I'm not being proud or anything but compared to most of my mates while in primary school through secondary and now in the university, I and any observer could agree that I was way above the average when it comes to academics.

In other words I was quite intelligent and grabs concepts faster than most of my classmates. Like everyone else, there were some hurdles but I do come out at the top of the class every time.

For any other person, you may feel I have no problems after teachers like you, hell they love and admire you, your grades are good at all times, your parents are proud and many students respects you.

But there are many challenges that a brilliant student faces and even out of school, you still face them.

1. The you 'have two heads' syndrome

For lack of a better title, I'd call this the you have two heads syndrome. Most students think because you are at the top of the class, your brain is larger or you have some sort of biological or inherent advantage which makes everything easy for you.

But they don't know that the brilliant guy struggle as much as they do. The difference is only in motivation and how they spend their time. A sharp guy will practice and practice. Even in secondary while most of my friends will be sleeping, I have already developed the art of reading till daybreak or covering topics while they discuss outside or chase after girls.

Any good thing comes at a price and goes only to those who are willing to pay that price.

2. The pride syndrome

As a brilliant student you can't 'yab' or 'insult' other students as they will do to one another. You'll be labeled as proud and stuff.

I learned too late that one of the best ways to be thrown out of the group and have fewer friends is to insult other students around academics.

When we do playful capping or what we popular call yabbing, they'd insult you to any level but once you take it to academic level, it suddenly changes from play to the you are proud.

Guy,you don't even need to yab anyone to be labelled 'proud'. As long as you're an introvert who is intelligent,you automatically become a proud person in their eyes. Happens everywhere.