Hi TommyH,
I'm just reading a book called "smart girls" and it has tough me a lot about myself. I bought it to learn about my daughter. Someone here said that there is one for boys too ("smart boys"), I might get it for my husband.
I have read and experienced that it is very common to feel overwhelmed by school when it changes. I personally had a small dent in my confidence when I started high school. I tough that I was supposed to know all the math and it was a shock to see that in advanced math I was actually supposed to learn something new. Same thing happened in first semester in grad school, I failed an exam the first time in my life and almost could not handle it. I took me a year to find the courage to redo the exam and I had nightmares about not graduating because of this relatively easy class.
You have to believe in yourself and keep on trying. At some point it is not that much about being smart or gifted it is more about how much you are willing to work. It is especially hard to work towards something you do not prefer but those things have to be done too. Trust me I know it, I'm still struggling with laziness (should be working but actually I'm here LOL)
You seem to know you are different and smart. Try to believe in yourself and work towards your goals. You do not need to be one of the best students in your school, you just need to perform well enough to pursue your dreams after high school.
