I wonder if that's a common issue for gifted kids--not having the experience of how to work hard when they confront academics that are challenging for the first time.
I think that the real issue is having no concept of how to work hard or how to be productive.
To me, the part of the problem is testing in school, where you can do well and succeed just by doing well on tests, in comparison to the adult/real world where you are actually expected to produce something and you are no longer able to rely on just being more intelligent than everyone else as the basis for your success.
