# Hard to study, feeling like I'm not clever?



## rooey (May 30, 2007)

My major problem that has prevented me from doing the best I can at school and uni is the thought that everyone else in my class is better than me, and that it can take me a while to learn something and be confident with it. So many times I give up because I think I must be slow (I know that I'm not stupid though, it's just my thoughts are that everyone is better than me and would learn what I'm doing quickly.. and also that I can forget things learnt quite easily unless I go over it a few times, and I feel like I must remember it all). Knowing that someone else has done bad in a subject gives me some kind of satisfaction that at least I can be better than them? First I just thought maybe I was doing the wrong subjects but now I know it with anything I learn, even driving lessons.

Does anyone else have the same kind of feelings?


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## vicente (Nov 10, 2003)

It's kind of different in university when compared to high school (or whatever it's called in the UK/Australia), people who were often top of the class back then find themselves competing with everyone else.

I feel the same way. In class, I am too afraid to ask questions because I think other people who are smarter than me will find it obvious. Also because often I am behind in my reading hehe.

What college year are you in? It's funny, because I just realized that although I keep thinking I am in the bottom of the class because all the people who ask questions are geniuses, my marks tend to be one letter grade (10%) above the class average. It is probably this way with you too.


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## rooey (May 30, 2007)

Well I graduated uni 2 years ago and am now doing a distance learning course in accounting. My problem is if I don't understand something straight away I think I must be stupid and will never understand it, and then don't study for like a week!

At uni people asked questions all the time and they're the ones I don't think are stupid! It's weird, I feel like if I was tested on the things I've learned so far I'd get them all wrong.. which isn't always the case as I remember at uni I had a panic attack during an exam and afterwards told the tutor I might get a doctors certificate so I can redo the test, but I did actually get an A- so there was nothing to worry about! Like your grades being above average 

I wish I could just feel calm!


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