As a science student I can confirm "high intelligence" doesn't mean crap. From my own academic experience, "book smarts" will not get you anywhere, even in academia. A lot of people think biology is a soft science without acknowledging the fact that there are a lot of higher level math-intensive classes, and higher level biology is incomplete without mathematics.


In science, as you probably know, subjects are generally classified as either theoretical or practical. Theoretical subjects are more pen and paper, chalk and board types. "Book smarts" aren't useful there at all, because memorizing 'Kingdom plantae contains all multicellular, eukaryotic, photosynthetic plants' will not be useful, as there will be application-based questions, like,

"A statement of assertion is followed by a statement of reason. Determine whether they are correct.
1) Assertion : Algae and fungi are grouped under thallophya.
Reason : They show no thallus differentiation. "
Even this, is pretty introductory level compared to lab work students have to face in higher classes. So you shouldn't have 'book smarts' to be a good science student, you must have a passion to learn, let it be practical or theoretical. You must apply the theoretical knowledge to gain benefit from it. It is important to understand functional groups to eventually run tests for determination of organic compounds in the lab. And in science, lab work is what actually matters.

ShadowGX, I am one of the smartest folks in my college but unfortunately due to my mental illness I am not differentiated from others. And of course, other factors like victimization also come into play. Grades do not mean anything, except of course if they're consistent and get you admitted and you actually turn those book smarts into something good for the rest of the biosphere.