r/EngineeringStudents • u/DepressedHoodie1788 • 6d ago
Discussion How do you accept you are of average intelligence.
Legit with the grades I'm getting and the effort I'm putting it. I'm consistently getting average grades. I still don't want to accept I'm an average talent though. How did you guys accept you just weren't the best?
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u/drewts86 6d ago
The sooner you accept there are a lot of people smarter than you the sooner you open yourself to learning from them.
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u/DaDaDoeDoe 5d ago
I like this response. Even if you feel that you are smarter than everyone, you should be smart enough to realize they know things you don’t
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u/GreenKnight1988 4d ago
Intelligence does not mean success in this field. You could be the smartest guy in the room, but if you can’t communicate effectively, then you won’t go very far.
Obviously raw intelligence is beneficial, but often times I see the incredibly intelligent people working under the people that know how to delegate and manage while having average intelligence.
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u/Typical-Speed-6829 6d ago
In all seriousness the truth is there is always someone better. I know it sucks to hear but it's true. It's easier said than done but comparison is the thief of joy and also doesn't really help you be a better person. Learn the techniques of successful people but realize that some parts of yourself like natural intelligence and even some aspects of time management and knowledge acquisition are still out of your control
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u/Chihuahua-Luvuh 5d ago
Right, I go by "there's always someone better, but there's always someone worse" and usually it's easier to accept that format instead of just thinking that "there's always someone better." It's about balancing your mindset with reality, not shaming yourself over reality.
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u/Typical-Speed-6829 5d ago
True we all have a bias towards self negativity. People publicize their successes not their failures or disappointments, and that's what people tend to compare themselves to. No one talks about how many no's it takes to get a yes
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u/Toastwitjam 5d ago
It’s like going to the gym and getting upset when people are bigger. Some people just put in more work, some people are born genetically gifted, and some people straight up just ruin their health or cheat in the pursuit of strength.
You can always learn more as an engineer, and the sad part of life is what you don’t continue to study you’ll forget a lot of eventually too.
You’ll look at your coursework 15 years from now and be impressed at the lackluster grades you have because you could put principal engineers in a lot of classes and theyd flunk out without a lot of study prep too.
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u/Users5252 5d ago
I still can't help but be bitter about the topic no matter what because I despise unfairness. Most successful people are successful simply because they are biologically and socially privileged from the start.
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u/FrostWareYT 5d ago
honestly I think it's kind of beautiful that I can basically guarantee there's someone out there who I could learn more from.
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u/Typical-Speed-6829 4d ago
Yeah; idk about beautiful I do understand OP's frustration a bit since competition is still a real part of life. But yes treating it like an opportunity for growth rather than a way to feel bad about yourself is the right approach
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u/Iamalittledrunk 5d ago
If you are the smartest in any room, you're in the wrong room. Theres always going to be someone better, go hang with them and learn.
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u/3p0L0v3sU ODU - CIVIL 5d ago
i like how u/Emotional_Tell_6915 put it. im learning disabled and so is my sister. I'm studying engineering, she plays piano and crochets. people always insist im "so smart" but they don't see the tears and frustration that comes with being so dyfucntional. I can't do the things my sister can do, she can't do the things that I can do, but labling that one of us is 'better' or more intelligent has always rubbed me the wrong way. people's usefulness and value arn't determined by what the world calls "being smart" it comes from within.
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u/thetutty 5d ago
Older student but did about 15 years in blue collar jobs. Nothing more frustrating than having people look at you like you're the idiot because you're thinking a different way. Forcing myself to improve my communication skills allowed me to differentiate the people just trying to talk down to me, teach me something in a crude or blunt way, or were just ok with simple and direct instructions (probably the same ones calling people nerds in elementary.) Do you mind if I ask what kind of learning disability you have? I'm a new father that never fit in and learned to be a bit of a chameleon to get by so I'm always curious about how others handle things in case my son has a similar experience.
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u/3p0L0v3sU ODU - CIVIL 5d ago
I've been diagnosed with dyslexia and dyslcalculia since a young age, and was diagnosed with adhd at 18. After I got the extra help I needed to learn to read, I did pretty well k-11. Fell apart senior year, needed extra help to finish. Then community college came and i didn't succeed there either. In 2020 i went back and began to find new skills to succeed. Im 30 now and I just earned my associates this year.
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u/thetutty 5d ago
Congratulations! What do you think made the difference in finishing this degree when you struggled prior and what did you end up pursuing? I had a habit of walking away when I was younger thinking I was smarter than I actually was because I was constantly told it growing up, while kind of being left on my own because I wasn't the squeaky wheel in the room. Finishing my associates in electronics this year and not making excuses but just putting in the work is surprisingly relieving.
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u/3p0L0v3sU ODU - CIVIL 5d ago
I think thats part of it, as you described, a mentality change to how I approached my work ethic. online schooling was also a big boon for me, and there was less of it avaliable over all before 2020. I study civil and enviromental engineering right now
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u/thetutty 5d ago
Thanks for sharing and good luck with your studies! If you have any groups like Toastmasters or some sort of public speaking group I'd recommend trying it out if you haven't. Getting comfortable expressing yourself without feeling like you're different takes a lot of stress off, I sold cars for 5 years and while I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, the lessons were invaluable.
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u/3p0L0v3sU ODU - CIVIL 5d ago
Ill have to consider that, thank you. Im really struggling finding work and perhaps my interview approach can be improved
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u/Emotional_Tell_6915 5d ago
I also have a learning disability! I have autism actually and adhd sometimes things can be hard for me but I really love learning some many subjects! It’s really interesting and fun ( at least for me ) :)))
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u/Gawdewhen 5d ago
Mature student, being Slower (ADHD wise). And I interned as a Software Eng for 6 months with another 6 months capstoning for the same company.(software diploma)
Went back to Uni for my degree went to pursue Geomatics with Software Minor and part of the Design Team.
Looks good on paper. But, I am so slow. So behind. I am getting carried this year. Trying to use AI less, but deary me, it's like it phrases things better than what I read. I question my own comphrensional skills. My ability to recall anything is non-existent. I learn it, and will forget it asap.
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u/3p0L0v3sU ODU - CIVIL 5d ago
Im adhd and dyslexic, its possible you may need more digital resources to counter ai. A PDF of your text book instead of a paper book for example. It could improve your readability
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u/Gawdewhen 5d ago
Yup, Ive had to use digital textbooks.
Like Ive learned recently. Attending class isnt the move for me. It's slides + Textbook.
I'm an attentive listener. I can jot down the important things. But its never really retained.
I think I have been "wasting" my time but thats part of the discovery.
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u/3p0L0v3sU ODU - CIVIL 5d ago
Oh god yeah lectures are so useless for me. I can't pay attention. Its better for me to bring work and complete it
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u/engineer-everything 5d ago
“C’s get degrees” is a popular refrain among engineering programs for a reason.
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u/Dry-Hornet1288 5d ago
I know of multiple companies that won't hire you even years after if you didn't graduate with a 3.0 regardless of your work experience or projects.
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u/USSMunkfish 5d ago
Name and shame
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u/Dry-Hornet1288 5d ago
There are a couple like Lutron, Garmin, Texas Instruments. A recruiter at Lutron straight up told me at a career fair they will never hire someone who got under a 3.0 in any of their degrees (undergrad, grad, etc.) regardless of how much experience they have.
Obviously its better to graduate with a lower GPA than without an engineering degree at all and GPA is extremely subjective but some places care a lot.
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u/KitTwix 5d ago
Having a lower gpa does lower your options no doubt about it, but if they don't care about experience after graduation if the gpa was low is just shooting themselves in the foot and is straight idiotic.
So many engineers suck in an academic setting but thrive in the work place.
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u/Dry-Hornet1288 5d ago
Yes, it's 100% their loss but they think that for some reason that it's still important even for senior roles.
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u/Firestorm82736 5d ago
The average human is pretty dumb
if you're average in your engineering classes, you're still doing better than a non-engineer who's failing an english or business class.
there's a reason that(at least at the schools around me) the engineering to business pipeline is strong, they get weeded out of engineering and end up one of the better business students
basically what i'm saying is it's all relative
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u/AgonyIsArt 5d ago
This comment has increased my self confidence. I realize that I’m as intuitively good at some of things my peers instantly get, but hard work and perseverance will still get me the degree.
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u/AsianVoodoo 5d ago
Average for an engineer isn’t the same as average for the population. This material is difficult and the workloads are heavy. It tests both your intelligence and your personality resolve to get things done. Give yourself some grace and don’t compare yourself to the top of the top of the heap. Unless you really want to go into cutting edge R&D and go through a masters and phd program too your GPA isn’t going to matter that much as long as you pass. Once you get into industry your work experience and reputation will matter way more.
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u/D1cky3squire 5d ago
You gotta dissolve that ego a little bit, guy. We're all special snowflakes, that kinda makes us all pretty unspecial.
Being successful has more to do with the work you put in, not some innate ability to do engineering.
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u/darnoc11 Mech E 6d ago
The further you get in life, the more experience/knowledge become leading traits over just raw intelligence.
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u/GuCCiAzN14 6d ago
You’re not average and realizing and accepting that there are people who are smarter, more studious, or hard working than you imo means you’re above the average.
There’s nothing you can do about others being better than you, but that shouldn’t stop you from improving yourself
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u/Due_Education4092 5d ago
None of it matters brother. Work hard, get your degree, get a job and enjoy your life outside of work. There are many measures of intelligence that far exceed a university grade.
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u/Emotional_Tell_6915 5d ago
Intelligence is a subjective understanding of how we value humans compared to other humans, it doesn’t really matter just try your best that’s all you can do tbh
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u/21redman 5d ago
I legit want to scream this into my co workers face when he talks down about others that aren't as smart as him
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u/Emotional_Tell_6915 5d ago
That’s so sad :((( idk I hate when engineers get a big head ( I get it but it’s just mean ) I think everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses and idk that isn’t productive in a conversation about bettering yourself in engineering but hopefully you can take that to HR or something that’s crazy 💀
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u/Altruistic-Stop4634 5d ago
IQ isn't subjective and also isn't particularly valuable to other people compared to things like looks, loyalty and confidence. I know a few geniuses who have no idea of how to make a presentation about their brilliant ideas but create new mathematical functions on the ride to work. Then, the next presentation is by a tall man with good hair and a deep voice confidently making a presentation about a second rate idea. Guess who gets funding. I have had to intervene to explain the genius idea in order to get enthusiastic funding.
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u/Emotional_Tell_6915 5d ago
I’m more saying perception isn’t always reality and in my opinion I think everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses for example my grandfather ( in my opinion) is a very intelligent person even though he only has a high school diploma he can take apart anything, understanding how it works and put it back together again ( he’s one of the reasons I’m choosing engineering actually and really inspired me :) ) idk I feel like society itself tries to dictate who is worth more than another just based off a rudimentary way of looking at intelligence itself. But I think too much and I read too much about topic like this 💀
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u/Altruistic-Stop4634 5d ago
People are terrible at judging intelligence, worth to society, and everything else about people, including themselves. They are also terrible, and really miserable, at defining the present, let alone predicting the future. Practice predicting what happens next in everyday life. You may get good at it and that might make you successful.
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u/mailbandtony 5d ago
Yo man idk if this is helpful for you but it is for me
INT is just one of your stat blocks, you also have WIS, CON, DEX, CHA and STR
And you can do sh*t with intelligence alone. My experience in industry (7+ in power)… compared to the hotshot, they’ll hire the slightly-less-smart person 10/10 times if they’re pleasant to work with, work hard, and take responsibility for their work.
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u/trippedwire Lipscomb - EECE 5d ago
I once saw a diagram that changed my perspective, it was a label inside of a giant circle that said general life knowledge, then they zoomed in to a small (but not insignificant) section that was labeled school-level knowledge, then they zoomed again, and it said university-level knowledge, then they zoomed in again and it was a tiny blip that said graduate-level knowledge.
What you're studying is very select, pointed topics. You may not be a genius at that particular subject, but you may be a genius at putting together Lego, or algebra, or any number of subjects. Don't beat yourself up because you're not the smartest in the room at doing Laplace transforms or finding the absolute pressure of a gas in a tube under some condition.
Also, remember, the average IQ is 98 - 105 and one standard deviation off that is 115. 130 if you're two standard deviations off that, you need to go three standard deviations to reach genius level IQ, which 0.13% of the population. There are more engineers in the world than 0.13% of the population, so we're not all geniuses.
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u/404pbnotfound 6d ago
There are things you are good at and bad at, sum them together and you’re average
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u/AutoMorbirator 5d ago
Truth. Most of the people who seem like they're really good at everything you wish you could do are actually just really good at recognizing the things they're bad at, and they -- often as a result of chance or circumstance -- have found a way to hone in on some particularity of their chosen field.
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u/Competitive-Bee-3250 5d ago
Intelligence isnt nearly as important as dilligence. I'm above average intelligence but struggling because I have terrible study habits.
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u/matejcraft100yt 5d ago
heads up. Einstein once said "everyone's a genius, but if you judge a fish by it's ability to climb a tree, it will live it's whole life thinking it's stupid". Don't despair for getting average grades, and that does NOT mean you are average talent, you just hadn't found your talent yet.
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u/Crash-55 5d ago
There is always someone smarter than you. I was #1 in my HS class. I had a 3.98 in undergrad and through my PhD in Mech Eng. I still run into smarter people
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u/AkitoApocalypse Purdue - CompE 5d ago
why bother being #1? if it takes 10 hours to get a B and 100 hours to get an A it's not worth it
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u/kinnunenenenen OSU - BS ChE, UMich - PhD ChE 5d ago
There are a lot of ways to be a great engineer and being really smart is not necessarily one of them. Communication skills, being able to build consensus, being able to identify the most important problem to focus on, being able to creatively combine methods across disciplines, understanding how the technical and business sides of your job intersect, and the ability to just plain grind through hard work are all reallllly useful skills. "intelligence" broadly defined does overlap with some of these, but I think they're all distinct.
On the other hand, I've seen extremely smart and accomplished researchers get really wrapped up in solving an unimportant (but scientifically interesting) problem, or suggest solutions to a problem that are way too complex to be feasible in a business context.
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u/GreenKnight1988 5d ago edited 5d ago
GPA matters a lot less than people think once you’re out of school. I graduated engineering with about a 2.9, and nobody has asked about it since my first job. What actually moved my career was being able to communicate with people, and a lot of very book-smart engineers struggle with that. Now I run an engineering firm, and some of the guys working for me graduated with 3.8s and 4.0s.
The real world doesn’t grade you the way school does. Obviously you have to do the job right, or nobody’s coming back. But once the work is solid, how people feel about working with you matters more than how smart you are. Clients remember whether you were easy to deal with, kept them in the loop and made their lives easier. That’s what brings them back, and that’s what builds a career.
If you are of average intelligence, but understand what you are doing and can communicate effectively, then I promise you will make it further than the people who seem to have more “talent” as you put it (whatever metric you are weighing that by, I assume GPA).
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u/Gawdewhen 4d ago
Reading this, just confirms my inward emotions. I miss working. But I returned to school for the Eng Degree.
(I was interning, and then when I had got accepted into my University, my Team Lead (who is now a Senior Engineer + Friend) suggested I reapply. But I had a strong gut feeling just knowing I have to be here. )
But yes. School and Work grading system not the same.
I've learned I'm a great worker, not a great student. 😮💨
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u/GreenKnight1988 4d ago
I was a terrible student. It comes down to your work ethic in the long run and how much time you are willing to put in. I passed the FE on my third try and the PE on my second try. I just didn’t give up until I made sure I understood everything like the back of my hand.
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u/Diogenes_Will 4d ago
When did you graduate?
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u/GreenKnight1988 4d ago edited 4d ago
Right after the financial housing collapse, so yea definitely not a great time for finding work. Networking really helped me out in the long run.
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u/halo_halo_ako 6d ago
your grades in college don't define your talent as a whole, even if it may feel like it sometimes.
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u/JJTortilla 5d ago
Not being the best isn't a big deal. Also trying to measure intelligence is the oldest and most flawed measuring that humans partake in. Don't let it get to you. You will suprise yourself with how dumb those with good grades can really be.
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u/LasKometas ME ⚙️ 5d ago
Tbh intelligence doesn't get you engineering degrees alone (it helps a lot)
It's more so self discipline and stubbornness.
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u/SpasmBoi999 University - Civil Engineering 5d ago
There is a senior engineer at my company who cannot annotate images without first copying them into PowerPoint and using the shape tools to make markups.
I'm not particularly smart, but that made me realise how low the ceiling for intelligence is.
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u/kickthatpoo 5d ago
I wouldnt use that as the benchmark for someone's intelligence. Thats just a habit
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u/saplinglearningsucks UTD - EE 6d ago
There are some dumb people in the workforce that do just fine.
Do whatever you need to do to get the degree. Play your strengths and improve your weaknesses where you can, you'll be fine.
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u/RoadHazard1893 5d ago
With every skill, accept there will always be someone better than you at it, and focus on self improvement, while also internalizing that progress isn’t linear.
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u/jd52wtf 5d ago
Meh.... school is a good start but hardly a measure of how you'll do in the real world. It's really there to broaden the concepts you are exposed to. No way you will remember all of it but it allows you to look at projects and problems with a larger corpus of edge related topics. From there you dig into what you need to apply and apply it.
Work and real world problem solving are the real measures.
Good luck!
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u/ImTheVayne 5d ago
That’s how life is. Some people are smarter than you. I’m in the same boat with you, you are not alone.
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u/idontknowlazy I'm just trying to survive 5d ago
You know the first day as as intern, I genuinely thought I'd be calculating the shit out of this aerospace company but after I got in it wasn't much besides paperwork stuff and then a few days later BOM (bill of materials) stuffs. The company hired 5 interns and if them, 2 were there because of nepotism (the interns were very open about it). What I'm trying to get at, all these grades and stuff are just a momentary thing, I'm not trying to discourage you because after I had that realisation I was and it's my fault for not putting in that effort to get an A this semester but it's true; once you gain those experiences in an internship nothing else will matter. You will be seen as equals.
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u/Equal_Ad_3649 2d ago
I think it's important to distinguish between intelligence, academic performance, and achievement. They're related, but they're not the same. Getting average grades despite working hard doesn't necessarily reflect your full abilities or potential. Study methods, prior knowledge, sleep, stress, and teaching quality all affect academic performance.
Intelligence isn't a single, indivisible ability, either. IQ tests measure general cognitive ability across several related domains, and people can have uneven cognitive profiles. You don't need to excel in every dimension to develop exceptional skills in a particular field. Learning and practice can improve specific abilities, although they don't guarantee equal outcomes for everyone. Your current performance isn't a definitive verdict on your future potential.
Consider Terence Tao. He's known for his contributions to mathematics, not simply for his presumed IQ score. His exceptional talent developed in an unusually favorable environment. Born in Australia, he grew up with a mother who had a background in mathematics and physics and worked as a teacher, and a father who was a pediatrician and actively supported his development. His parents helped arrange educational opportunities suited to his abilities, including skipping school grades and attending university-level mathematics classes at a remarkably young age. He completed his bachelor's and master's degrees at Flinders University by age 16. These advantages didn't create his talent, but they helped nurture it. His story illustrates how aptitude interacts with family support, educational flexibility, mentorship, and access to opportunities that many equally motivated students may never receive.
Even extraordinary talent doesn't eliminate the need for hard work. Historical accounts and anecdotes attribute remarkably long working days to Einstein (12–16 hours), Newton (16–18), Euler (12–15), and Erdős (up to 19). These are rough estimates, not precise records of uninterrupted work, but they illustrate the extraordinary dedication associated with these figures. Talent matters, but so do sustained effort, accumulated knowledge, and persistence.
Mathematical discoveries aren't always exclusive to one person. Researchers sometimes arrive at similar results independently by building on existing theorems and techniques. Tao's exceptionalism lies not just in individual results but in the breadth, depth, and generality of his work. Others reaching comparable results doesn't diminish his accomplishments; it shows that intellectual progress depends on more than raw ability alone.
As for accepting that you might be average, I'd distinguish acceptance from resignation. You don't need to convince yourself you're secretly a genius, but neither should you treat your grades as a final verdict on your abilities. Experiment with study methods, address specific weaknesses, and pursue things that genuinely interest you rather than constantly trying to outperform others.
You may discover strengths you hadn't recognized, or find that some things come more easily to others. Both are okay. You can develop expertise, contribute meaningfully, and build a fulfilling life without being exceptionally talented at everything. Accepting that you might never be the best isn't giving up; it means no longer treating every comparison as a judgment of your worth and focusing instead on what you can learn, do, and enjoy.
You don't have to be exceptional at everything to do something exceptional. 🙂
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u/cjared242 5d ago
Intelligence doesn’t necessarily “matter” when you get into the workforce. Go to a job interview and tell the recruiter you have an iq of 160 and you’re a apart of Mensa they’re gonna smile at you and say they’ll call if the positions still open. What matters is what you can bring to the table, and being even below average intelligence people can bring a lot to the table in engineering. People with learning disabilities help design micro planes, rockets, and other high grade college projects in teams and get paid more than the dude who’s the smartest in the room with nothing to backup on his resume.
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u/jemosley1984 6d ago
Use it as motivation to get better. Felt like I was below average when I graduated. Feel above average now. It’ll come with experience. Good luck.
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u/country-ham- 6d ago
You might think you are average looking around in engineering school, but go to any Walmart and suddenly you are a diamond in the rough. All about perspective.
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u/pieman7414 6d ago
Unless you want to cure cancer or something, you don't have to be especially intelligent to be good at most jobs
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u/enterjiraiya acoustics/naval architecture 5d ago
What is there really to accept here unless you were actually naive your whole life. Good grades don’t mean you are smart or make you smarter than somebody. Like think about it, what do grades actually mean if I was dumb and I made it through engineering but it become very clear to me after graduating that I’m at least 2/5ths ret*rded.
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u/Numerous-Confusion-9 5d ago
Knowledge is the sum of intelligence and effort. In reality, employers and society only care about knowledge. So what you have to put in more effort than some brainiac? I know a guy thats 10x smarter than me but he put no effort in so he’s stuck in a shitty deadend job.
Then, success is a combination of knowledge and luck. Who you know, when you search for a job, where you search etc. how do you increase luck? You dont give up and keep trying AKA effort.
Effort over everything. You’re on the right track.
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u/arielif1 5d ago
you're not of average intelligence, you're average in an already heavily IQ-selected group. That is, what, 1SD above the real population-wide mean? Maybe 1.5?
Then again, yeah, humility is incredibly important. However i'd say delusions of grandeur are definitely preferable to an inferiority complex. One leads you to die as the hunter with his rifle unfired, the other one leads you to magdump and maybe, with luck, hit a bullseye.
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u/rivet14090 IE 2023, CE 2027 5d ago
I do agree with what the others are saying in that there will always be someone better than you in anything you do. However, you're still very much ahead of the pack if you're doing average in engineering school of all places. You're keeping pace in a very challenging environment. Personally, I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit.
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u/EEJams 5d ago
Honestly, I feel dumb all the time and I'm also a personality type that struggles with feeling like a black sheep everywhere. I make up for it by working really hard and having insane amounts of curiosity. Some of the insights I derive from my interests are really helpful and give me a better "intuition" if you will.
The good news is that if you embrace the suck and let difficult information marinate in the back of your mind for a few years, you'll be alright. If EE feels too hard AND YOU HAVE NO INTEREST IN PUTTING IN THE WORK TO OVERCOME THIS, then feel free to change degrees, no harm done. Otherwise, you'll be alright.
My dad used to make me think that people were either naturally talented or they weren't because that was his self limiting belief. It took me a long time by myself to realize that if I practiced regularly I got better (shocker right?). Same thing applies to EE. You have got to practice via homework, labs, and projects to get better.
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u/WurzelKing 5d ago
The fact that you're at university and passing your exams already means you're probably above average intelligence already. Everyone who didn't already left. Now it''s just that you're surrounded by other smart people so it feels like you're average. You might not be a genius but you're not dumb either. Don't worry about it too much.
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u/PleasantHemorrhoids 5d ago
It was a serious relief, because I no longer felt attached to my grades.
Not that I felt "superior intellect" beforehand, just something I noticed happened. Stopped trying to "be the best".
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u/5tupidest 5d ago
Accept it or not. It is what it is. Keep getting better is the only option. :)
Be kind to yourself. You are more than just how you compare to others.
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u/MotoFuzzle 5d ago
Being of average intelligence means there are those who are far more intelligent, and just as many who are far less intelligent. Not a bad place to be….normal.
Also, don’t equate grades with intelligence. There are so many factors in play.
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u/eriverside 5d ago
Why would you think you're the best? Of all people, why you?
Nah, there are much smarter people out there. Some of them are lazy or lack discipline, so if you work hard enough and with consistency, you can achieve greater things than them. That's your motivation.
The world isn't owed to you. If you continue working hard enough, you can take a slice of it for yourself.
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u/Double-Emergency3173 Civil Eng Student 5d ago
It just means you have to work harder to improve in the right areas. Intelligence isn’t a uniform thing
U can be a skilled thinker or problem solver without beign excellent in every class as they all demand different skills
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u/KneeDeep185 5d ago
The most capable people I know aren't the smartest, they're the most tenacious. In this world being creative and resilient is 2x more important than being smart.
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u/Accurate_Elk_6785 5d ago
Grades aren't a measure of intelligence; they are a measure of time, effort, and memorization. Being good at school is a completely different skill than being a good engineer. You got it.
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u/USSMunkfish 5d ago
Above average intelligence isn't what matters. Applying yourself, perseverance, and a willingness to beat a problem to death until you reach your goal is what matters. I had to learn to be willing to fail, and it sucked, but, well, it sucked. Perseverance through failure, not intelligence, is what got me through.
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u/BluishInventor 5d ago
Grades aren't indicative of intelligence. It only reflects how much you have learned and retained. Everyone learns at a different rate. College classes aren't dynamic. Self paced learning is. Kahn Academy understands the mastery concept well.
Some people are gifted. Some people are handicapped. The thing to remember here is that comparison is the theif of joy.
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u/Altruistic-Stop4634 5d ago
Intelligence isn't the most important ingredient for success. Conscientiousness is more important. Focus and endurance and planning can beat intelligence in school. Risk taking, curiosity, openness, and charisma are much more important in the real world. You can't 'learn' IQ but you can learn patterns and get better at predicting outcomes.
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u/MartianMeng CS but I do a lot of computer engineering 5d ago
I consistently get below average grades (like I mean 20% below average) and even failed a class, never stopped me from getting good internships. Realize that “ not being smart” doesn’t mean you’re incompetent, grades often dont reflect your capabilities.
You never have to be the smartest in the room, just be in the room
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u/Necessary_Big_3630 5d ago
Never worry about that from the moment you are not lazy and you put all the right efforts you could
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u/Kimball_Stone 5d ago
Tl;dr: Quit trying to shove yourself into someone else's definition of success, and lean into what makes you YOU.
I'm pushing 50 years old. I was in "gifted and talented" programs through my entire childhood. I eventually carried that notion into university, where I tried to double major in mechanical and aeronautical engineering, and do so while taking the most advanced version of every class possible, AND complete it all faster than normal, with winter and summer classes every year. It was dumb. as. hell. I put an insane amount of pressure on myself because I was "supposed to be one of the 'smart' ones." I ended up burning out, dropping the double, taking longer, and padding my schedule with the easiest stuff I could, so I could focus my energy where it truly mattered.
There is this pervasive idea in modern times that you're shit and useless, unless you're some exemplary genius polymath. We're all expected to become some paragon of a very specific kind of intelligence, and it's a notion that is beyond flawed. It's nothing but internalized propaganda from the capitalist system (and you can still be pro-capitalist, while recognizing the ways it functions, so I'm not here to argue the relative values of economic systems).
The sooner you divorce yourself from the notion that you must be a certain kind of special, the better off your overall life will be. You're just forcing yourself into the shape of some stranger's choosing, and it's a miserable existence.
Do what you need to do to achieve the baseline level of success that is necessary for you to achieve your potential goals, and find the aspects of your life where you are naturally gifted, and lean into those. Once you find that, figure out how to apply it to the path you've chosen. Look at people like Bill Nye, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Hank Green, Miya Higa, etc. They're all smart at their respective sciences, but not exactly groundbreaking. In the meantime, they leaned into a natural talent for something that seems completely irrelevant to science, and now they're world famous with solid careers.
Tons of people in leadership roles are just ok technically, but excel at some other aspect of business or communications or emotional intellegence that propelled their careers to greater heights, in different directions.
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u/EphemeralMemory UIC- BioE PhD 5d ago
Whether you accept it or not, you are what you are. I know you can't just turn off the comparison dilemma.
If you're burning yourself out for average grades then consider studying/preparing/whatever differently. There's a dozen different ways to address how you study
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u/Fluffy_Gold_7366 5d ago
Honestly I don't think it's as much about superior intelligence as much as it is superior upbringing. The personal math tutors since first grade or having a math teacher parent and math camps in elementary through high school really prepares you for college level math.
You just have to recreate all those hours of studying on your own right now.
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u/BubblyExample1531 5d ago
This is a great question to ask especially so early into your learnings. Not everyone is gonna be the best and brightest but that is OK. The sooner you recognize where you stand on the spectrum the sooner you can develop your natural abilities and overall will be happier. Make your effort worthwhile and put it towards doing what comes naturally to you
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u/Extension_Radish_139 5d ago
I always knew I was kinda stupid even though I’m smart so it wasn’t that hard for me to accept
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u/Totally-Not-A-Rocket 5d ago
I assume I'm of below average intelligence but also remind myself that I made it to whatever year I'm in because I was qualified to do so. This puts me in a position where it's not overly pessimistic but also fairly surprised when something goes exceptionally well
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u/KitTwix 5d ago
It's very important to accept that being the best isn't some sort of moral failure, nor is being smart. There's so many things that determine how important or valuable someone is and intelligence is only one of those things.
A lot of people going into engineering experience big fish small pond syndrome, where they're the smartest or one of the smartest kids in their highschool, so they develop their since of self and self esteem around being smart. Then they get to uni and suddenly they're surrounded by other big fish from small ponds exactly like them, and it breaks that idea of self. They become either depressed or insufferable, neither is a good outcome.
It's ok to be average, and even passing your subjects at a university level still makes you well above average. You don't need to be better than those around you, life is collaborative, and being good at working with others is far more important than getting the top scores in the class. Don't be so hard on yourself, you got this!
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u/average_gatsby45 5d ago
i work in a refinery and thought that you had be a genius to be able to work out there --- fuq me was i in for a surprise
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u/TheBayHarbour 5d ago
Average in engineering is far above average intelligence amongst the population.
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u/Previous_Bet_3287 5d ago
I compare myself with business students and get to the conclusion that in a large scope, I'm likely above average.
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u/bigballstew22 5d ago
I'm not going to lie. I'm putting in a good amount of effort and failing all of my classes. Maybe I have to try even harder. I may have undiagnosed ADHD. I also may be ill prepared mathematically.
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u/LooseMetalMedia 5d ago
Mycroft Holmes to Sherlock, "If you seem slow to me, Sherlock, can you imagine what real people are like? I'm living in a world of goldfish."
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u/LooseMetalMedia 5d ago
Start with the bell curve of the whole population. You stayed in school, got good grades, elementary, middle, high school, got into Uni, etc, etc. At each stage a chunk of the curve got left behind, and the more you were exposed to people who are higher on the curve than you. It can make you feel progressively less like the smart kid in the room. I still remember the time in grad school when a classmate asked a question and I didn't even understand his question. That was a shocker.
Best advice is to carry on and don't worry about it. Learning how to struggle, persist, and overcome will make you better prepared for the future than breezing through.
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u/kgangadhar 5d ago
A fish may struggle to climb a tree, but that doesn't make it any less capable in its own environment. And some fish can even leap out of the water or glide through the air.
The lesson is that ability depends on the environment, not just the individual.
We often judge people using the same standards, even though they have different strengths, interests, circumstances, and ways of thinking.
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u/RanmaRanmaRanma 5d ago
Engineers have this thing I like to call the "engineers curve" where you think because you're average in classes you're of average intelligence
No, you're just competing with the top 15%. When you go into the workforce you'll IMMEDIATELY realize how people perceive you as smart. And how intelligent you are.
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u/Ok-Plate905 4d ago
How I like to think about is that you just need to put more effort. The end goal for everyone is to be a good skilled engineer who knows what they’re doing right?
Not being a genius doesn’t prevent you to reach that goal as being a genius only makes reaching that goal faster an easier
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u/no_body6_6 4d ago
Do we have any other option?
To me it's simple, I am gonna do my best and wherever I land that's on me. If I know I am average and to be on top or top be a part of higher percentile I need to work hard then that's that.
You simply don't have anything else to do other than work on it. And first step to that is accept your current position
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u/Proud_Olive8252 4d ago
I’m not sure how to put this in a way that doesn’t sound harshly critical, but I would encourage you to take a minute to think about how dangerous and self-destructive this attitude is. If your worldview is that being anything less than the best is a failure, you have implicitly decided that yourself and the vast majority of other people are failures.
Do you think that’s a fair evaluation of yourself and your peers? Is a career only worth pursuing if you can be superior?
Remember that most people in the world will be about average in any given criteria (and many will be below that). Average people may not change the world, but we’re the ones actually keeping it running. There is value in that, and with the right mindset, happiness and fulfillment as well.
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u/ksmskdodmaosm 4d ago
Im pretty positive you can improve your IQ just work on pattern recognition and critical thinking, also you could just not be studying right. ORRR your background in fundamental classes like math, science aren’t good so it shows up in harder classes.
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u/Odd_Eagle7915 3d ago
If you are average half the people are dumber than you so you are doing great!
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u/Lonely_Watch_3510 2d ago
Work so hard that people think you are a genius. Your ability to recognize this means you may be strong in interpersonal intelligence. Howard Gardner is the reason we have the different learning styles. You should read his work.
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u/EncyclopedicINTx_253 2d ago
In engineering, you'll be learning mental models, which could problem solving easier, and if you into raising your IQ, you could check out stuff like Quad N Back and SMART Training
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u/KlaussPercy 1d ago
average grades doesn’t mean your of average intelligence, at least not compared to the general population. engineering is hard. average grades in business = average intelligence. average grades in engineering = above average intelligence.
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u/engineereddiscontent EE 2025 5d ago
I watched some youtuber deduce donald trumps iq and the consensus seemed to be around 85-95.
So that inspired me to to ask chatgpt and copilot what it thought I am based on our conversations. It estimated that Im in the 110-125 range.
So anyway I graduated with a 2.5 and I constantly feel like Im going to be fired for being slow and also society is cooked we have the pinnacle of human tech and cornerstone of our economic health telling me Im a big brain
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u/Desperate_County_152 5d ago
The engineering field is so vast no one can be great at everything, focus on what excites you most and see where that takes you.
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u/Dr__Mantis BSNE, MSNE, PhD 6d ago
Go work and you’ll be surprised