Was Maria a good student?

[SBianca]

I know Olga was generally considered the most studious of the sisters, and that Tatiana was pretty close. But what about Maria? I imagine she must have been smart, but does anyone know if she applied herself? Any mentions of her schoolwork and its quality in letters, etc?....

[Ally Kumari]

Maria was an average student, who could do her work carefully, but was never really interested. She prefered day-dreaming. What she enjoyed were probably lessons of drawing.

[SBianca]

How can I blame her? Art is so much more interesting!

[Countess Adrienn Bellér]

As I read, she was very lazy, but love arts ^^ And she wrote with her left hand like me...so she was an artist ^^

[Sarushka]

And she wrote with her left hand like me...

Maria wrote with her right hand and sketched with her left.

[Countess Adrienn Bellér]

Thank you for the correction ^^

Then...she was originally used her left hand, but because of the old tradition she have to study to write with her right? Cause my uncle was have to, and I heard from old women that they have to use her rights but they were orogially lefts ^^

[Sarushka]

Then...she was originally used her left hand, but because of the old tradition she have to study to write with her right? Cause my uncle was have to, and I heard from old women that they have to use her rights but they were orogially lefts ^^

That's very common, but I'm not sure if it was the case with Maria Nikolaevna. She may have shown an early preference for her left hand and had it "corrected" or it may have been a personal quirk that she preferred to sketch left-handed. None of the sources I've read specify how that came about.

[SBianca]

Hmm...so she was kind of ambidextrious?

[Olga Maria]

Yes, she’s ambidextrous. I adore her because it’s difficult to be one!
I wonder where their Math teacher (Sobolev) has gone. He didn’t even mind to show up each of the GDsses’ achievements!
Maria is not so graceful a dancer—unlike Tatiana and Olga.

[RealAnastasia]

I didn't know she was ambidextrous! It's great. Leonardo da Vinci was ambidextrous too, so, Maria was in good company!  Yes; the man could draw admirabily with both hands AT THE SAME TIME.

RealAnastasia