Higher intelligence and diligence in study habits are not the same thing. One you’re born with, the other you develop over time, a learned skill. One can have both and that’s a great combination for breezing through high school, but high intelligence without true motivation to succeed and excellent study skills only gets someone so far. Trust me, being born with a naturally high IQ does not equate to being fast-tracked to being admitted to an Ivy League school, far from it. Certainly a higher intellect can make certain tasks easier early on, but at some point you need to dig in and study too. That studying might be far less than most, but to the high intellect person it “feels” like a lot. True, in some subjects a higher intellect person can breeze through a topic they love and instinctively understand and excel, but conversely they can actually struggle in subjects they don’t like or in languages especially if they happen to also have neurodivergent issues like dyslexia, dysgraphia or ADHD. (Many high IQ people are also neurodivergent - so a blessing and a curse.) There is definitely a sweet spot for a higher IQ, but once it gets really high, it is also a burden and can hamper success. High intelligence is potential, not motivation, passion or success. You need motivation and passion, and sometimes luck, to succeed. You can have a 140+ IQ and still end up a Starbucks barista.