I was something of a child prodigy.
By the time I'd started school, I was already reading and writing at a high school level before the other children in my class had even been introduced to their abc's. Maths was a similar story.

I was flagged from day one and extensively tested and assessed. My results were consistently among the top few percent of students in the country. I still joined in with all of the regular classes but was assigned extra "special" work of my own. I still found it irritatingly easy and quickly became bored and disruptive to the other kids. I just couldn't comprehend that the other kids actually needed to concentrate and pay attention, it just never occurred to me.

I was skipped ahead a grade twice, until I got beaten up for mouthing off at a few of the older lads. I knew it all and was happy to tell anyone about it. It was decided that I hadn't adjusted socially and was to return to my original grade.

I quickly came to the conclusion that life was easy and that I didn't have to try at anything because I was far smarter than everyone else. Up until high school, this proved to be the case. I'd won awards, broken records, been on tv, in the papers and so forth. I was BORED.

I grew up in a fairly rough area, and from a young age there were MASSIVE DRUGS all around me. I'd always just acknowledged it as a thing that was there, but part of someone elses world. Added to my growing boredom, years of being told how excellent I was had gone to my head. I had a massive ego and refused to be told what to do by anyone or anything. I knew best.

This was the perfect recipe for disaster. I figured I could still do what I want, fuck around at school and get off my face, then just rock up on test day and accept my compulsory High Distinction.

It didn't quite work out that way. Instead of knuckling down and actually working at it, I just went "Fuck it" and stopped going, at around the age of 14/15. I've not completed any formal education since, in regards to where I sit in comparison to my peers, I peaked when I was 12.

These days, thanks to a little bit of luck, a complete turnaround in philosophy and a fuckload of hard work; I make a decent living and live a comfortable, mostly happy life. I still consider myself to be a reasonably cluey guy, but I'm all too aware of the fact that I have under achieved massively and no doubt disappointed a lot of people.
(showman, Sat 5 Apr 2014, 18:01, 29 replies)

The system failed you, man.

( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Sat 5 Apr 2014, 18:04, closed)

Haha. Only kidding. Loser.
Incidentally, if you were a maths prodigy you'd probably understand that being in the top few percent doesn't make you a prodigy. Just saying like.
( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Sat 5 Apr 2014, 18:05, closed)

Dramatic effect, innit.
If I were here to boast, "I used to be smart as a kid but am now depressingly average" is a pretty crappy effort.

I'm sure I could do better than that.
(showman, Sat 5 Apr 2014, 18:09, closed)

You mean they don't give out the Fields Medal to people who once did quite well on a test that was meant for kids a couple of years older? :(

( Mr. Tea dole-nonce-amuser extraordinaire, Mon 7 Apr 2014, 16:55, closed)

You still haven't learned how to use semi-colons, though.

(McChinaman banned, Sat 5 Apr 2014, 18:32, closed)

Oh man, see what I had to look forward to!
Cheers for rubbing it in, jerkface.
(showman, Sat 5 Apr 2014, 18:47, closed)

Well, that told him.

( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Sat 5 Apr 2014, 21:04, closed)

I dunno.
I was quite impressed with MASSIVE DRUGS.
Made to sound all important.
( PooPants, Sat 5 Apr 2014, 21:24, closed)

Some sort of empathy with you pal.
i never prodygied but was top in everything including the high jump so I lazily settled back into barely succeeding for a long time.
Fucking dreadful waste, someone who deserved it should have had my I.Q.
( edjogs Collared doves are shit., Sat 5 Apr 2014, 21:53, closed)

This is ridiculous.
Why should you be obliged to try hard to 'succeed' just because you're born with a brain. Bit Brave New World, innit?

The only obligation you have is to be decent and not make things shitter for other people.
( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Sun 6 Apr 2014, 9:44, closed)

Just out of curiosity
..how do you think you're measuring up on that scale?
(BeatsWork, Sun 6 Apr 2014, 11:41, closed)

pretty awesome

( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Sun 6 Apr 2014, 11:52, closed)

I was I was in the office right now...
Cuz I be officelollin.
(eViLegion Chief Commissioner of the Scottish Lunacy Board, Sun 6 Apr 2014, 12:17, closed)

Hahahaha, working on a Sunday.

( Amorous Badger NAKED BEA ARTHUR PHOTOS 4U, Sun 6 Apr 2014, 14:36, closed)

I was I was a puddy-tat?

( Mr. Tea dole-nonce-amuser extraordinaire, Mon 7 Apr 2014, 16:56, closed)

That first 'was' was meant to be a 'wish'.
Instead of making the sentence completely retarded :o(
Oh well.
(eViLegion Chief Commissioner of the Scottish Lunacy Board, Tue 8 Apr 2014, 14:27, closed)

That is a fucking excellent way of looking at things.
Ya big lug. I thought you had a reputation to maintain.
(showman, Sun 6 Apr 2014, 12:17, closed)

I am a lovable rogue.

( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Sun 6 Apr 2014, 12:57, closed)

ogu oug
( Amorous Badger NAKED BEA ARTHUR PHOTOS 4U, Sun 6 Apr 2014, 14:36, closed)

I miss pp.

( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Mon 7 Apr 2014, 8:45, closed)

You're FB-friends with him, surely you get more Gonzo than you could ever possibly wish for?

( Mr. Tea dole-nonce-amuser extraordinaire, Mon 7 Apr 2014, 16:57, closed)

I want him in all my virtual orifices.

( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Mon 7 Apr 2014, 18:31, closed)

The forgiveness i've craved all my life.
Thanks dad.
( edjogs Collared doves are shit., Sun 6 Apr 2014, 16:59, closed)

Still, could have been worse.
You could have appeared on Wogan then chopped your cock off.
( drimble he'd been white, he'd been black, Sun 6 Apr 2014, 0:03, closed)

I had a similar experience
Except I just decided that there was no point in trying very hard and now at 33, I still haven't got a clue how to make an effort.
(Eukanuba, Sun 6 Apr 2014, 20:19, closed)

Interesting to see several other replies along the same lines. Does B3ta attract us?
I'm the same. Highly intelligent as a child - totally bored with school. Never had to make any effort, because I could just work it out with natural ability. Unfortunately this meant that by the age at which you actually did have to put in the effort, I was totally unused to it - and continued to coast onwards, just getting the minimum necessary. I went from top of my class by a *long* way in primary school... to eventually failing my university degree. I now work in a reasonably decent job, but know that I could have done so much better.
(EuroSong I love horse meat: best of all the animals, Sun 6 Apr 2014, 22:56, closed)

not really
some of us managed to stay top of the swots all the way through to doctorates and careers
( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Sun 6 Apr 2014, 23:09, closed)