Any members of Mensa out there doing Distance Learning

Tell me that nobody is that stupid.

Took an online test and did well but they don't provide an oversized diploma with a gold seal.

Practicing these tests would certainly add to the score. If one did thousands of word and number combination drills they could probably add 40 points.

 

Humiliated by my own small and flaccid IQ, I can only watch with awe as our MENSAn's publicly display their penetrating observations and seminal insights.

Although they do seem to be so used to enjoying self-administered strokes that it's not very hard to get a rise out of them.

 

I am a big fan of DL and\or self study. From the time I was a teen I :

Learned ham radio completely on my own up to an advanced class license in 1976. This was back when one had to go test at a FCC office. Didn't fail a single exam.

Earned my BS in General Business at University of the State of New York 1986 (THANKS Dr. Bear for your wonderful books!). Passed all CLEP exams I attempted earning thirty three credits.

Earned my MBA from Nova University 1987 . Not quite DL but a lot of self study involved.

Became A+ (1995) Net+ MCSE (NT4 and 2000) completely by self study. Did not take a single class. Did not fail a single exam (17 total).

My biggest success is finding the right woman and staying married to her for 31 years so far !!

Guess I have a decent IQ. Never cared enough to have it tested.

 

Actually I posted a similiar question on this forum. If I remember correctly, I was asking about admission to graduate programs. Your inference about asking a question one doesn't know the answer to and lacking intelligence is interesting. I apologize for asking anyone's opinion. From now on I will rely solely on my own. J/K

Tony

 

LOL Very clever.
I don't think anyone here is self aggrandizing on this thread. Well, at least not anymore than the 'business as usual' that goes on in every thread.
No, I am not a mensa member.

Tony

 

Truly, if you study the issue in graduate school you come to a realization of the many limitations. More important seems to be the issue of EQ in determining success in life. One has to be very careful with the issue of IQ and children. Recently people have acknowledged issues such as multiple intelligences, etc.

High IQ's/ASVAB scores give the people with them 'warm fuzzies' but does not do much for anyone else. We are all aware of folks with theoretical knowledge who are completely inept in daily life. While the back slapping is fun I am not sure it does anything else (lead to interesting theories in the Bell Curve). Actually, if you read the Bell Curve it goes beyond race to other issues and differences in IQ between those attending state schools & Ivy League institutions. Also notes division of those with high IQ's (top educations) occuring in society that was not as true in early US history due to labor issues and opportunity. In other words the distribution of high IQ's was more evenly distributed over occupations and educational levels in the early 1900's for instance than today. But that is another story.

A case in point is my father. When he went college he took an IQ test and bragged to my grandmother that only a couple of percent of the people in the US/Canada had a higher IQ. My grandmothers response was 'so what are you doing with it'. It was a very good observation and commentary on my fathers occupational and personal life.

North

 

What I intended as an innocent question for discussion has taken a slightly downward turn. For the record, I don't feel that someone with a high IQ score necessarily is better suited for every possible endeavor than anyone else. While this is a topic best left for another thread, clearly someone of let's say "average" intelligence and a superior amount of motivation/dedication can get the job done. I also agree that some people with a high IQ score can tend to get lazy because they feel that the "superior" intelligence will allow them to work less to get to the same end result (which in this case, is a degree through distance learning).

I simply was curious about how, if at all, the percentage of people with high IQ's involved in distance learning varies with that in the general population. I didn't intend for anyone to go on the offensive or defensive. I'm kind of sorry that I started this thread. Can't we all just agree to disagree here?

Just because your intelligence has never been tested doesn't mean that you aren't "Mensa material", you may well be. Again, my personal theory is that there are more Mensans (and those with the capability that haven't bothered to be tested) out here doing distance learning than Mensans/Potential Mensans in the general population. But as a theory, it needs to be tested and challenged before it can be proved valid.

I have taken a great many useful tidbits off this board, and I appreciate the contribution of all the board members.

 

I, without much thought (and now with more thought), think that stating ones IQ on a resume would be a very unusual thing to do. Stupid was possibly the wrong word. Injudicious may be a better word. Let's assume I used stupid in the sense of injudicious as opposed to unintelligent.

However to achieve emphasis in dealing with Mensa types, the use of the word stupid provides a little more drama.

Methinks you get offended a bit too easily.

 

Mensa

has anyone on degreeinfo considered tie following alternative to Mensa
http://expage.com/densaofficialwebpage
Roy Maybery

 

First. I think that the original poster's question is valid. I have often wondered if the average student that chooses and stays with dl is more intelligent and driven. Although I don't know the answer to this question (and obviously neither does the original poster), I believe it to be a relevant question.

Second. While I know that iq tests are reliable, there is a question in regards to their validity. In other words, they are repeatable, but perhaps don't measure what they intend to measure. Unfortunately, iq tests are the best we have at this time. So, I think it would be interesting if there was a study looking for a correlation between the two.

Third. Dennis, I am not taking this personally, as I have never claimed membership in an iq organization. I was simply questioning your logic in dismissing questions, as though you had an insider's perspective. Methinks you read too much into my response.

Fourth. Bill, I don't know what to say. Did you have a bad day? You usually back your statements much better. I do apologize if I misinterpreted your statement, maybe it was meant for humor. Regardless, it was funny, but seemed to have an underlying edge that formed it into an attack on anyone who made a positive statement of their achievements, however small.

Take care,
Tony

 

Tom57: "...in fact I read somewhere that a high percentage of people with really high IQ's are actually underachievers."

John: I think this is so, with emphasis on the really. Leta Hollingworth planned a long-term study of people out beyond 4 sigma -- IQ of 180+. She found, as I recall, twelve in New York schools. Sadly, she died not too many years later, but others did some follow-up. My memory of this is that the 9 or 10 who survived into adulthood (there was a high early death rate) ended up in quite ordinary jobs, ranging from mail-sorter in the post office to college teacher, but nothing extraordinary.

On another hand, the Terman/Stanford longitudinal study, which followed a very large sample of high (but not that high IQ students for decades, found that the averages were impressive, in almost every way achievement could be measured.

John Bear
Long-ago Director of the
Center for the Study of the
Gifted Child in San Francisco

 

... a gathering of them would sound like a Cliff Claven convention. All that aside, a higher than average IQ has little to do with it ...perseverence is what is needed.

 

I am not at all certain that intelligence is a major determining factor in DL success as much as self-determination and the dedication to persevere. Having experienced higher education both in the classic 'face to face' lecture hall mode and the Scottish DL system, the DL approach required more self-discipline to maintain my studies.

I also see this at work, where a number of my colleagues have embarked on educational programs either via night school or DL, and the majority of them drop out soon thereafter. And many of these people are more intelligent than I. Those that complete their studies all seem to have the common characteristic that nothing will stop them from completing their goal.

Regards,

Michael Lloyd
Mill Creek, Washington USA

 

Perhaps, the class material being too easy (which makes the class boring) and having to put up w/ the dullards and the Joe Six Packs in class is NOT the ONLY reason why some people with high IQ's do not like face to face classroom interaction. Maybe these type of people lack the social skills or ability to interact with these less intelligent people. They feel uneasy in class (especially when you do group exercises and whatnot).

When I was in high school, there were these kids who were really really bright; but, didn't do well in school. They were put in special classes that were (I guess) more lenient on homework, attendance, etc. and concentrated more on actual learning in class. The teacher who ran these classes was Mr. Freedman; hence, our term, "Freedman kids". They never really interacted with any body else other than themselves. Probably because they felt uneasy socializing w/ the rest of the kids. So, to cover their lack of social skills they made the excuse that they were too smart to hold an intelligible conversation with the layman students.

I liked college. Met a lot of cool people (and lots of HOT CHICKS JK). I would go back to traditional classes if I could; however, I work and have a family, so I can't do those things anymore. Military was the same way. Met a lot of really nice people (a lot of really wierd people too). Wouldn't trade those memories for the world (well maybe the world but you know what I mean).

Bill

 

Re: Re: Any members of Mensa out there doing Distance Learning

Kirkland
Thanks for the laugh. I'm a fan of "Cheers" and like ole Cliffy. Wouldn't it be funny to see a room full of them...

 

Re: Re: Re: Any members of Mensa out there doing Distance Learning

Up until last year, John Ratzenberger, who played Cliff on Cheers lived on Vashon Island in Puget Sound. I used to run into him all the time at the Thriftway, the Dairy Queen and in the ferry line at Fauntleroy. He was one heck of a nice guy. I understand that he moved back to the Los Angeles area in order to make it easier for him to find work in the industry again.

Regards,

Michael Lloyd
Mill Creek, Washington USA

 

Re: Re: Re: Any members of Mensa out there doing Distance Learning

I think he would fit in very well with the intellectually superior... a veritable walking Discovery Channel... a room full of them would be like watching Discovery, History International, and PBS at the same time...

 

I tested for Mensa in 1993 (pre-medication). I scored 144 and 128, both in the 96th percentile. In social situations I only report the higher number, I suppose this is a form of larceney.
Now that I am on a large amount of medication, I am happy to work steadily toward my B.A.. I don't need Mensa anymore as a goal. An M.A. and Ph.D. are good goals to replace it!

Dave

KC7WGB