Some passions can be pursued quite singularly including chess, speedcubing, knitting, certain sports etc. I really admire those who possess carpentry and other constructive ‘hands on’ skills, but I think it is mostly about each individual just having the free time to pursue their interest(s).
On this point, our selective school system which lacks catchment boundaries and the billion dollar coaching industry consume a lot of time in commuting and after hours classes. I read the media comments made by the student who topped HSC Maths Extn 1, praising the after school and weekend classes he took at a coaching college (he took classes for all of his HSC subjects describing himself as ‘a passionate student’). DS15 certainly did not want to spend his time at these places so we were all pleased with the 49/50 that he achieved in the same exam without sacrificing any of his free time (as an effective & low cost way of supporting gifted students, our local public high school has always allowed DS to compact curriculum material and work several grades ahead during scheduled class time based on his enrolment year).
