I’m Not Smart, I’m Just Good at School
Getting bad grades doesn’t mean you are dumb. Plus: real tips on how to do well in school.
Getting a bad grade sucks. You feel incompetent. Dumb. Stupid.
I’ve had my share of bad grades. My worst grade ever was Grade 5 P.E., which probably inspired a lifelong hatred for sports. So, I do know how it feels to receive a bad grade.
But I did do pretty well in school in general. I was an honour student in high school, and with the exception of a few bad classes, I did well in university and graduated with Class 1 standing.
I don’t say these things to boast about how smart I am. In fact, the opposite: I did well in school because I was good at school, not because I’m particularly smart. It makes me sad when people stake their entire self-worth or intelligence on a number or a letter.
So, this piece is two-fold. The first section will attempt to answer the question, “What makes someone good at school?” And for all the students out there reading this, I’ll share some strategies that made me good at school afterwards.
What Makes Someone Good at School
Now, there is evidence that suggests intelligence causes good grades. In a 2017 meta-analysis, intelligence was discovered to be the best predictor for doing well in school.
This makes sense. All things being equal, a very smart kid will do better on a test than an average kid if they studied for the same amount of time. I’ve known my fair share of classmates who could walk into an exam without studying at all and score higher than me, someone who has to study for hours (damn those bastards!).
But saying intelligence predicts good grades is not the same thing as saying people with good grades are definitely smarter, or that having bad grades automatically means you’re slow. You can be a genius and never hand in a single homework assignment, or you can be average and do extra credit.
Intelligence helps, but it isn’t everything.
Emotional intelligence matters
A 2019 study from the American Psychological Association found that emotional intelligence was another strong predictor of high school grades and that this correlation didn’t waver with age.
The lead author explains that emotional intelligence — the ability to self-regulate emotions, overcome disappointment, manage anxiety, and interpret the emotions of others — helps in several ways. Being able to bounce back from the disappointment of a bad grade is important to overall success. And if you need support, having a healthy relationship with peers and mentorsmeans they’re more likely to help you.
The good news is that emotional intelligence can be developed. Not everyone grows up in a stable environment, but educators can help nurture students’ emotional skills at school.
Personality matters too
A 2014 study at Griffiths University (the biggest study of its kind at the time) found that personality is “at least as important” as intelligence in predicting how well a student does in school. A 2013 Swedish study also found that the school system favours conscientiousness and worry.
I can personally attest to this. I have always been a very conscientious person, sometimes to the detriment of my mental health (a big part of my OCD is hyper-responsibility). I studied hard not to prove a point or get into a prestigious university, but because I believed it was the moral thing to do.
I would feel guilty and immoral for not studying, which I now understand as problematic. There are things — such as relationships and mental health — that are more important than school. Blindly absorbing and regurgitating everything you learn at school just to earn the highest grade possible is also problematic because it hinders critical thinking.
The importance of support
Finally, a big reason why I did well in school was that I had a lot of support from people who value school.
My family is Chinese-Canadian and education is something Chinese and other cultures influenced by Confucianism have a long tradition of valuing. My grandmother tutored me in Chinese, my dad tutored me in math, and my mom sat me through English, French, and piano among other things (my mom is a rockstar, I know).
I am a big believer in the adage that no one makes it alone. School can be hard. Without the support of people who cared about how I fared in school, I would not have been as successful.
But support =/= overbearing pressure (Grades aren’t everything!)
I do want to stress that, while my elders held me up to high expectations, I was never forced to study to the point of abuse. Sometimes, the highly-competitive, academic-first cultures of some East Asian communities can be downright detrimental.
There are plenty of horror stories about overworked Asian youth suffering serious mental health consequences due to the academic pressure imposed on them by their families. In countries like South Korea, “cram schools” and the belief that children are “commdit[ies] to be used in the service of the family or the national economy” have been criticized as tantamount to child abuse.
The over-worked, over-achieving student of Asian descent is a tried and true trope, but rather than laugh it off as a quirky stereotype, we should be critical about it because it does come from somewhere. Just visit a discussion board like r/AsianParentStories and you’ll find plenty of examples.
It’s okay to challenge your kid periodically, but if a parent is so demanding to the point of abuse, they shouldn’t be surprised if the child decides to cut contact with them later in life. I sincerely hope that the next generation of Asian parents will not repeat the mistakes in r/AsianParentStories. Grades. Aren’t. Everything!
How to get good at school: a few tips!
Now for the students in the audience, this section is for you!
Because innate personality traits aside, a lot of what makes you good at school can be cultivated. I believe that school is a skill, and much like learning how to do a lay-up or how to solve a proof, it’s a skill that can be developed. So, whether you want to get into a good university or get your parents off your back about bad grades, here are some tips:
Tip #1: Surround yourself with positive influence
A big reason why I did well in high school was because my close friends also did well at school. Peer pressure, for me, was getting good grades. And school was something my family valued a lot.
Now, I’m not saying you should make friends with someone just because they get good grades, but there is value in finding people who will support you. This may be a teacher who is a mentor, an after-school club, or a study group. You can even go online and find internet communities of like-minded people who value learning.
And while having someone push you, that you can be accountable to, is useful, make sure you feel encouraged and supported at the end of the day.
Tip #2: Learn exam-writing strategies
My parents still laugh at me for holding up my test paper to check my answers on my first ever music theory exam (granted, I was, like, seven years old). Having gone to school in Hong Kong, they’re very experienced with test-taking and have taught me several tricks. Over the years, I’ve gradually honed my test-taking toolkit with a few strategies.
For example, you should do all the easy questions first so you can take your time dealing with the harder questions. You should also block out time for essay questions, use the process of elimination to figure out multiple-choice questions, and allow time to double-check your answers. Always bring a watch (not your phone!), go to the bathroom right before the test, and bring a water bottle if that’s allowed (but don’t drink too much or you’ll have to pee!).
I’m sure there are more sorts of tricks and tips to conquering exams that are available if you Google them.
Tip #3: Show up and put your hand up
I honestly think another reason why I did well in school was that I showed up, handed in my assignments on time, and talked enough to claim all my participation points. I wasn’t always correct in my answers and I didn’t always have something smart to say, I was just willing to say something.
Speaking in front of an entire classroom can be nerve-wracking, but it gets easier the more you do it. Besides, public speaking is a handy skill to have and there’s no time like the present to start developing it. If you don’t know what to say, here are some ideas:
- Ask a question that furthers your understanding of the topic. “But why…?” “And how…?”
- Ask for clarification. “Do you mind explaining … one more time?” “Can you give an example of …?”
- Ask for the teacher’s opinion. “Do you think history would change if …?”
- Share an example. “If I understand you correctly, … is an example of …”
Tip #4: Don’t cram
I have never, ever pulled an all-nighter. Just the thought of doing so makes me nauseous.
According to science, cramming for a test the night before might make you feel more familiar with the material, but you don’t actually retain information well like this. Spacing out your studying is more effective for remembering information. In other words, if you have 5 hours of studying to do, study an hour a day for five days, not all at once.
Of course, this is easier said than done. But it’s worth trying. Re-framing the situation may help. Instead of loathing the thought of having to study an hour each day this week, re-frame the situation as not having to study for five hours straight on Friday. By putting in a little investment now, you can relax the night before the exam and get a good chunk of sleep.
Life happens and there may come a time when you’ll have no choice but to cram, but try to avoid this if you can.
Tip #5: Study something you care about
I think that if I really, really pushed myself, I could have gone to med school — or at least nursing school — but I have no interest in medicine or biology whatsoever. I also really, really hate math. This is probably why I flourished in university because university allows you to focus on select subjects. I was SO HAPPY that I no longer had to do math in university!
I majored in English and creative writing. Reading books and writing stories are things I genuinely love to do. Combine this natural love with well-developed study habits and university was quite enjoyable for me. Sure, it was hard work, but that was work I was willing to do.
I want to reiterate that although I did well in uni, I’m not the smartest, most erudite, or literary person around. In fact, I often felt dumb in English classes. Other students would say things that were way cleverer, way more original than me. There was an English class on theory that went completely over my head that I almost failed, and there a Chaucer class that I’m certain I only passed because the professor was an easy grader.
Ditto for writing. I was by far not the best writer. There were students who wrote beautifully — had such amazing, unique ideas and voices — who struggled. Perhaps they were stressed by finances, housing, or mental health concerns. Perhaps they were more easily distracted, which I don’t think is a moral flaw. I am able to sit down and barf out an essay because I’ve had years of practice from growing up in a disciplined, scholastic environment. I also didn’t have to worry about stuff like housing and food during university because I lived at home.
In conclusion…
Grades are built on a mountain of factors: habits, home life, natural interest, peer attitude, financial/social advantages, and — to some extent — your natural intellect. But many of these things are in your control.
You don’t need to be smart to do well in school, you just need to get better at school. This may mean finding a better environment to study, rethinking some habits, and prioritizing the study of something you care about.
But if you get a bad grade, you are not dumb. Trust me :)
Li Charmaine Anne (she/they) is a Canadian author and freelance writer on unceded Coast Salish territories (aka Vancouver, Canada). Her work has appeared in literary journals and magazines and she is at work on her first novel, a contemporary YA about queer Asian skater girls. To read Charmaine’s articles for free (no Medium subscription required), sign up for her newsletter.
