not smart enough

I am in the same boat as you - I enrolled, and now realised I am at the bottom of my class - simply not smart enough.

The following is a bitter pill I am swallowing, but like most unpleasant things, it actually does more good than the fake platitudes of “Follow your dreams!” or “You can do it!” or any other meaningless motivational slogans.

The blunt answer to your question: Don’t.

More specifically, don’t study it as your primary job. Don’t do it as if your income depends on it. Because the truth is you (and I) will never be good enough to be a genius. There are terrifyingly smart people out there - and we can never ever become them. It is a physical change in the brain that makes you a genius, not determination and perseverance etc… You simply caot learn to become a genius even if you tried for several lifetimes.

Let that sink in. Take your time. But please read on.

What’s more important is a fulfilling life, and the key to that is to find something that you are GOOD at AND something that you ENJOY. Work on that to the best of your stamina. That will give you PURPOSE and therefore happiness.

Giving up is a good thing somethings. It’s exceedingly hard for some of us (I’m nearly in tears writing this post) but it’s necessary.

In short: if Albert Einstein decided he wanted to be a champion basketball star, even if he lacked the physical attributes, he would never be known. He would have wasted his life trying to be something he wasn’t.

I sincerely wish you and everybody reading this all the best. I wholeheartedly believe that our human race does best when individuals achieve the best we can be.

ADD: To find out who you are and what you are good at I recommend psychologists, career counsellors, properly conducted personality tests etc…