Maybe it is all about cognitive dissonance. She knows the work is repetitive and pointless. Seriously, 5 and 4 digit manual division is almost just mean-spirited. Perhaps, she knows she wants to succeed and do well and prove her capabilities, but she also hates the idea of flushing that time away on tasks that never give the outcomes of Miyagi's "wax on, wax off." Maybe she is finding abstract solace in the precision and accuracy of execution.

I think many gifted kids know what they need to learn, and either resist externally imposed methods and suffer extrinsic trouble, or conform and experience intrinsic trouble.