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In A Class Full Of Geniuses

AuBurney Tuckerson

~GigglesTheAutisticHyena~
College biology is so god dang hard! It's like I'm the only dumb kid in a class full of GENIUSES! I can barely understand a thing, and I'm always the only one who needs help or has a bunch of questions! Could this be due to my mental disability? Cause I'm tired of staring angrily at these nerds with jealousy all the time. For once, I want to be the smart one. I feel like I should be in special ed! I'm always the last one to finish! It's enough I have non friends in any of my classes, and I'm not really worried about that. But when I'm the only dumb kid in class, and I can't get the teacher's attention, I'll fail!
 
From my perspective that's something MANY college students face. I know I sure did. It was tough, too. That exact point in time when you look around in class and realize you aren't the smartest person in the room.

College is NOT an extension of secondary school. It's in a completely different "league". Where you're more prone to discovering many more people around you who truly want to learn and aren't there simply to kill time. Where many instructors are indifferent as to whether you master the subject matter or not.

It's true. Odds are indeed that there are plenty of students who are smarter than you. Though in time you might also find there are also plenty who are simply projecting that image to the instructor to mask the same insecurities as well.

However.

You may adjust over time to where you suddenly realize that you are also one of those nerds you once despised. But it won't happen overnight either. Hang in there and don't give up. Having a rough time in the beginning of college is par for the course with most people. It's quite an adjustment in the academic sense. Especially for freshman attending a major university. Where they don't make it easy by design.
 
From my perspective that's something MANY college students face. I know I sure did. It was tough, too. That exact point in time when you look around in class and realize you aren't the smartest person in the room.

College is NOT an extension of secondary school. It's in a completely different "league". Where you're more prone to discovering many more people around you who truly want to learn and aren't there simply to kill time. Where many professors or instructors are indifferent as to whether you master the subject matter or not.

It's true. Odds are indeed that there are plenty of students who are smarter than you. Though in time you might also find there are also plenty who are simply projecting that image to the instructor to mask the same insecurities as well.

However.

You may adjust over time to where you suddenly realize that you are also one of those nerds you once despised. But it won't happen overnight either. Hang in there and don't give up. Having a rough time in the beginning of college is par for the course with most people. It's quite an adjustment in the academic sense.
Thanks for the insight. In thought I was the only one. I just can't stand being the dumbest kid in class. In high school, classes were pretty easy (desdespite the fact that I didn't have noises blocking ear buds to protect me then.)
 
Thanks for the insight. In thought I was the only one. I just can't stand being the dumbest kid in class. In high school, classes were pretty easy (desdespite the fact that I didn't have noises blocking ear buds to protect me then.)

Oh my no. You are sooooooooooooooo not alone in that momentary feeling of terror and panic.

But in all likelihood, such feelings will pass in time. :)
 
In thought I was the only one. I just can't stand being the dumbest kid in class. In high school, classes were pretty easy (desdespite the fact that I didn't have noises blocking ear buds to protect me then.)
It was the same for me when I first began university. I sailed through high school without much work, as I found it easy. It didn't take me long to catch up though and biology, eventually botany became a major. So, it you need any help or advice, biology is a true interest for me.
 
It was the same for me when I first began university. I sailed through high school without much work, as I found it easy. It didn't take me long to catch up though and biology, eventually botany became a major. So, it you need any help or advice, biology is a true interest for me.
I'm interested in animal science because I love animals! I'm majoring in veterinary technology. I'm a big fan of animal behavior and anatomy!
 
You may also eventually come to realize that not having a vigorous social life at the beginning of college is an enormous asset rather than a liability. That you wisely chose to use that time to study. ;)
 
College biology is so god dang hard! It's like I'm the only dumb kid in a class full of GENIUSES! I can barely understand a thing, and I'm always the only one who needs help or has a bunch of questions! Could this be due to my mental disability? Cause I'm tired of staring angrily at these nerds with jealousy all the time. For once, I want to be the smart one. I feel like I should be in special ed! I'm always the last one to finish! It's enough I have non friends in any of my classes, and I'm not really worried about that. But when I'm the only dumb kid in class, and I can't get the teacher's attention, I'll fail!
Judge seems to have put it pretty well. The shock of really having to study can be hard, especially if you never had to do so before. You may also find you are more talented in some areas, and less talented in others, which you were never pushed hard enough to notice before. If you are in a difficult biology class, it suggests you are in a science or technical program. If so, you will really have to push yourself and work hard like you never had to in secondary school. This may explain why there are so many "liberal arts" majors: advanced learning is hard work.
 
Everyone struggles with one thing or another in school. I hope you don't go through your day seeing failure. I did that a lot and it got me nowhere.

Give more time to this course and develop learning schemes to help you along. I imagine you must know the names of parts in a diagram, and you must be able to say and spell new vocabulary. I've noticed that in science classes most students make study cards and lists to help them with the material. The objective is to find the study method that works for you. Put patience and determination on your side. Remember why this course is important for you - see the rewards.

Some students work effectively when they study together. Testing one another back and forth benefits both - seeing, hearing, saying, spelling etc. help cement the information in.

I used to make my textbook notes on a computer. It forced me to select the dominant issues in the text and spell them out - literally. These notes were then valuable for review - left side topic, right side answers. I could cover the answers to test myself.

I'm not a fan of biology, so I know I would be very challenged in your class. My only resource for getting through a tough course is organized study methods, and the determination to succeed. I like being around smart people because I learn from them. I've been the dummy in the class more than once. I regret not believing in myself.
 
It's like I'm the only dumb kid in a class full of GENIUSES!

College always feels very high pressure. I would bet that at least 30% of the people in that class feel the exact same way. We hide our difficulties and worries, and don't realize that everyone else feels the same way. Then we feel like we're not as good as everyone else because we're comparing our insides to their outsides.

I'll fail!

Maybe you pass, maybe you retake the class, maybe you change your major. I hope you pass.

It's okay to fail. Everyone needs to fail big at something sometime, just to see that they will be okay when it happens, and not be afraid to fail again later. Just do your best. If your best isn't good enough for this, do something else.

Joke with a point:

What do you call a medical student that graduates with the lowest possible GPA?

Doctor.


The point is, do your best. If you pass with the lowest possible grade, then you pass!
 
After this lab.., I already feel stupid.

You are in no way stupid, AuBurney. You wouldn't be there if you were. Not knowing something, does not mean you are stupid. Remember, no matter how difficult it is at first developing your study habits, once you work, probably harder than you ever have there will be results. If you need more time learning, talk to your teacher. I got through a science degree with dyslexia among other difficulties. Even took a course at one point on how to study, because I really didn't know. And I used flash cards and carried a tape recorder and taped the lectures. Ten Study Methods That Work - Learning Center - Chadron State College
 
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I've never believed that studying is some kind of inherent skill everyone is born with. It's something that must be practiced and developed over time to be truly beneficial. And it takes lots of personal discipline.

When I look back on living in a college dorm, I suspect probably only 25% of the students I was living with had an ability or desire to really study. With the rest simply enjoying college life socially, apart from showing up in class, doing assignments and passing exams. Where many managed to get by while others likely failed.

I always recall the forensic science majors. One of the toughest subjects one could major in. If you wanted to find them, check out the study room. They never left.
 
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One of the biggest mistakes Autistics often make in formal education, is assuming they are the dumb one in a class who is brighter than them. What time helps you to understand is that the opposite is frequently true. You're the one quietly learning and channeling your self-doubt into study and achievement, while most of the others are trying too hard to look clever and appear popular to curry the tutor's favour, to actually learn much.
 
I had the same situation in the college! High school was pretty easy, so i didn't learn how to study hard at all. And in college i was like "oh, why are they so different from me? botanics..." In general, so that your self-esteem does not sink to the bottom, it is better not to compare yourself with others. Study information at your own pace and in a way that makes you comfortable. Maybe your classmates are also under stress and learning difficulties, but they have found a convenient way to learn. Just do not think that you are one stupid. Instead of wanting to become as "genius" as the others, it is better to strive to become the best version of yourself. But of course it's only my experience. I do not impose this opinion on you.
 
I don't know about your classmates, but most teachers appreciate the students who ask questions instead of staying hopelessly confused. You also might want to see if your teacher has office hours where you could get help without feeling like you're the only one asking questions in class. One thing I've learned from many teachers is that they remember the people who make the effort to get help when they need it instead of waiting until it's too late. Some of them will bump a borderline grade up to the next grade level because of that, and it definitely makes them more lenient in case any problems happen in the class because they know you work hard.

You could also look into whether your university offers tutoring. Many do, because there are more students than you think who are confused, and it's often more affordable than you would think. Sometimes you just need the information explained in a different way than it was presented in class, and sometimes you just need someone who can answer your questions. There's also private tutoring, but that can be a lot more expensive.

Either way, keep your goal in mind, which is to pass the class so you can count it towards your major and eventually get a job in a field you love. Feeling like you're asking stupid questions isn't fun, but it's worth it if it helps you reach your goal.
 
As a teacher, I know very well that there is no such thing as a stupid, or dumb student. I have all sorts of students - some students who get things straight way without further guidance, and also students who need more guidance, students who need me to explain things in a more clear manner, or in a different manner, students who need a bit more practice to consolidate their knowledge or hone their skills, students who need more time, but absolutely no dumb students. If a student is not getting something, not understanding, it is my failure, not theirs.
 

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