How to Be Smart

 

Much of our media looks down on smart people. They like to produce stories on beautiful and famous people with problems. Sometimes it almost seems to be unpopular to be smart. Such an attitude will not fare you well in the real world. Cultivating your intelligence, not just faking it, is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your happiness and financial success in life.

   1. Set goals once a week. Do the important things first. This helps because you might need to do an important project and you decide to go and play football instead. And the night before the project is due you are rushing around and may not even finish. Your teacher will be able to tell 2 things, you've rushed it and you haven't put any effort into it.

      2. Work on your vocabulary. Read good books, try to use a few definitions from the dictionary each day, or subscribe to a "word-of-the-day" service on-line. You can also take the vocabulary tests in Readers Digest or buy a book on increasing your working vocabulary. Read the dictionary one letter at a time. This will take you a year at least but you will grow intellectually.

   3. Simplify. Talking about things that no one else can understand does not make you smart. Genius is the ability to translate the complex into the simple. Practice explaining concepts to others. See just how simple and clear you can make your explanations. If someone doesn't understand you, it is not their fault for being an idiot, it is your fault for being inarticulate.

   4. Further your education. Keep in mind an education isn't the junk you are forced to do in school for diplomas and degrees; it's an understanding of the world around you. People who are naturally curious for some reason begin to stop asking questions the moment they hit school. The truly brilliant mind however, always questions their world and tries to make sense of it. That is the secret to "genius". Do not let the relentless orders and busywork of school called an "education" fool you. Schools are one potential resource if you enjoy the environment but by no means are they necessary for brilliance and by no means are they the best way. For more information learn about Unschooling. Note the significant contributions Unschoolers have made.

   5.Cultivate an interest in subjects like current events, interesting facts, funny and inspiring quotations, good books and movies, scientific studies and interesting inventions. Educational television is a great way to learn. Check out PBS or History channel. People who have something to talk about other than their own internal problems and worries appear far more interesting and intelligent.

   6. Make a sheet of paper and write a keyword for everything you want to memorize. If you don't retain information actively (that means: it would come to your mind in a conversation) when you cross up it the first time (thats very likely after the end of childhood), the act of writing and looking on the thing some more times (you hopefully won't have to learn it like vocabulary - actually, you should enjoy broadening your horizon) will greatly increase the chance of retaining it in mind.

   7. Read good books. They will make you both appear and be smarter. Reading really is fun and your mind will grow. Keep your reading diverse by reading books of all genres including non-fiction. Make sure the books are interesting to you. As you read more you will soon learn that, just like movies, some books are better than others. Keep searching out the ones you think are good. If not sure what to read... ask a teacher or go to the library. Get a library card.
 
  8. Be organized. Begin each day by planning. Get a notebook or small digital planner to write down your daily homework assignments and write down the due dates for tests and papers. Get a weekly planner with your class schedule and plan your activities. Get a monthly calender to write down birthdays and big events. Write down what classes you have, when to do homework and what your homework is, dates, when you are hanging out with friends etc. all in your planner.

   9. Learn to listen carefully to others' opinions about controversial things, or things they know about and you do not. You do not have to agree with them but remember everybody has something to teach you. If a person holds an opposing opinion they most likely have logical reasons for doing so. Asking questions may allow you to reevaluate your own beliefs, or point out the flaws in theirs. Keep an open mind. The more intelligent you are the more questions you will ask of your friends, teachers and parents.
 
10.Make connections. Burying information somewhere deep in your brain is not useful; you have to be able to access it in real-world situations. Think of real-world situations in which a piece of information will make sense.
 
11. Be nice to people. Care about the well being of others. Sometimes people don't realize if another person is hurting or sad. Look at their faces and in their eyes when you talk to them. There will always be bullies. They may call you names: a nerd, a freak, a geek, or use a racial or homophobic slur, but in this case they really will only be jealous and petty. Being nice to all people is also a sign of maturity, class and intelligence. Keep it up and people will notice.
 
 12. Consider that it might be a good tactic is to go along with their mockery and laugh at yourself. Stand up for people who are getting bullied even if you might start getting bullied. If you really want to be smart, try to understand the bullies psychological motivations. Understanding the enemy is the best way to defeat them. Never insult anyone, gossip or hurt someone physically. Don't make offensive jokes.If someone is abusive to you, you can ignore them or go to adults for advice on how to deal with them. Be respectful to yourself, friends, parents and teachers.
 
13. Be friends with smart people who do all of the above. It will boost your self-esteem, confidence, make you less likely to be teased, prevent depression, help you study harder, make your life happier and otherwise enrich your life. You can also make studying fun with your friends.
 
 14. Exercise your mind. Learn how to solve the Rubik's cube. It is easier than it appears if you learn tricks in visualizing the cube's geometry. Also do word and math puzzles-such as Sudoku. This will make you at least twice as smart!

 15. Learn how to do mental sums or speed math. There are all sorts of tricks for doing complicated math in your head that will amaze others. Plus it can potentially increase working memory.

  16. Visit new places as much as you can. If possible, try to visit other countries too. Visiting cities in your country or in a different one, gives you a open mind and teaches you about the world we live in. You will be able to understand other cultures(how people live in a different place, how they behave with each other, how they live and so on). You will also be able to understand that the planet earth is huge and there are so much to see and do. You will be fascinated on how there are so many different people and culture in the world. That will make you smart and interesting.

 17. Draw a diagram of it. Smart people are good at using diagrams too. Don't be just word-oriented, or abstract concept oriented. Look for your weaknesses and improve on those as well.
 
 18. Analyze complex situations for practice. That will enable you to understand complex things better. And it will give you a better understanding of easier / simpler things.
 
19. Act smart. If you act like you're smart then you can convince people that you are actually smart. This will in turn make you believe that you really are smart. Just believe in yourself and pretend to be smart. After some time you will begin to gain confidence that you really are smart.


  20.Update your skills. Learn to use technology. Be an eager learner.Be more practical.