Growing up the smart kid isn't as great as it may seem. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate my intellect immensely now, but other kids don't really understand the importance and value of intelligence until college. As a child and even to senior year of high school, you are identified as the nerd, geek, dweeb, book-lover, and the person who cares too much about their grades, all in a condescending way. It made me want to hide that I was smart and pretend that I didn't care as much about grades. Unfortunately, those that are smart can be intimidating and society can knock smart kids down at a young age.

When I was in second grade, I was pulled from all of my classes to take a four-hour exam to determine whether or not my IQ was high enough to classify me as a genius. When I got back to my classroom, I was made fun of because I was allowed to skip class for the "smart kid test." As a senior in high school, I went to a party and someone was surprised that I was there because, "I thought you were smart." Wait, so because I am smart, I'm not supposed to be social? Yes, I am smart, but believe it or not, I do have friends, and no they are not books (even if books are better than people sometimes).

Society should be creating a positive environment for kids to thrive in. At some point along the line, other kids are taught to think that intelligence isn't necessarily "cool." Being the smart kid shouldn't be something that anyone should ever feel ashamed of, but the "nerds" are bullied and picked on. People found me weird or intimidating because of how much I knew about random things. I was also the kid who had read every book in the library. I loved learning and knowledge. There were times where I hid my intelligence to try and relate better to my classmates. That included hiding my test grades or only renting one book at the library when we went as a class, but using my study hall to swap out my one book for a couple more. Why? Other kids scoffed when the teacher returned an exam and saw a high grade on my paper. When I walked out with stacks of books from the library, kids laughed at me and asked why I was so intrigued with words on paper. I still thrived academically, but it was something I spent more time keeping quiet than being proud of. There are times when kids get so wrapped up in how their peers view them, that they lose their love for learning entirely. They quit, give up, and stop learning. Their intelligence decreases substantially. Think about how many impressively intelligent brains could exist if they weren't made fun of for their intelligence, but supported. Maybe other kids who weren't incredibly smart, but still smart would push to be more intelligent instead of settling for the norm.

People tend not to value intellect until college. It isn't until then that reality sets in and people realize that being smart can get you places in life. It wasn't until college that I felt comfortable being my dweeby, science-y, pharmacy-loving self. Hopefully the nerd stigma can end and the 13-year-old kids with their nose in a book feel a little less like an outcast and a little bit more like someone with a lot to offer the world.