Chris Martin says his school days were "good preparation" for being famous.

The singer admitted that his peers either though he was musically talented or an idiot.

He believes the way he was treated when he was growing up often reflects how he is regarded by the public now.

"Even at school I was probably quite derisive. Some people thought I was very talented and some people thought I was the biggest t**ser on Earth," he said in an interview with Q magazine. "It's funny because I thought once I had left school I'd make it through that and then I realised it's just a microcosm of life. It's just like a big playground. It was good preparation."

The Coldplay frontman also thinks fame has helped him understand more about the world.

However, he confessed that so much exposure has meant that he's seen some of the nastier sides of people.

"Do I have a dimmer view of the world [now I'm famous]? No, probably a broader view of the extremes," he explained. I've been in more places, seen more stuff. I feel like there's a lot of things and great people so I have a brighter view of the, but I have a dimmer view of the a**eholes, some of whom I've met."