If someone has a 2:1 English literature degree , would you say they are very intelligent/academic?

[Curiousss]

Just basically this question, curious to know what people think.

Average. I got a 2:1 and I'm definitely average academically.

I got a 2:1 in English from Oxford 40 years ago but I feel certain my 3 children who got Firsts there in Maths, History and Classics are all cleverer than me.

It's not what they know, it's the way they think - I couldn't do that at their age

Of course it is!

Some people choose NOT to go to a RG or to Oxbridge but are bright.

Some people went to poor performing secondary schools/ colleges and take a bit longer to mature academically

Some people are very bright but don’t apply themselves

Some people have life struggles during university and don’t do as well as they are able

Some people are incredibly bright but have learning difficulties

Should I go on?

Well no more than someone who chooses not to have a degree, all a degree proves is you have a degree

Not necessarily - the bar for higher education is very low these days, and you really don't know what the grades mean anymore (firsts handed out like sweets plus it's almost impossible to fail).

IQ tests are not a marker of someone’s true intelligence or cognitive abilities, and they are definitely becoming outdated, and hopefully will become obsolete. And you can absolutely train for an IQ test, so hardly a true indicator of someone’s true intelligence. It’s ever so cringeworthy when people offer their IQ score, to show everyone how “intelligent” they are.

Yes, I know this.

All I was saying is that Oxford is no different to other universities in the number of Firsts.

Intelligence isn't a single thing. And it certainly isn't measured by educational attainment. Which is, as Pp have said, very multifactorial.

But asking whether you are intelligent because you have got this degree strikes me as lacking in intelligence (sorry!). Because really bright people don't think they're bright (opposite of Dunning-kruger) as they know how much more there is to know. If you are holding up your degree as a sign of intelligence is frankly embarrassing.

It wouldn't matter to me what the subject is, or where the degree is from. I don't think a degree is a mark of intelligence, or a Masters for that matter. The OP said would I think they were academic, no. To me an academic person has a PHD or works in research. Just my opinion, why do you care?

They might be, they might not. I'm.not really sure I correlate grades with intelligence. Academically inclined, maybe.

Being intelligent isn’t synonymous with having a degree. I’ve met lots of people with degrees who are dim and lack common sense, and plenty without degrees who are very bright.

So no, I wouldn’t assume someone was intelligent because they had a 2:1 in English lit.

The most intelligent people that I have interacted with, actually don’t think of themselves like that, and don’t talk about themselves in that way, as in, not pointing out their educational achievements or intellectual abilities.

Very true

English Literature is just the subject they studied, not an indication of their cast of mind.

I have one from St Andrews, over 20 years ago. Only one person in my year got a first (I nearly did, gah!)

I used to be very clever - I didn't really go to many tutorials or lectures but liked the library and writing essays so did pretty well anyway. Sadly I'm definitely average now, I have killed a lot of brain cells since then.

Yes

I work for a RG uni and I’d consider them average but capable. My students who get firsts are quite smart and hardworking. I wouldn’t knock it. It’s a good degree, but more average amongst people who went to uni.

That said, I have really clever students who struggle with their mental health or family issues or whatever who could get a first but end up with a 2:1 because they can’t apply themselves, even with extensions and support. So that says very little about how bright they are.

I would say it proves they are well read, able to express themselves clearly in writing, and able to comprehend what they read.
Which would hopefully translate to being able to read an email or a Mumsnet thread and understand it on the first attempt.
This in my book would make them more intelligent than many of the people I work with and an alarming proportion of Mumsnet.

So yes, fairly intelligent.

Obviously it's possible to be intelligent without a degree. The two things can both be true.

I might have taught you.😀

I think it's desperately sad that you care so much about how it makes you look to other people.

Just get on with your life.

No.

fwiw though, I do automatically assume anyone calling any degree a Mickey Mouse degree is not v intelligent

Depends on the context.
In general, yes... because they are in the minority in the UK in terms of education.
But out of all university educated people then they would be average, as yes, there are may people with firsts and then with masters and or phds.. etc etc.
But we shouldn't forget that having any degree at any level actually puts you in the most highly educated percentage of people in the UK.
I do think people forget that sometimes..
Some people on this thread need to take their heads out of their arses.
Having a 2:1 is a massive achievement in the real world. Not everyone sails through life in a middle class bubble. In fact the majority do not.

It's hard to say. Which uni technically doesn't matter - according to grade standardisation, a first from the open university should count for the same as a first from e.g. Bristol uni, the only exceptions that I know of being Oxbridge which grade according to their own system. A 2:1 doesn't suggest exceptionally brilliant or exceptionally low intelligence. That being said, I've met people who have a 1st an aren't particularly bright, just very hard workers. Likewise, I know people who are really smart and dropped out of school at 16.

Oh dear, I got my 2:1 from Roehampton (which was part of Surrey University at the time - not sure if it still is), and it was English Language and Linguistics combined with Psychology rather than English Lit. But it was 25 years ago if that makes any difference 😂

I'd say I'm of average intelligence, but the older I get, the less intelligent I feel because although I am amassing more knowledge all the time, it just makes me realise how much I still don't know, if that makes sense.

I've got a 2:1 from Leeds in English. A long, long time ago. Only two people got 1sts in my year and they were both mature students!

I wouldn't say I'm particularly intelligent whatever that means. But I loved reading books, researching, learning new stuff........