I am a member of Mensa...ask me anything

At what age did you join?

Does this actually mean anything or is it literally just a clever person's status symbol?

What is your measured IQ? Do you think IQ is a good measure of intelligence?

Just after my 20th birthday, if I remember correctly.

What do you have to do to get in? What is the criteria?

I think it is what you make it. I like the information that I have access to, the magazines, the newsletters and SIGs that I am part of - I haven't been to any of the meet ups yet though.

My measured IQ is 146. I'm not sure how good a measure IQ tests are, as they are a measure of a specific type of intelligence. I like to think of myself as quite intelligent, I am naturally academic, but lack some life skills. I know some people who probably wouldn't score high enough to get in to Mensa, but who I consider to be intelligent.

Your IQ score must be in the top 2% of the population, that's it really: http://www.mensa.org.uk/mensa/index.html

What's a reliable way of finding out my IQ?

You can contact Mensa to send out a test which you complete at home: http://www.mensa.org.uk/request_form.html

I can't remember whether you have to pay for them to grade it, but if your IQ comes back as being in the top 2% you will be invited to sit a supervised test, which leads to entry to Mensa if you are successful.

Other than that there are numerous online tests for free, but I'm not sure how accurate they are.

ETA: In response to Kharv's question

Why did you join?

Do you think the test is actually a good indication of intelligence?

See, I think I'm quite intelligent but I have no spacial awareness and get confuddled with logic questions ...

I joined because a series of bad decisions caused me to leave school at fourteen, which obviously meant I had no grades. A few years later, I was fed up with people assuming I was stupid, and I was starting to doubt myself. More than anything, I had to prove to myself that I was intelligent, and Mensa seemed a guaranteed test of my intelligence.

I think it is a good indicator of a specific type of intelligence, but also accept that intelligence comes in many forms.

How much does it cost to be a member?

Did you ever go back to school/college?

It's been £40 a year for the last few years, but this year it has gone up to £42.

Yes. I now have my Higher English and Maths, a HNC and DipHE in Management, and complete a BA in Business Studies in January...funny how the world works, as most of my friends who stayed on to do highers have never gone any further.

MY I agree. And it's the answer I'll give my husband tonight! We often do the crappy IQ apps.

Would you rather have a higher IQ or a higher bank balance?

It's a hard one to answer, depends on the bank balance I suppose. If you asked whether I would rather have an IQ high enough to be in Mensa, or win the lottery, I would probably say lottery, but that's only because I don't know any different. I think I am very lucky to be naturally academic. I used to spend my weekends drinking and smoking dope (among other things) but still aced little in-class tests when my friends were struggling, they used to get frustrated at how easily I picked things up and retained the information. I can't imagine having to read something a dozen times for it to really sink in. I think that if you took away my high IQ, I would probably realise what I was missing and trade anything in the world to get it back. As it is at the moment, because I don't know any different, I don't think I value it enough and so would probably take the money.

Not sure if that makes any sense at all.

Did you know Mensa run week long camps for gifted and talented children from as young as 12 now? (My niece is 13 and has been on one this summer.) What do you think of such imortance being placed on IQ/intelligence at such a young age?

I wasn't aware of that actually, it's interesting. I think that it can create quite a divide, I was often singled out in primary (not in a picked on way, just different) for being intelligent. I was in a maths/english group with only one other girl, and had to go in to the class above for my tests. I enjoyed being clever at that age, but when I went to secondary school I hid my intelligence from others, so I wouldn't raise my hand, would answer incorrectly on purpose, etc.

I think that if your niece enjoys the camp, makes friends there and wants to go then it can only be a good thing. I wish I had been strong enough as a child to not be ashamed of being clever, and maybe if I had a group like that it would have made a difference.

I think so too. She is quite shy and is labelled "geeky" a lot of the time at school, even though she goes to a good private school. Her 2 sisters are clever too but not at her level, they are also very girly and into clothes, make up etc where she is not so I think she feels a bit lost a lot of the time. For these reasons, she loved camp and being with kids like herself. She has made some good friends from it and cant wait till next year already! My sisters been told in no uncertain terms which dates not to book the family holday on!?

That sounds great Vanillapod, in that situation I totally agree with it. I just think that some pushy parents will force their children to go, obviously that isn't the case with your niece ?

I think (or it was in her case) the children who attend are chosen by the school. Or maybe they reccomend it based on exam results etc? I know it was through school she ended up going though.

What do you think about 2 year olds being 'members'?

https://www.msn.com/

I don't agree with it, in the same way that I don't agree with two year olds being baptised. A two year old cannot choose to be a member, so shouldn't be. Intelligence is incredibly subjective at that age also.

Mr RB has an IQ of 147. He was tested at uni at the same time as being tested for dyslexia. He'd managed to get all the way through school without anyone realising, but then struggled a bit with his short term memory at uni.

I think it only measures a certain type of intelligence. For example, Mr RB is rubbish at mental arithmetic!

I just did this

He is of average intelligence, but isn't intimidated, I can be very clumsy where he is co-ordinated, so he has his aeras where he outstrips me too. I get very frustrated with people not remembering details, and it is only in the last few years that I have begun to realise that I have an exceptional memory, as opposed to everyone else being deliberately forgetful. Sometimes I find myself about to moan about something and I have to stop and remind myself that people can't be expected to remember a conversation we had two years ago, if that makes sense?

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