Are real smart kids nerds?

[questioner]

My 13 year old nephew has decided to cut down on his homework so he will fit in better with his friends. He told me that real smart kids (which he is/was) are nerds and excluded from the in-crowd at school. At 13 years old, nothing is more important than fitting in with the right crowd. Getting good grades for college is not as important as having the best friends today.

So are the straight A students considered Nerds at your kids school?

 

[Mermaid02]

Mine's not. They're only nerds if they think they are- what others think of them is not important.

 

[TeresaMc]

It has been a few years ago but I was a straight A student and I ran with the "in crowd" but I was also involved in lots of extraciricular activites, and I think that is the key.

 

[Kimberly]

According to my caculator, I've been able to find a solution to your nephew's problem. He should find different friends.

I've been a straight A student my entire life, and I am still very active with sports and various other groups in town. Does that make me a nerd? Not at all, because I am who I am, not what someone else wants me to be.

When did high schoolers start to think that only "nerds" get good grades? It has never been that way in my town, if anything we competed against each other. Good grades should be envied, not feared.

 

[golfgal]

Only the ones that act nerdy are looked upon as nerds in our town. Usually the best students in our schools are very active in extra-curricular activities and are "popular" kids. It isn't uncommon for middle school aged kids to think that they don't fit in because they get good grades. Unless your nephew is telling his friends what his grades are, they shouldn't know anyway.

 

[geffric]

My youngest son (7th grade) is a football player and , even if I do say so myself- MOM BRAG - , really cute, and he is one of the popular kids plus he has straight A's

 

[Deb in IA]

Friends come and go, but grades are there forever.

 

[coolmom99]

It has been a long time but from my experience it has nothing to do with getting good grades. If he dresses and acts like a nerd then he'll probably be considered a nerd and excluded regardless of grades.

 

[supercarrie]

In high school, it wasn't what grades a person got that defined him or her as a nerd. If they generally kept to themselves, didn't get involved in activities, and acted like the stereotypical "nerd" - then they were branded as such. Some of the most popular kids at my high school were top students. In fact a lot of the so-called "nerds" didn't even do well in high school!

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

See my tag.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I'm not sure about being considered a "nerd" by other kids, but last year my 12yo decided to start talking back around the house, not doing his chores, etc, because he didn't want to be considered "the perfect one" by his siblings. I thought that was pretty sad.

Sar far his grades are still good. I'm not sure if he's in the popular crowd or not, but he has quite a few kids. He used to be very reserved with other kids and only played with neighbors across the street who are older and younger than him (siblings), but now has lots of friends his age. He's in sports, which many kids think highly of. I'm hoping that he won't decide that good grades are not cool.

 

[Sparx]

Making good grades has nothing to do with being a nerd. being a nerd is being annoying about your good grades. least its that way around here.

 

[daisyduck123]

No, DD11, has so many friends that sometimes we don't even answer the phone because they call 10x a day, everyday. And to answer your question....she is a straight "A" student & smart (even skipped a grade...she's in 7th) but in no way a nerd. From what she tells me, she's in the "in" crowd. Is your nephew using this as an excuse? Maybe he just has the "wrong" kind of friends.

 

[Lessa of Pern]

My duaghter is a straight A student, high honor role, junion honor society member.

she's also a cheerleader.

and most of her firends are very smart, and also very cool.

 

[MELSMICE]

My DD's are all straight A students and all hang with an "in" crowd. They are involved in things & hang with the other straight A "in" kids.

 

[grinningghost]

Heck no! In fact, most of the smart kids at DD's school embrace the term "nerd". They have fun with it, rather than let it bug them. It's all in how you react to the word.

I'm a nerd. But in a cool non-Napolean Dynamite kinda way.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It has been a long time but from my experience it has nothing to do with getting good grades. If he dresses and acts like a nerd then he'll probably be considered a nerd and excluded regardless of grades.

Agree. It is about looks, actions, attitude and what you wear. It is how you carry yourself.

I think the not wanting to get good grades is not about that. Methinks something else is afoot.

 

[georgina]

deleted

 

[nwdisgal]

My DD gets straight A's,and she's not a nerd. I wouldn't worry about if she was because Bill Gates is a nerd. It certainly didn't hurt him.

 

[Twinkles6892]

Mine's not. They're only nerds if they think they are- what others think of them is not important.

You have a straight A student?

Nope, the smart kids are the cool kids at my school.