Can I Pursue a PhD with a Low IQ Score?

[Jorriss]

Your problem is your ego. Also, you are merely a student of physics, not a Theoretical Physicist. I love it when these silly undergrads call themselves "2nd year Engineer" or "3rd year Chemist", as if they actually are on Tenure Payroll at a university and have publications in Nature.

I didn't add this but I find this funny actually. Sometimes people say 'blah blah but you're the chemist' and I'm just like, 'No, I'm not actually, I'm just getting a bachelors at the moment...'

 

[R.P.F.]

If you want to quit, then quit. This thread shows that you don't even know what critical thinking is. Clearly, you don't care about science. You just want people to think you are smart. So you are going to make a very poor PhD candidate.

 

[Jorriss]

If you want to quit, then quit. This thread shows that you don't even know what critical thinking is. Clearly, you don't care about science. You just want people to think you are smart. So you are going to make a very poor PhD candidate.

You could absolutely not infer all this from his opening post. For one, you can't say he doesn't care about science because he is misguided about IQs.

 

[R.P.F.]

You could absolutely not infer all this from his opening post. For one, you can't say he doesn't care about science because he is misguided about IQs.

You might be right. But it is hardly relevant whether he cares about science. He is not just misguided about IQs, he also mentioned that he wanted to join mensa because he wanted to brag about it. Given this, I doubt he has the characteristic to put him though a PhD program, where a lot of his research could seem fruitless. IMHO, any person with a reasonable amount of critical thinking skills should know what to think of IQ tests. Based on these two aspects, I can hardly believe that the OP could make a good PhD candidate or a scientist.

 

[mathwonk]

A PhD is not an IQ test. If you can pass the qualifying exams you are a viable candidate, maybe even if not. PhD is about creativity, and is often also achieved by tenacity.

 

[20Tauri]

I don't think we can infer much of ANYTHING about the OP from his post. He cares about his IQ score and thinks it would be fun to have Mensa bragging rights. Lots of smart people do, or Mensa would not exist. This has little to do with whether or not he will be a good graduate student.

 

[mathwonk]

I think we need to encourage him that there is a very small population that bases its judgment of people on whether they belong to mensa. probably it is only members of mensa.

 

[Coto]

This is precisely why I have always emphatically refused to take IQ tests. From my perspective, there are only two possible outcomes:

1.) The result is lower than what I expect. This alters the way I view myself, and approach problems, even if only in a subconscious way. It could also have a real, measurable impact on my performance due to a preexisting expectation psychologically that I should do poorly.

2.) The result is higher than I expect. This can only generate unwarranted overconfidence in myself, based solely on the results of a test that may or may not "measure" anything at all.

This comment reminded me of the Downing effect:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downing_effect#IQ

I also want to add that these two possibilities aren't the only ones, so this argument is flawed. For example, those lacking confidence in their intelligence may find a beneficial improvement to their self esteem, and those who are unconsciously incompetent may become consciously incompetent--giving that person an opportunity to become an effective learner.

 

[BeBattey]

Think about in terms of possibilities and possible limits. You're good at math, should be comfortable to you :P

Is it possible for you to succeed in this field, maybe.. even flourish?

Obvious answer is yes, it is entirely possible to flourish without quitting, it's not like it's impossible. Out of every possible outcome, it'd be foolish to say it's IMpossible.

What is limiting you from that? What's your limit to how well you can do, how successful you'll be and how happy you are when you do it?

Obvious answer is that you're human, being human comes with faults, limits. But the more significant part of being human, is that you don't know where your limit is.

You really going to let an I.Q. test stop you from finding out?

Screw your IQ test. Get your Ph.D man.

 

[rbnphlp]

Thanks guys for the reassurance , I will just keep at it ..and see if I wil make it :D