Reader’s Question

I’m a 19-year-old college student who is currently studying film at a private arts school. Although I love to learn, learning has never come very easily for me. In high school I always had to study three times as hard as my friends, and even then I would only come out with Bs, a few As and sometimes even Cs. I understand that everyone’s mind is different and that intelligence depends greatly on the environment as well as heredity. But it perplexes me that I had friends who polluted their brains with drugs and alcohol, who had “late nights” and came to class to take a test without studying and who still passed with an A, whereas I, who had studied for nights on end, might barely manage a B.

Since I have good study skills, I always thought that in college I would simply study harder and smarter and eventually surpass my peers. But it seems like I’ve become more forgetful the more I study. Is it possible that I’m just not “meant” to be smart? I know that sounds extremely pessimistic, but I’ve always pushed myself to excel, and I feel that maybe I’m not cut out to be the intelligent thinker that I’ve always wanted to be. I’ve actually always wanted to go into psychology, but I know that the field of psychology can be extremely analytical. I know this sounds more like a soul-searching question, but I really want to know if I’m in over my head. I’m beginning to wonder if others simply learn much more easily than I do and if it will always be this way.

Our Clinical Psychologist’s Reply

Some of the world’s brightest minds and greatest thinkers did poorly in school. Learning is more than merely an aspect of intelligence. To be sure, one’s overall level of intellectual ability definitely plays a role. But there are so many other factors that appear to influence both how as well as how easily we learn.

Some individuals have innate learning “styles” that are not very compatible with the dominant methods of teaching at schools and universities. Still others know their material but don’t perform well on tests. It’s also possible for individuals with average to even above-average intelligence to struggle with specific learning disabilities.

Fortunately, even individuals who struggle to learn can realize their academic and career dreams, especially if they become more intimately acquainted with their unique learning style and incorporate some specialized techniques into their academic pursuits that best fit their learning style and help them compensate for any learning deficiencies.

There are developmental psychologists, academic and occupational therapists, and other professionals who specialize in helping individuals struggling with learning problems. And it might surprise you to know that a very substantial number of people struggle with learning problems of one type or another (even though it might seem to you that “everybody else” has it easier than you).

Many colleges offer special services to individuals struggling with traditional teaching methods. So, it’s a good idea to talk things over with your academic advisor and school counselor. It’s quite likely that they can help you fashion a plan to fit your individual needs and to make your college experience a far more pleasant one.