# Ask the straight-A student **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 14, 2007, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136 "2007-09-14T03:09:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/1 "2007-09-14T03:09:53Z")
In the “What kind of ‘Ask the…’ threads are you hoping for” thread, dwc1970 asked [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=8970146&postcount=24): > [@](#): > > Ask the straight-A student (either college or someone who was one in high school) If you want to get technical, I haven’t gotten As in every single course. But my IQ tested in the 98 percentile for verbal skills (92 for math skills), I graduated from high school with an A average in the Gifted program, and got an A+ in one of my courses recently in university. So, um. Any questions? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/2 "2007-09-14T04:22:16Z")
Do either of your parents have one of those bumper stickers? Do you ‘bust your ass’ to get the grades or is it easy for you? Do you have siblings? Are they like you grade wise or do they hate your guts because your parents say to them “Why can’t you be more like your sister?”? ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/3 "2007-09-14T04:22:23Z")
What’s your excuse for not getting A’s in _everything_? ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/4 "2007-09-14T04:28:31Z")
Do you get tired of hearing “OMG how did you get an A on that?”, ceaseless pleas for notes because “LOL I was hungover” and explanations of assignments the night before they are due and the details of which were posted clearly in the syllabus ten weeks ago? 'Cause I do. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/5 "2007-09-14T04:37:07Z")
I got straight A’s in high school once. Didn’t stop me from flaming out at university, though. So, my question. Did you have a relatively-easy time in high school? If so, did you find that you had trouble at university _because_ you had a relatively-easy time in high school, and thus never developed, say, study habits that could deal with a long slog through difficult material? ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/6 "2007-09-14T04:42:38Z")
Do you get pissed when people bitch you out for worrying about your grades, and telling you you’re insensitive to others who struggle just because you worry and have no business being disappointed in any grade higher than a B? Because I do. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/7 "2007-09-14T05:16:36Z")
Are you proud when you throw the curve for an exam? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/8 "2007-09-14T05:24:11Z")
[QUOTE=dnooman] Are you proud when you throw the curve for an exam? [/QUOTE] Not to hijack **Kythereia’s** thread, but, yeah! Junior and senior year of high school, I took a bunch of PSEO classes, i.e. classes at the local community college that counted for both high school and college credit. I was really proud of the fact that I got the highest score in my Gen Psych class. (The second highest score belonged to another PSEO student, interestingly enough.) Then I actually got to college and now I realize that everyone else was probably too busy drinking to study. Still, that thrill is exciting! Inner Stickler (Who graduated class Valedictorian in a class of 20 people.) ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/9 "2007-09-14T05:38:07Z")
Are you able to maintain that level of academic success and still have a social life? I think the answer is yes. Therefore, my next question is: When are you coming to Boston? Cmon, I thought my prayers were answered 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/10 "2007-09-14T05:50:36Z")
[QUOTE=Inner Stickler] Not to hijack **Kythereia’s** thread, but, yeah! Junior and senior year of high school, I took a bunch of PSEO classes, i.e. classes at the local community college that counted for both high school and college credit. I was really proud of the fact that I got the highest score in my Gen Psych class. (The second highest score belonged to another PSEO student, interestingly enough.) Then I actually got to college and now I realize that everyone else was probably too busy drinking to study. Still, that thrill is exciting! Inner Stickler (Who graduated class Valedictorian in a class of 20 people.) [/QUOTE] Did you throw the curve though? I’ve done the 4.0 GPA thing at a University, and made the Dean’s list even more, but I’ve never thrown a curve that I know of. Depending on how a Prof decides to treat a curve, or if they even decide to use one, one person can negatively affect the rest of the class with a really high score. The kicker is that they could have gotten the same A, and their classmates could have as well, had they just scored closer to the rest of the class. Stupid ass bell curves! ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/11 "2007-09-14T12:34:10Z")
Does it make you mad that I hate you? I wish I could hate Paul, a kid I went to college with. I’d study for 2 nights straight, and wake up at 4AM to go over notes and equations and still only get a B-/C+ in every organic chem class I ever took. Paul showed up drunk from the night before everyday and got a A/A+. I wish I could hate Paul (and you Kythereia), but honestly, he was one of the coolest kids I’ve ever known. Now start answering some questions already! ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/12 "2007-09-14T15:24:04Z")
How do we know an A in _Canada_(!) is the same as one in the United States of America? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Aguecheek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Aguecheek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aguecheek)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/13 "2007-09-14T16:16:29Z")
Did you know that Canadian As are not the same as American As? Do you have a 90%+ average? I found out the hard way after bragging to my American wife that I’d graduated university with straight As…☹ ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/14 "2007-09-14T16:28:45Z")
[QUOTE=Aguecheek] Did you know that Canadian As are not the same as American As? ( [/QUOTE] I thought in the Great White North they gave out "eh"s, you hoser! ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/15 "2007-09-14T16:31:46Z")
I was a straight A student in high school (well pretty much from second grade on to high school.) I never realized it could be a big deal! I dropped off in college to some B’s and even a C or two (organic chem, I’m looking at you! :mad: ). I’ll let Kyth do the answering, though, unless there’s a specific question I can answer. The only thing I will say is that B’s were not acceptable in my house. Once I got to college, other issues were bothering my parents more. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/16 "2007-09-14T16:33:37Z")
Do you feel you retain MORE from a class you get an A+ in over a class you only get a B+ in? Obviously one would study the material harder, but if you don’t use it later, do you retain just as much as if you had gotten a B? I know I got an A+ in a Chemistry class in a community college, but I had to retake the same material once I got to Uni, and it wasn’t any different or harder, nor was it structured any differently, but I got a C. It was a year apart. My excuse: I got a great grade and learned a lot (I studied like crazy the first time), so I thought I would have retained it so I didn’t study much at all. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/17 "2007-09-14T16:50:38Z")
Do you have a problem turning in your work on time? ---
**Author:** ![Aguecheek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Aguecheek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aguecheek)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/18 "2007-09-14T17:15:41Z")
[QUOTE=Dinsdale] I thought in the Great White North they gave out "eh"s, you hoser! [/QUOTE] Nah, an Eh is better than an A. “Jones, A-. Good job.” “Smith, this essay was really well written, eh! Can I use it to show my other classes? Yer goin’ far, buddy.” ---
**Author:** ![Kuboydal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/19 "2007-09-14T19:30:23Z")
Can I borrow your notes? ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2007, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136/20 "2007-09-14T20:22:47Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Do either of your parents have one of those bumper stickers? Do you ‘bust your ass’ to get the grades or is it easy for you? Do you have siblings? Are they like you grade wise or do they hate your guts because your parents say to them “Why can’t you be more like your sister?”? [/QUOTE] a) If my mum or dad ever put up a bumper sticker, it would have to be Darwin fish. Or [this](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41F68YP3B9L._AA280_.gif). 😃 b) It’s easy for me to write good papers and read long books, fast and comprehensively. That’s what I’m best at, that’s why I took up English. But other stuff I have to work hard at–keeping on schedule and not obsessing about making my papers perfect. c) I have a younger brother, who gets good grades–I think he has a B+ average right now–and is wicked smart in other areas: art, drawing, writing, music. My parents were really, really, _really_ strict about never comparing us to each other. [QUOTE=Princhester] What’s your excuse for not getting A’s in everything? [/QUOTE] “Yeah… well… Einstein failed in high school!” (Which is not technically true. But…) [QUOTE=Queen Bruin] Do you get tired of hearing “OMG how did you get an A on that?”, ceaseless pleas for notes because “LOL I was hungover” and explanations of assignments the night before they are due and the details of which were posted clearly in the syllabus ten weeks ago? 'Cause I do. [/QUOTE] Oh, hell to the yes. “I dunno? I, uh, wrote something? On the computer? With stuff from the book?” [QUOTE=Sunspace] So, my question. Did you have a relatively-easy time in high school? If so, did you find that you had trouble at university because you had a relatively-easy time in high school, and thus never developed, say, study habits that could deal with a long slog through difficult material? [/QUOTE] Being in the Gifted program in high school, where they made the work more advanced, actually made university _easier_. We were conditioned ahead of time to write these long research essays with all the proper citation, so doing the same work in first year was a breeze. [QUOTE=olivesmarch4th] Do you get pissed when people bitch you out for worrying about your grades, and telling you you’re insensitive to others who struggle just because you worry and have no business being disappointed in any grade higher than a B? Because I do. [/QUOTE] Ugh, my sympathies. _hugs_ I know you mean–especially because my parents always pressured me to do the best I could, which, you know, great in hindsight, but most royally sucked to go through. [QUOTE=dnooman] Are you proud when you throw the curve for an exam? [/QUOTE] I’ve never been aware of throwing a curve, actually. And I’ve worked with some very, very smart people in my class. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-straight-a-student/419136.md?page=2)