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[Forumsdwarf]

Ahh, the "Hikikomori Vacation", yes, I'm familiar with that.

You have to think of it just like that, like taking a vacation.  I know it's an amazing feeling to surround yourself with every kind of intellectual stimulus imaginable and indulge until your overcaffeinated mind finally crashes to sleep, but you have to think of it as occupying the same place in your real life as a vacation.

Though you can try to lead an amusing life, real life doesn't exist to amuse you.

The up-side is that you won't feel guilty or like there's something wrong with you if your real life includes "Hikikomori Vacations" only rarely.  Then you have your own little private island of shameless self-indulgence where it's all video games, movies, science fiction novels, Wiki-surfing and whatever other nerdiness you can think of, and refreshed by something none of your friends would understand if you ever dared let your secret out in the first place, you return from Nerd Island ready -- if you're lucky even eager -- to tackle the rest of your life.

[blackmain]

Let me echo something already said: Look forward to college. College will be a huge change in a positive way. Its hard to understand when your in HS but the once you make it to college your life will finally be in your own hands. In college age, race, gender, and whatever other petty stuff that mattered in HS is completely gone and you will generally be surrounded by people who are accepting, interesting, and friendly(there still are a few douches out there but most don't stick around). I know things look bleak in HS but there is an end to it and what lies beyond is worth all the suffering and trouble you are going through now.

My Short Story:
In HS I was very unmotivated and only really got by thanks to my natural smarts. Only class I ever studied was AP physics since it was interesting but once I got to college I found myself really motivated. In literally one semester I found it extremely easy to study, research, and write papers. Things I would of never done in HS I made the extra effort to in college.  Not to mention all the new friends, parties, and women .

sorry in advance for grammar and spelling mistakes.. but its 5am

[Mindmaker]

I really envy your school system.

In Austria you have to choose between different school types at the age of 14, where you basically can screw up the rest of your life.
I could have stayed in my former school, which probably most closely resembles a High School.
Instead I choose a technical school and shortly afterwards realized that I was neither interested nor good in the stuff they taught there.

Hopefully its over in some months and after a year of civil service I can start in University.

[Zangi]

My piece, don't get your expectations so high about College. 

Effort required there is at least 2x more then you are used to in High School.  Much worse when you just coasted past High School.
That in itself can throw you off, especially if you arn't motivated...

Another thing is the freedom to... not do work and/or not show up to class... 
Of course, it happens differently for everyone and this stuff may have a good effect on you.  You having more control over your own doings.

As for advice on finding a motivation...  I can't give any, still havn't found mine... >.>

[Lukas]

My piece, don't get your expectations so high about College. 

Effort required there is at least 2x more then you are used to in High School.  Much worse when you just coasted past High School.
That in itself can throw you off, especially if you arn't motivated...

Another thing is the freedom to... not do work and/or not show up to class... 
Of course, it happens differently for everyone and this stuff may have a good effect on you.  You having more control over your own doings.

As for advice on finding a motivation...  I can't give any, still havn't found mine... >.>

i've been considered gifted as well, and i used to get really good grades in everything, etc. For high school i'm going to an "early college" program, where we do 2 years high school and then 2 years college classes (i'm taking the college classes right now). i agree, work wise college really takes a focused effort

i've had trouble finding motivation at times, but it just all goes down to what you want to do in life. of course people have high expectations of gifted students, meaning they expect gifted students to do great in school, meaning getting a great job, meaning getting paid a lot. Personally I find this really limiting, as I don't get to pursue some of the things I'd really want to do - like working on cars or electronics. Maybe it's this kind of pressure that is holding you back from your real motivation, it's what's causing your mind to "block" motivation to do something with your life that you really want to do, not what you're expected to do.

[Forumsdwarf]

people have high expectations of gifted students ... Personally I find this really limiting, as I don't get to pursue some of the things I'd really want to do - like working on ... electronics

Gifted people don't soil their Brahmin hands with work in the crude, unsophisticated field of electronics?

Hmmm ... that does explain the Motorola ZN4.

*drum hit*

[moocowmoo]

I was always told by everyone "find your passion" and really I don't think that's helpful. You should instead learn how to discipline yourself and get good at stuff even if you don't like it (things you're not effortlessly good at). That self mastery will serve you more than any material you learn in school. Learning how to suck it up and work hard is a skill in itself that takes practice and can't really be taught. Something WILL interest you eventually, but if you never learned how to persist through what is boring and uncomfortable, then you might waste many years waiting for passion to make you motivated.

[Forumsdwarf]

I could personally only follow that advice if it was guaranteed to make me embarrassingly wealthy within about 7 years, after which I would never do another honest day's work for the rest of my life.

Otherwise, forget it.

I'm not saying your advice isn't good, though.  YMMV.

[Maggarg - Eater of chicke]

I could personally only follow that advice if it was guaranteed to make me embarrassingly wealthy within about 7 years, after which I would never do another honest day's work for the rest of my life.

Otherwise, forget it.

I'm not saying your advice isn't good, though.  YMMV.

I regrettably concur. Leisure is the highest for of existence.

[Zangi]

I was always told by everyone "find your passion" and really I don't think that's helpful. You should instead learn how to discipline yourself and get good at stuff even if you don't like it (things you're not effortlessly good at). That self mastery will serve you more than any material you learn in school. Learning how to suck it up and work hard is a skill in itself that takes practice and can't really be taught. Something WILL interest you eventually, but if you never learned how to persist through what is boring and uncomfortable, then you might waste many years waiting for passion to make you motivated.

Problem; never learned this self discipline due to coasting grade/high school and life in general.  Now not motivated to or can really be forced to.

Best time to learn this is during the early years.  You have a lesser chance of it later on.

[moocowmoo]

Problem; never learned this self discipline due to coasting grade/high school and life in general.  Now not motivated to or can really be forced to.

Best time to learn this is during the early years.  You have a lesser chance of it later on.

Never too late man. I agree it can't be forced from outside. There's a difference between being forced to work hard and deciding for yourself to do it. I believe the latter is invaluable.

[Red Fortune]

GGGGGGFFHGHHHA!!!!

Laptop back, hell yeah!

This thread was updated not that long ago, HELL YEAH.

Conflicting and confusing advice, HELL Y- Wait....

Thanks for all the experiences and opinions, but now I'm extremely confused as to what I should be aiming for.

Sorry...

[Vector]

Thanks for all the experiences and opinions, but now I'm extremely confused as to what I should be aiming for.

You know, if you're looking for an easy, one-shot answer, you shouldn't have asked us >_>  Multiple people are going to give you multiple opinions.

If you're confused, then ask clarifying questions and think over the situations.  Try to figure out what your truth is from ours.

[Renault]

A good half of the comments in this thread have started with the poster saying how 'gifted' they are and how its made it hard for them. I recognize its an attempt to relate their stories to the OP's, and I'm not doubting the truth of their words.
I just think that when you read it all compounded, one person after another describing their superior intellect and how it affected them, the whole thread starts to positively radiate ego. Not really much humility here at all, though I guess thats not surprising.

[Vector]

I just think that when you read it all compounded, one person after another describing their superior intellect and how it affected them, the whole thread starts to positively radiate ego. Not really much humility here at all, though I guess thats not surprising.

... Did you just come to post here and say you were offended or something?  I'll admit that I'm somewhat confused, especially since I imagine the entire purpose of our statements is, in some sense, to let the OP know he is not alone.

I don't know.  I'm sorry if you feel there's some gigantic Wall of Arrogance going on that is Reaching Out To Afflict You (given that your first post here seems to pretty much amount to "haha, y'all are arrogant"), but on the other hand it's a lonely world for those who have been slapped with the "gifted" label.  Often, reaching out to each other on the internet is all we can really do.