How to overcome stupidity?

College Confidential Community
1

Hello to all,

My question may seem kind of weird, but I was just wondering what, if anything, can be done to overcome inherent ignorance or just flat-out stupidity? You can think of all the nuanced, politically-correct ways of saying it, but at the end of the day, I am just flat-out stupid. I have a defective brain that is not very well-functioning. I have always struggled with education, especially math. Even when I pour my heart and soul into studying and genuinely trying to understand the material, I still do poorly or marginal at the very best. At this point I am convinced that there are just some people who don’t have “it”, and never will. I am also 1,000% convinced that I am one of these people. The painful part of this whole thing is is that I value education and the pursuit of knowledge very highly. I am an aspiring “smart person”. But I don’t think that is something you can “aspire” to be. You either are or you aren’t.

I barely passed high school with my 1.7 GPA. I failed my first try at college. After three years there, I never made it past freshman status and was expelled for poor grades. I’m now back in school (community college), having to take remedial basic math courses to try to get my math skills good enough to move on. This is my first semester back to school in 4 years and I’m a 25 year old freshman. I’m taking a remedial math class this semester and have studied hours on end every single day, going to the tutoring center for help several days per week. I just took the midterm and made a 66%. I think this proves my point. At some point I think I’ll just have to realize that I’m just too stupid for school. Everyone else I see learns this stuff so easily and do these hard subjects with their eyes closed. No one else has the difficulty I do. I don’t have the talent. I’m just white trash from the sticks and don’t belong on a university campus.

What’s funny is that I’ve always dreamed of attending Vanderbilt. Even before, when I was a crappy HS student and didn’t value education, I still always kind of had a subtle dream of going there. It will never happen. I’m now trying to figure out if its possible for me to work hard and transfer there if I make up for my past with good grades in CC, but it will never happen. I’ve already damned myself. I’ve already driven the proverbial nails into that coffin. I really wish there were paths to redeeming yourself but there’s not. Elite schools only take the elite, and if you mess up when you are 14-18 years old, tough! You don’t get second chances. I’m thinking about just quitting school altogether and staying at home with my parents. I’m too stupid to even make it in the world on my own, much less go to a top college. Who am I kidding byy trying to act like some smart college student?

2

I don’t understand - in your other thread, you stated that you are a mechanical engineering major. How can you be an ME major and need to take remedial math?

You write very well - maybe you should switch to a major that requires very little math.

3

I’m switching majors. But I’m not choosing a major that is low on math or an arts degree. Those degrees are pointless to have.

I’m in remedial math because I did poorly in high school and never overcame it in my first college experience.

4

And I don’t write well. My writing skills are remedial too.

5

Nobody is stupid. If you aren’t disabled in some way, you can always overcome learning weaknesses with hard work, dedication and right resources.

6

I beg to differ. I have given it my all and I still fail. No one else I run into has these problems. I’m quitting college after this semester. I’m kidding myself. College is not for me. I’m also unemployable.

7

Why’d you ask if you don’t think it’s possible?

8

Well, it’s obviously up to you, but you CAN write well.

9

I was referring to their statement that there “are no stupid people”. I followed it up by saying that I never seem to make any progress towards becoming any smarter, try as I might. I still fail miserably at everything. I’m stupid. There just is no way around it. Worryhurry411 was being politically correct by saying there are no stupid people, which I think is just demonstrably false.

10

I just get so frustrated with math. I want so badly to be good at it like everyone else, but its just too much for my slow and stupid little mind. My brain is obviously defective when it comes to math. My brain doesn’t run the same hardware as other’s brains apparently and my processor is just not up to par to handle math of any stripe. But its not just with math, its everything. I keep trying to get good grades and shine in school and it just never works our for me. I’m going to quit. I don’t need to be in school.

11

I don’t see any point in keeping this thread open, since the OP doesn’t seem to want encouragement or advice.