Depressed because of my IQ

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Please, c700, don´t skip your interests!
What you´re interested in will usually be what you´re good at! You say yourself, that you understood the structure of rocket machines at five. That is a gift and a proof of a logical mind.

IQ measures separate areas and is highly dependant on mood that day. You´ll get different results from period to period. You could glance over the thread, "Could I boost my IQ".

Listen! Few become "einsteins". Honest working scientists can make fine contributions.
So, skip your worries! Get your degree and embrace your ambitions!

IQ tests measure intelligence from a neurotypical bias .... good communication/language skills, working memory etc are required to do well on a lot of IQ tests. I was reading a book by Temple Grandin yesterday who was blasting IQ tests as an excuse to label some autistic people as intellectually challenged, when the flaw lies in the test, not the autist. (I may have exaggerated Dr Grandin's words ... she's a far more tactful lady than I am.)

Don't forget your black and white thinking is likely contributing to your need for intellectual perfection to attain your goals. Realistically, no-one can be a genius at everything and you don't have to be the best in the universe at something to still contribute significantly to science.

It's true that you may have difficulty in some areas of the test because of reasons that have nothing to do with your actual intelligence, but that is true of other aptitude tests that DO matter for your future career, too. Don't worry about the IQ test, but if you struggle in taking standardized tests, you should get an SAT or GRE tutor (whichever test is coming up for you). Those tests do test, in part, how well you can take the test, and it's best to give yourself enough tome to practice and learn if you know that could be a hinderance for you. Standardized aptitude tests matter A LOT when it comes to grad school admissions, sometimes more than grades.

The only factor that is going to determine whether or not you are a good researcher is whether or not you are a good researcher.

IQ means nothing as far as accomplishment is concerned. It's supposed to measure "potential."

It's what you do because of, or despite, your IQ, that has real, substantive meaning.

^Exactly. To me, IQ is just a number that says nothing about who you really are.

Also, I may be wrong about this, but a lot of scientists don't have extremely high IQ. They often have higher than average IQ, but nothing extreme. One of the keys to success in the sciences is persistence, and another is motivation. Working on executive function skills may be very useful.

Who gave you the idea that you need to have extremely high IQ to be a researcher?

Yes, the results were disappointing. We always hope for better.

So, you may need to work harder to achieve your goals. Grit and determination are the true determiners of success. Nothing important in my life has ever been easy. And that is a true gift.

As far as careers go, IQ tests are only one way to measure your aptitude in that career. There are lots of other variables, such as your talent in that field, how well you understand it, previous success/failures in that field, ect. If everything else is fine, then I would say go for it, although you can fine tune what exactly it is you want out of your career and you can shoot lower if you have to.

I totally forgot to mention that I have some experience with this topic, partly through work and partly because I know a bunch of people who did Ph.d.s in various subjects.

The absolutely key factor in research work is diligence. A lot of people fail to complete their projects either because they are not sufficiently self-disciplined or because they fall into the inevitable will-I-ever-finish-this or all-my-work-is-crap depressions and don't manage to pull themselves out of them. This is why love of your subject is crucial, and why you need to work on systems for dealing with executive function problems.

Never mind the IQ, as long as it is not abnormally low you're ok.

A person's IQ doesn't mean much to me. You also seem like a very bright person. I'm also not a very big fan of the IQ threads that pop up from time to time.

^^I totally agree, Cockney.

With a mind like yours, you are going to deprive science of your gifts? It's obvious you know what is needed. Your vocabulary shows you have beyond an average knowledge of the subject matter. I know. I worked in education. I want to see you go forward.