that I haven't paralyzed myself brooding over the more difficult problems first.

For reference, my training has been in two engineering degrees, and I'm working on a computer science degree right now.

What is it you do that you have a natural knack for time management? Was it always just there? I tried to do a really strict plan for myself based on prioristisation, but it didn't work to well initially. :D I think I should have made more general first one, then developed it.
 
G

garbage

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What is it you do that you have a natural knack for time management?

I don't know what it is. When it comes to diagrams, schedules, tables, and most other information, I have a way of just being able to organize it, categorize it, and effectively use it. That usually comes in developing my own notation or systems to do so on the fly.

For example, I recall learning about a certain kind of cluster diagram that could be used to organize thoughts when writing academic proposals. When I used it in a practice exercise, I just instantly thought of ways to augment it so that even more information and interrelationships between ideas could be represented. The instructor remarked that I must have used cluster diagrams before, which wasn't the case.

And don't even get me started on my calendar and tasks system, my file cabinet, the scripts I wrote to organize and classify my digital music...

So, I guess I just end up applying this same principle to schoolwork.

I'd love to share specific tips where I can, if possible. It's just that, when it comes to time management, it's something that I hardly have to think about to be effective at it, so the general principle is hard for me to think about. Contrast that to my interpersonal relationships, which I'm always having to put thought into. The psych geek in me would just state that it's because of my leading Te ;)

So.. I guess your first question would probably be like me asking you how you're just naturally in tune with others' feelings :)

(Incidentally, I wonder if there are any threads with anecdotes of how one's leading function has been applied in a meaningful way? I'd love to learn about them through the eyes of other forum members :))
 

miss fortune

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I did quite well in school... I loved school! :wubbie:

Of course I took open type classes where there was a lot of discussion instead of just lectures, which is a format in which I don't get bored and start doing the crossword.

The real world is what I suck at- I'd give almost anything to go back to school again!
 

Nighthawk

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Any other NTs or specifically INTPs have difficulty with testing and/or just doing well as a student in higher level education?

I had a somewhat difficult time during my undergrad years ... much as you relate. It was an ivy league level school as well, albeit a military academy. I had to struggle to maintain a B/C average, after having effortlessly pulled down a 4.0 in high school. I think my issue was that I was still too young (17) and had been inadequately prepared by the poor academic standards in southwest Texas. I suffered through the first two years and almost failed out my freshman year. Things seemed to click after that however, and I did much better my junior and senior years.

Employers and graduate schools will take into account that you attended an ivy league institution. I've found that a B/C average from one of those ranks up with an A/B average from a standard institution. Graduate schools will also look at your upper level course work and standardized test scores. I had little trouble getting accepted years later. Ironically, grad school was entirely different. I enjoyed it immensely and fared much better than I had during my undergrad years.

Best of luck and much success in your endeavors.
 
S

Sniffles

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I usually did better in classes based around tests and projects more. Homework has always been a killer for me.

I'm so glad I'm no longer in school. I've always been more of an autodidact, and that's usually how I learn best. As Mark Twain put it: never let your schooling interfere with your education.

In high school I'd always get pissed wondering about all the stuff I've could've been learning if I wasn't stuck in class. :(
 

Geoff

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I dont miss it, but I am glad I experienced it.
 

substitute

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The best times I had during my school years were the times when I was skipping class... skipping school, in fact.

Hated school, all the way through, for so many reasons. Mainly though, bullying and just being completely bored and not stretched enough by the work.

I'm not glad I experienced it. I don't think anything positive came out of it that couldn't have been done without it. In fact all the most useful stuff I learned when younger, and all the most constructive influences on me, happened outside of school.

It was a waste of time - worse than that, it was the single most destructive experience of my life. If I hadn't had to go, my life would indubitably have gone better. I won't go into any more detail, but suffice it to say there are professionals in both the psychiatric and educational fields who agree with me.
 

entropie

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I guess to be weird is the best weapon against everything.
 

Blackmail!

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I had an "horrible time" only during me high school years. The university system, on the hand, allowed me to thrive thanks to a much awaited freedom, and with each new incoming year, my grades went better and better.

I was quite good in high school nonetheless. I was excellent in early university years, and simply outstanding during my PhDs. Since then, I've never really left "school" since I continue to teach (part-time). :whistling:

Of course, the french educational system is very different, but I've spent several months in some american universities (Especially Columbia, and a few weeks in Yale and the MIT), whether in a student exchange program, in conferences or in symposium.
 

Samurai Drifter

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I got mediocre grades in high school due to apathy. I never did any homework. I would get 0's on all assignments and do well on tests, and that's how I passed. I wasn't better in any particular area than another, either. One quarter I might get a B in Math and a D in English, and the next I might get a D in Math and a B in English.

However, I enjoy college quite a bit more and consequently have a 4.0 GPA (majoring in Biology).
 

JonJT

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Well it seems that my experiences have been shared by people who have achieved success in some way. That's good to hear.

Thanks for the responses guys.
 
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