"I went to school, I went to college. I know how to read. Even though I lack common sense sometimes, I am book smart"
About this Quote
The key move is the split between “common sense” and “book smart,” a hierarchy Americans love to argue about because it doubles as a class tell. “Book smart” signals credentials and basic competence; “common sense” is the folksy, masculine-coded virtue that lets people dismiss educated women as impractical or clueless. Polizzi flips that trap into a controlled confession: yes, she can be ridiculous, and yes, she’s still legitimately capable.
Context matters: early 2010s reality stardom came with a constant undertone of contempt. Polizzi’s public identity was built on excess and comedic chaos, but the business side of that fame required precision. This quote is brand management dressed as self-deprecation. She’s insisting on a fuller humanity without breaking the character that made her famous, a neat reminder that being “smart” on TV often means knowing exactly how you’re being read.
Quote Details
| Topic | Knowledge |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Polizzi, Nicole. (2026, January 18). I went to school, I went to college. I know how to read. Even though I lack common sense sometimes, I am book smart. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-went-to-school-i-went-to-college-i-know-how-to-20792/
Chicago Style
Polizzi, Nicole. "I went to school, I went to college. I know how to read. Even though I lack common sense sometimes, I am book smart." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-went-to-school-i-went-to-college-i-know-how-to-20792/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I went to school, I went to college. I know how to read. Even though I lack common sense sometimes, I am book smart." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-went-to-school-i-went-to-college-i-know-how-to-20792/. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.







