How to Be Smart

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Much of our media looks down on smart people. 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 in life.

Steps

1. Work on your vocabulary. Read good books, read and use a few definitions from the dictionary each day, or subscribe to a "word-of-the-day" service online. You can also take the vocabulary tests in Readers Digest or buy a book on increasing your working vocabulary.
   
2. Further your education. Get good grades if you're in school, you don't have to study all day long. Just make sure that you finish your home work. Believe it or not teachers will change your marks, depending on your behavior with them. If you're not in school, consider going back. Study hard. Do your homework. Show that you're willing to invest into your greatest capital-- your mind.
   
3. Watch the news and talk about recent things that have happened around the world.
   
4. Cultivate an interest in subjects like current events, interesting facts, funny and inspiring quotations, good books and movies, scientific studies and interesting inventions. Even educational television is a great way to learn about new things. People who have something to talk about other than their own internal problems and worries appear far smarter than most, and probably are.
   
5. Read good books. They will make you both appear and actually be smarter and reading really is fun. 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.
   
6. Be organized. Get a notebook or small digital planner to write down your homework assignments and write down the due dates. 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. in your planner.
   
7. 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. Keep an open mind.
   
8. Be nice to people. They may call you a nerd, a freak, a geek, or use a racial or homophobic slur, but in this case they really will only be jealous. Being nice to most people is also a sign of maturity and intelligence. Keep it up and people will notice, and so will you. Sometimes 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. Never insult anyone, gossip or hurt someone physically. Don't make offensive jokes.
   
9. Be friends with smart people who do all of the above. It will boost your self-esteem and your 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.
   
10. Know how to solve the Rubik's cube. It is easier than it appears if you learn tricks in visualizing the cube's geometry.
    
11. 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.
    

Tips

• Do not hesitate when someone asks you a question to which you don't know the answer. Instead ask the person back.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Exercise an Open Mind
  
• How to Be Organized
  
• How to Be a Nerd
  
• How to Improve Your Memory
  
• How to Become an Excellent Student
  

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