--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I tell people I'm a space scientist…" description: "\"When I tell people I'm a space scientist studying asteroids, they sometimes assume I'm a super-smart math whiz. The kind of person who skipped a bunch ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/056/carrie-nugent-18083_good_when-i-tell-people-i-m-a-space-scientist_1990359.jpg" --- # When I tell people I'm a space scientist studying… ![“When I tell people I'm a space scientist studying asteroids, they sometimes assume I'm a super-smart math whiz. The kind of person who skipped a bunch of grades and went to college when they were sixteen. Although I am good at math, school was difficult for me, and I didn't get straight A's.” quote by Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/056/carrie-nugent-18083_good_when-i-tell-people-i-m-a-space-scientist_1990359.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/056/carrie-nugent-18083_good_when-i-tell-people-i-m-a-space-scientist_1990359.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/056/carrie-nugent-18083_good_when-i-tell-people-i-m-a-space-scientist_1990359.jpg) > “When I tell people I'm a space scientist studying asteroids, they sometimes assume I'm a super-smart math whiz. The kind of person who skipped a bunch of grades and went to college when they were sixteen. Although I am good at math, school was difficult for me, and I didn't get straight A's.” [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often equate expertise with academic shortcuts; true competence includes perseverance despite setbacks. **In simple terms:** Skill isn’t just about early success. Key Takeaway Embrace learning curves. Themes education stereotypes resilience Mood inspirational reflective Type career personal development When to use this quote - career advancement - STEM fields - public speaking Key Concepts Impostor syndrome growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - How do you define expertise beyond grades? - What can you learn from non‑linear career paths? A Different Perspective Early achievement isn’t the only path to expertise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asteroids Assume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asteroids-assume-3446858/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-math/) [Grades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grades/) [I am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-am/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Smart Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart-math-3446859/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Studying Asteroids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/studying-asteroids-1189012/) [Went College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/went-college-308324/) ## Related quotes > [I love studying asteroids because they are relatively simple, just rocks in space. They can be understood with physics and described with elegant equations.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/i-love-studying-asteroids-because-they-are-relatively-simple-just/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [Becoming a scientist is a long journey, and at every step, I found projects that were exciting, motivating me to continue. My path was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/becoming-a-scientist-is-a-long-journey-and-at-every-step-i-found/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [I was smart , But then math happend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-smart-but-then-math-happend/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Mathematics is the only good metaphysics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-kelvin/mathematics-is-the-only-good-metaphysics/) [Lord Kelvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-kelvin/) > [People in the media and press often say they've never been good at math. It might be that people that consider themselves creative didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sal-khan/people-in-the-media-and-press-often-say-they-ve-never-been-good-at/) [Sal Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sal-khan/) > [I was never good at math.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-ross/i-was-never-good-at-math/) [Rick Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-ross/) > [I am too good for philosophy and not good enough for physics. Mathematics is in between.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/i-am-too-good-for-philosophy-and-not-good-enough-for-physics/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [I joke around all the time, 'I'm Asian; I'm really good at math.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-song/i-joke-around-all-the-time-i-m-asian-i-m-really-good-at-math/) [Brenda Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-song/) > [I wanted to become president, and I wanted to become an astronaut. Because I was really good at math.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-embiid/i-wanted-to-become-president-and-i-wanted-to-become-an-astronaut/) [Joel Embiid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-embiid/) > [I was good at math, math was my thing - but I was not nearly good enough to be an astrophysicist. I was way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-trammell/i-was-good-at-math-math-was-my-thing-but-i-was-not-nearly-good-enough/) [Sam Trammell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-trammell/) > [I was particularly good at math and science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-standish-knowles/i-was-particularly-good-at-math-and-science/) [William Standish Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-standish-knowles/) > [Why should I refuse a good dinner simply because I don't understand the digestive processes involved?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-heaviside/why-should-i-refuse-a-good-dinner-simply-because-i-don-t-understand/) [Oliver Heaviside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-heaviside/) > [The Good Lord made all the integers; the rest is man's doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leopold-kronecker/the-good-lord-made-all-the-integers-the-rest-is-man-s-doing/) [Leopold Kronecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leopold-kronecker/) > [In high school I was good at math and everybody wanted me to do something with that - mathematics or engineering - which was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-owens/in-high-school-i-was-good-at-math-and-everybody-wanted-me-to-do/) [Laura Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-owens/) > [A good mathematical joke is better, and better mathematics, than a dozen mediocre papers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/a-good-mathematical-joke-is-better-and-better-mathematics-than-a/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) ## More by Carrie Nugent > [There are all these interesting rules about asteroid nomenclature. Once you discover it, you have the right to name it, but there's a catch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/there-are-all-these-interesting-rules-about-asteroid-nomenclature/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [NEOWISE needed a cryogen coolant to keep its sensors cool, and that ran out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/neowise-needed-a-cryogen-coolant-to-keep-its-sensors-cool-and-that/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [We've actually named asteroids for other famous women in history, like Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, and Sojourner Truth. But it's really this Malala one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/we-ve-actually-named-asteroids-for-other-famous-women-in-history-like/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [An asteroid impact in the worst case scenario is a terrifying thing. It seems very uncontrollable: in popular culture, it's often a metaphor for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/an-asteroid-impact-in-the-worst-case-scenario-is-a-terrifying-thing/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [Back in the day, I've heard, particularly with the near-Earth asteroids, there were some asteroid hunters that knew the names of every one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/back-in-the-day-i-ve-heard-particularly-with-the-near-earth-asteroids/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [Certainly what happened to the dinosaurs was not good - that was a terrible day for the dinosaurs, very sad. But I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/certainly-what-happened-to-the-dinosaurs-was-not-good-that-was-a/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [The best thing to do is to study these asteroids so we know the range of parameters we would have to deal with and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/the-best-thing-to-do-is-to-study-these-asteroids-so-we-know-the-range/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [Changing the asteroid's velocity changes the time when the asteroid crosses Earth's orbit. After all, just because it crosses Earth's path doesn't mean there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/changing-the-asteroid-s-velocity-changes-the-time-when-the-asteroid/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [If we found a hazardous asteroid, we could nudge it out of the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/if-we-found-a-hazardous-asteroid-we-could-nudge-it-out-of-the-way/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [One of the reasons NEOWISE is so valuable is that it sees the sky in the thermal infrared. That means that instead of seeing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/one-of-the-reasons-neowise-is-so-valuable-is-that-it-sees-the-sky-in/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [I think the public perception about asteroids is that they're kind of metaphors for acts of God, the fact that we have no control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/i-think-the-public-perception-about-asteroids-is-that-they-re-kind-of/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [There are physical bodies, physical worlds that astronauts could visit, that we haven't found yet. Especially, there's these close approaches of asteroids. They pass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/there-are-physical-bodies-physical-worlds-that-astronauts-could-visit/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [Becoming a scientist is a long journey, and at every step, I found projects that were exciting, motivating me to continue. My path was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/becoming-a-scientist-is-a-long-journey-and-at-every-step-i-found/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [Most astronomical work has to do with things that are very, very far away and don't affect our lives very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/most-astronomical-work-has-to-do-with-things-that-are-very-very-far/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) > [NEOCam wouldn't need cryogen, and it would also be able to see entirely new areas of space. It can scan the sky in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-nugent/neocam-wouldn-t-need-cryogen-and-it-would-also-be-able-to-see/) [Carrie Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) [Explore all 35 Carrie Nugent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-nugent/) ## More Good quotes > [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/) [Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/) > [Today I didn't even have to even use my A.K ! I got to say it was a good day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/today-i-didn-t-even-have-to-even-use-my-a-k-i-got-to-say-it-was-a/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [If you want to edit your photos and make yourself look different, go for it. That is up to you, but in my opinion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-list/if-you-want-to-edit-your-photos-and-make-yourself-look-different-go/) [Peyton List](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-list/) > [I met Rajini sir after 'Jigarthanda,' and he said he liked my film. He told me I could approach him whenever I had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karthik-subbaraj/i-met-rajini-sir-after-jigarthanda-and-he-said-he-liked-my-film-he/) [Karthik Subbaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karthik-subbaraj/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [Sometimes I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I'm in a good mood. It's like everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricky/sometimes-i-m-in-a-bad-mood-sometimes-i-m-in-a-good-mood-it-s-like/) [Tricky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricky/) > [Eric Clapton's scales - when he comes off a high note and it's time for a refrain or a little bit of a rest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rea/eric-clapton-s-scales-when-he-comes-off-a-high-note-and-it-s-time-for/) [Chris Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rea/) > [I studied all kinds of dance, all types of music. I got good grades. I started hitting the recording studio around 13.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-derulo/i-studied-all-kinds-of-dance-all-types-of-music-i-got-good-grades-i/) [Jason Derulo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-derulo/) > [Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. I'm still very shy. Music opened up doors. I would get to my choir class,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-fonsi/everybody-has-their-cliques-and-i-was-very-shy-i-m-still-very-shy/) [Luis Fonsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-fonsi/) > [My only close-to-game-plan is to follow good writing. If the writing is in TV or if it's in theater or in film, that's it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-driver/my-only-close-to-game-plan-is-to-follow-good-writing-if-the-writing/) [Adam Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-driver/) > [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [I think I am against stereotype. Generally, Asian guys are more quiet - they study and have a good work ethic. Generally, I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-lee/i-think-i-am-against-stereotype-generally-asian-guys-are-more-quiet/) [Bobby Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-lee/) > [I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthijs-de-ligt/i-ask-for-tips-for-advice-what-i-have-also-learnt-is-that-i-need-to/) [Matthijs de Ligt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthijs-de-ligt/) > [I thought I fought a really good Orlando Salido. I never let him get into his fight. I knew what I needed to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikey-garcia/i-thought-i-fought-a-really-good-orlando-salido-i-never-let-him-get/) [Mikey Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikey-garcia/) [Browse all 40,882 Good quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I tell people I'm a space scientist studying asteroids, they sometimes assume I'm a super-smart math whiz. The kind of person who skipped a bunch of grades and went to college when they were sixteen. 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