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From: nancy@sdcc3.UUCP (Nancy )
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: Titles
Message-ID: <3178@sdcc3.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 2-Mar-86 20:48:28 EST
Article-I.D.: sdcc3.3178
Posted: Sun Mar  2 20:48:28 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 4-Mar-86 03:51:15 EST
References: <4514@kestrel.ARPA> <3407@nsc.UUCP> <276@sdcc7.UUCP> <499@tekig5.UUCP> <214@ulowell.UUCP>
Organization: U.C. San Diego, Academic Computer Center
Lines: 36
Summary: high school (or younger) geniuses


I agree there are some valid child geniuses who could know
more than their teachers. But these are few and far between.
I used to tutor Pre-Calculus in college as well as be available
for private tutoring and had an encounter with a pre-teen
computer genius. 

My pupils was 12. He had already completed with
A's the two primary college CS courses : PASCAL programming
and ASSEMBLY programming. However, he knew nothing about
math. I would judge him to be about on an eighth grade
level. He did not know what a line is - we had to spend
out first session together going over plugging in points
on a line. I remember doing this in eighth grade. He failed
the first quiz and subsequently dropped the class.

He also told me about his first programming class when he
was eight. He wanted to kill himself when he couldn't finish
his programs. Is it normal for eight year olds to be
suicidal? Eighteen year olds, god yes, are suicidal, especially
if they're in college, but eight year olds?

This boy had a very aggressive mother. She was very proud
of having such a genius for a son. I think he is behind 
most children his age now instead of ahead of them. 









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