Math Is Fun Forum

Identity

Member

Registered: 2007-04-18

Posts: 934

Talking to people about scores

Recently everyone got their scores for their end of year exams and I got a pretty high scores which I'm over the moon with. However, lots of my friends weren't so lucky. Then again, some of my friends also did better than me.

Sometimes when I chat with some of my less fortunate friends about results I feel that mentioning mine after theirs is being a bit harsh and unfriendly somehow...
"Well I got xx%"
"Congratz, that's a great score! I got yy%"      // Implying my score is greater

That's in the good cases. In the bad cases when I can tell they're upset about their results, what can I do?? In those cases do I congratulate them for their results, or would they take offense?? If I mention my score I feel I could be discouraging them. And if they ask me for it then I'm not sure how to put a dampener on it if you know what I mean.

"Man I'm so gutted, I got xx%"
"           "              //  if i say 'hey congratz', it sounds wrong, and if i say 'man that drags', it sounds insulting
"How did you go?"
"           "             // now i will sound ever ruder

i will never understand socialising

how do nerds deal with it? (and i don't mean sheldon nerds)

Last edited by Identity (2009-12-17 16:21:50)

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Talking to people about scores

Hi identity;

Having never been in the situation of outscoring anyone, I feel that I am the most qualified to answer this question. Clearly, you should gloat. Rub their noses in it. Constantly find ways to interject into any conversation the fact that you ran over them. Who needs friends anyway? Let me give you an example. In a discussion about primes, you can blurt out, "hey did you guys know that my test score of 97 is a prime?"  See, what I mean?

Oh, and by the way, I just recently suggested to a teacher I was talking with that test scores should be randomly handed back without any names connected to them. Totally jumbled so that no one can determine how they did. This equalizes the class, don't you think? He said he would propose it to the school board.

Okay, all kidding aside, that is a tough problem. But if you can deal with the fact that some people scored higher than you, so can they. You should be proud that you did well. I congratulate you. Being proud of your achievement and being humble at the same time that is what you should strive for.  I think you can.

---

In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Identity

Member

Registered: 2007-04-18

Posts: 934

Re: Talking to people about scores

lol yeah I guess i'm worrying too much about it, I don't know why but I'm quite self-conscious about it

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: Talking to people about scores

Take a subject that you can do badly at, so you can add "... but I got 41% in Advanced Breadmaking".

My advice: be proud of your scores, but your pride is inside you, and you do not need other peoples approval to make yourself feel good.

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

mathsyperson

Moderator

Registered: 2005-06-22

Posts: 4,900

Re: Talking to people about scores

If your score is significantly better than theirs, I'd not mention it unless they ask you first.
Bringing it up on your own is bragging, but if they ask you then you're simply answering a question.
Saying "Oh, I shouldn't tell you, it'll make you feel terrible" will likely make them feel terrible.
Answer their question, they'll congratulate you and a minute later you'll be on a different subject.

When my friends had a bad exam result, I'd sometimes mention that it was worth 2/3 of a percent of their entire degree. Maybe showing people how insignificant the exam is by itself would help.

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Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.

Identity

Member

Registered: 2007-04-18

Posts: 934

Re: Talking to people about scores

Thanks, I think that's good advice

Patrick

Real Member

Registered: 2006-02-24

Posts: 1,005

Re: Talking to people about scores

I usually just respond with stuff like:
-"Oh, okay. Are you not satisfied with that?"
--"No, I had expected to do a lot better"
-"Okay, well... Anything in you found hard in particular?"
--"Yeah, I had trouble with the..."
-"That drags.. well, we can run trough some examples if you want."
blablabla

Normally I keep asking questions, to avoid the "how about you?", but then again I don't really feel people get upset when I tell them I got a higher score.

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