[Claymores]

Sorry if this has been done before..........

Are kids inherantly 'smart' and good at exams or is it their surroundings and being helped/coached/supported by those around them?

I plump for the latter - when 8 years old I was told I was to the University of my choice - not by parents who were busy out partying but by older brother who really brought me up. At that time I was bottom of the class and more interested in playing football every day for hours on end.

The 'nurture' part changed me.

Thoughts?

[Lewis.]

I think it all depends on their lifestyles. The best people at exams in most of my classes are the ones who obviously listen in class and then go home to revise. Working hard really does prove to pay off..

I think that if people go home and watch TV all night.. then they are worse in exams because they are not as prepared. I don't agree with exams anyway.. well.. at least not for most subjects.

[Claymores]

good things to think of Lewis - personally I was never encouraged to study by parents, lived in poor council estate and was expected to go work building the oil platforms when grew up (I'm Scottish, that was where employment/dosh was back in my days)

My brother had different plan and got me to watch things like Newsnight instead of cartoons. I've never voluntarily read a novel in my life so all things come from TV, used to duck English classes with fake illnesses, just read the clip notes about the Shakespeare Play at school before the exam but got good marks

[LeatherTrumpet]

poor diet
no reading to when young
constant negative comments


all the above go towards making a numbskull

reverse all the above and add some love and you get a clever cloggs


nurture

[Jayson]

I'd say nurture. If you've got clever parents then you are more likely to be a clever person, but not because of genetics, because they will encourage you more.