Fitzann Reid

Intelligence

In an effort to get my point across fully without being too subtle- I have devised a short statement which will sum up my basic feelings about intelligence:

"The idea that someone's intellectual ability can be measured by taking a test is bull s#!t." (and yes I quoted myself)

As delusional high school seniors run around preparing for the "most important test of their lives"- SAT prep programs like Kaplan look to make a quick buck by selling the false hopes of a higher score. The sad part about this is that year after year teenagers buy into it. Think about it, can the score from this one test really measure how well someone thinks and processes information? Can it really judge how much someone has learned and experienced from birth to the present?

If I told you that my cousin got a 1430 out of 1600 on the SAT, what would your first reaction be? Would it make a difference if I said she is graduating last in a class of 600 students and has the reasoning skills of a doorknob? Do you think she is smart or lucky?

Don’t get the wrong idea; the SAT is not the only test that attempts to measure intelligence. We are continually being tested throughout life, whether it's in school or to get a job. But if ones knowledge can truly be measured by taking a test, then all the scholars that are associated with the word "smart" were really idiots. Albert Einstein was able to discover the theory of relativity and win a Nobel Price; yet he could not pass remedial math and flunked out of high school. Marie Curie discovered some of the laws that govern radioactivity and electron movement; but she was unable to pass high school science. Continuously these scholars were tested and continuously they failed. Were they smart or was it by chance that they discovered what they did?

If intelligence is not how high you score on a test then what is it? Intelligence is the capability to learn and process information- more then what is taught or required. It's the ability to apply this knowledge to life on a regular basis. Intelligence goes beyond textbook information and into life experiences where it becomes mental creativity. It's our minds ability to analyze a situation and to come up with new ways of solving an old problem-and that is something that can't be measured by taking a test.

But as long as we continue to delude ourselves into believing that our intelligence is equivalent to that of a test grade- places like Kaplan will continue to make money off our ignoramus attitude.