Former child prodigies
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Anonymous
 They can be people people, too. I don't know about prodigy, but DC coasted through k-12 and started putting more effort into school while in college when studying wasn't a priority before. Tutoring college students and has >3.9 in pre-med.
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Anonymous
That just sounds like a high IQ high achiever. I think some people here aren't familiar with what prodigy looks like. The "starting advanced math courses at MIT at 9 years old" prodigy type is miles from "coasted through school in honors classes." The latter I think actually is preferable and likely will be successful, but that's not being a prodigy. And yeah, the true prodigies I have known have struggled mightily with people. They've all clearly been somewhere on the spectrum and just generally operating on a different plane than 99% of people. I grew up down the street and in school with someone like this and don't view it as desirable, frankly. |
Anonymous
| I went to high school with someone who was doing BC calculus around 12 and graduated from high school a couple of years later. He got a STEM PhD and is a successful researcher. Seems like he's doing fine. |
Anonymous
| I know a prodigy who graduated from college at 17. This person did very well at research, but when they tried to capitalize on their inventiveness failed utterly because of a lack of business skills and too much trust in others. I suspect this person is on the spectrum. Now works in research, but no spectacular achievements. Just seems like your average very smart person now. |
Anonymous
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Hmm...two real prodigy types while I was in college - like they were tweens and in my mechanical engineering classes. No idea what happened to them and what they are up to today.
Also knew of two exceptionally gifted kids, one in music, who got burned out out early in college and was working bagging groceries. The other I went to school with, they graduated early, went to Princeton and are incredibly successful in finance running some sort of quant company now. |
Anonymous
| I know one, he graduated a top private HS in 3 years (graduated with my class, but was technically a year younger). Then went to HYP and triple majored, also graduating in 3 years. Has masters and PHD degrees I don't even understand from another top school and now is top in his STEM field, heavy in research. I don't think he's making the big bucks, but he's contributing to his field which probably makes him happier. |
Anonymous
Hard work has always mattered more than iq wrt success in the work place. What is that saying... genius is actually hard work disguised. |
Anonymous
| One of my neighbors is like this. On paper he is amazing. Top schools, advanced degrees etc but he has never stayed at any job and is now employed as some type of tech person at our local public school. He think he's terrible at his job. I have a kid with learning disabilities and he requires a laptop with specific programs and this guy has been absolutely terrible. I also know how much he looks down on children with disabilities. He treats my son terribly despite the fact that his daughter was constantly at my house when our kids were little. My son does not have any behavior problems and is bright. |
Anonymous
| I think he's terrible at his job. |