Lots of Ambitions and zero motivation

[Sheogorath]

Like most of you, I have the Asperger syndrome. I also have a pretty high IQ. Because of that, people have certain expectations from me. I am going to college for a few months now, and I already notice that some of my teachers just "assume" I am going to get awesome grades while sitting on my hands.
Sadly, the opposite is true; I've always had trouble keeping track of school work. I simply don't have the motivation to do my homework or to study. Not even thinking about my ultimate goals is a helpful tool to get motivated. It only makes me feel more guilty and more aware of how stupid it is that I am not trying any harder.

It has always been like this for me. School doesn't really interest me. I couldn't care less about what's going on in class. And even if teachers discuss a topic of my interest, they manage to be so boring that I start to dislike the topic I once was so enthusiastic about.

It's not abnormal for people with a high intelligence to do bad in school. Actually, that's a very common thing. Even the greatest genius of the 20th century, Albert Einstein, was a massive underachiever with poor grades.

I just wonder if any of you have experienced similar issues and if you know how to cope with it? The internet is full with "barstool-psychologists" who have cliche solutions to a not so easy problem.

I would be very grateful if you could give me some advice - no matter what it is.

Merry Chirstmas and a Happy New Year.
- Gryffix

 

[clg114]

When I was in high school, I had the same problem. I got good grades in the subjects that I liked and bad grades in subjects I didn't like. For me, the social part of school was very hard. After high school, all of my schooling was very specific. I learned about machines, any kind of machines. This is what I wanted do for a living. This is what I have done for 45+ years. I spent all that time working at what I liked to do. In college you can pick what you take. Why not take subjects that you like and will be useful to you later. Make a plan and enjoy getting educated. Good luck!

 

[King_Oni]

Maybe you should look at your ambitions and see if you can get there without going through the traditional route.

 

[Suzanne]

It was the opposite for me in school as I was at 7 deemed too stupid and sent to a special school for such people and even at 16, deemed too stupid to pass exams and thus, left school with 0 qualifications. Oh believe me, I would BEG for homework and got dribs and drabs. So even though, I believed I was stupid, I spent my life trying to prove that I was not stupid and so, when ever someone said that they found me intelligent, it was like: wow really, oh thank you so much!

I have no idea what my IQ is, but I do know that I am not stupid, but sadly, lack motivation and concentration and find myself getting bored VERY FAST.

So, I have the BIGGEST motivation for learning French; I live in France, for goodness sake, but (and no offense to any French ones who read this) but I do not enjoy the language; I do not enjoy languages: full stop. This is a bane to my husband, who considers that if I truly applied myself to learning French, I would become fluent, because I have not been to classes etc, but I can speak French ok and can understand it and read it to a certain extent and again, that is without actually studying; but my mimicking people and being surrounded by French people and pick up words and sometimes retain them. Oh I would love to be able to speak fluent French and blow them away, because the general view is that English are too lazy to learn, but I get away from that label because I can get by. I just want to learn it without trying, but go up to a certain point and then cannot stomach going back. Hasten to add, I did not choose to live in France and that could very well be the key, to why I have no motivation to learn it.

Yes, tons of ambition, but just lack of imagination!

Ps, perhaps that is the key to your situation, if what you have to learn, seems futile, then you lose interest, which is pretty fair enough, but be warned: my husband had to do French in school and hated it and so did not apply it, because he reasoned that he was never going to use the language! Zip forward to him being in his early 30's and guess what? MOVED TO FRANCE lol as it happens though, he surprises himself that he remembered so much, because he is virtually fluent now!

 

[AsheSkyler]

I didn't bother with college the first few years after highschool because I wasn't ready for it. I'd just spent twelve years in school, I was not in the mood to go right back in it. I took some time off to work and explore what I really wanted to do. Then when I was ready, I was able to focus on the work. My recommendation would be to take a break from the boring stuff and go chase the stuff that interests you until you've built up the reserves to shoulder through the useless classes.

 

[wyverary]

Wow, you sound just like me in high school! What helped me tremendously was getting a private tutor, who would help me with the necessary (if pointless) tasks of getting a passing grade. I don't know if that's available where you are at, but if it is, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

 

[Sheogorath]

I kind of figured out that this issue is also part of a greater issue: I only function well with very friendly and patient teachers with who I have a good relationship. My best "years" in school were the years where I had teachers who I just got along with very well. And that's the problem with about every single college I could attend: it's all cold, distant and so serious. I miss those teachers who would make you feel like every class was a visit to an uncle who would tell you an interesting story and you'd just listen because you wanted to.

 

[Hummer]

I almost got the same problem regarding motivation. I just don't feel being a the right place at school. I love to learn. I'm very curious. I like to see things I learn get to something. Get a learning curve. Then apply it to practical and technical stuff. For I school looks like zombie training. It's for getting a Useless paper. I mean diploma means something in NT world. It's a scale of knowledge ... Yea , but the society seems to take so much importance to that. Any-way, For the first time of my life (when I show to school) I had a score under 85% in chemistry all that due to the lack of motivation. Motivation need a source and that class seems pointless stupid and full of stuff I already understand.

Any-way who can help me in that situation were I'm stuck in a zombie system.

 

[Sociallyugh]

As of recently turning 21 my motivation have plummeted. Throughout gradeschool, I didn't care much for school or extra curricular activities at all really.
When I got to go to college, someone lit a fire under my ass.
And as I near 1 year left to go under graduation, I've unconcerned myself with my studies and have been observing the world, and my place in it, with high intensity.
And come to find out .....

There's a million different social aspects that come with a high paying career in my field, I feel like I just wasted my scholarships, my motivation, and my time towards this education.
And now, educated with nothing to show for it, uninterested in finishing, I educate myself on matters I enjoy on my free time.
And I feel like the biggest loser in the world for not having genuine motivation for anything. I force myself to read, exercise, cook, clean (sometimes!!), and engage in even leaving the house. It's bad, like that episode of Hank of the Hill where the neighbor suffers from manic bipolar and wont leave his home.
Oh motivation, where art thou? If only I had the drive to find you...

 

[paloftoon]

Motivation falls on the individual himself or herself. Everyone's path is different, and we can't expect to like everything either.