Cannot learn, have interest in learning!

LegacyUser

Just a little background into my own situation, I'm in my mid twenties and dropped out of school in 2nd year due to bullying and general lack of interest. I have worked a few menial jobs since but again quit them as I was not able to remain in them.

I recently got on an online course and I had hoped the material would suit me, I was so looking forward to it and figured that it would be easy, however I have discovered that most of what is in the course is totally irrelevant to me. If I do not have an interest in something I cannot not do it and will quit rather than face the monotony that sit through something I have no interest in and will only loathe it. I am a quitter in life and some people say I give up too easily but this how it has always been.

I gave up on school from an early age as I could see none of the material relevant to me or to society. I am disappointed once again but I just cannot force myself to learn something which is not interesting to me because of how the whole thing is constructed. I am very interested in the subject but the majority of the material is irrelevant to the subject matter.

My GP thinks I have aspergers syndrome and after reading up on it I am fairly sure her assumption is correct, I was going to get diagnosed but the cost of it put me off as I don't need somebody to tell me something I already know. I decided this year was my time to try and make my own life, get a qualification and try do something besides languishing my life away on the dole. I was sure that this course would suit me and it probably would only for the absolute disaster of way they attempt to teach it to you. Everything I have ever learned myself has been through trial and error and am self taught in most areas.

This letter sums me up perfectly and I am in total agreement with the person who wrote it,
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/education/2012/0320/1224313568258.html

HowItIs

ativathemed wrote: »

If I do not have an interest in something I cannot not do it and will quit rather than face the monotony that sit through something I have no interest in and will only loathe it. I am a quitter in life and some people say I give up too easily but this how it has always been.

This sums up your whole problem for me OP. If you want to study/work in a particular area you have to be willing to slog it out in the trenches first.

In relation to study this means you have to work your way through a whole bunch of what is often very dry uninteresting material. However everybody has to go through this and it's not just for the sake of it, it's because you need to know the fundamentals to get to grips with the higher-level material.

There is no quick fix for this, you either demonstrate some tenacity and resolve or you don't.

Maybe there's some other element to your situation you haven't yet identified but on the strength of what you've posted here the only problem you have is a lack of tenacity and discipline. And those are problems nobody else can solve for you.

My advice; pick something and stick it out. You'll probably be shocked when you complete it despite finding it boring which will open up more options to you.

username123

OP - you have just identified why learning is not easy.

Naturally if we all only learned the bits we found interesting then itd be fine and dandy, but the reality is that in order to have a properly well rounded learning experience we have to learn the boring stuff along with the good stuff.

Thats what learning is.

looksee

OP, I know what you are talking about. Not particularly from an Aspergers point of view, though I can see how that might make it more difficult.

I think you are limiting yourself by trying to learn

on your own

on a computer

academic type stuff.

You are the kind of person that a PLC course would probably suit. You are working in an adult but supportive environment, doing something that would interest you. There would be a certain amount of stuff that 'isn't relevant' to you - or so you might feel. There is a reason for everything but it might not be obvious to you while you are doing it.

There are very often students with Aspergers or other issues, it is not a problem.

Unfortunately its probably a bit late at this stage for next year, but start to make some enquiries and look for a course that you would be interested in. Go for something with some practical work in rather than all 'book-work', and if possible something that is mostly continuous assessment and projects rather than exams.

Go and have a look in the Fetac/PLC forum in Edu - ask around and see what people say. You will find that lots of people who hated school and didn't do well will tell you how much they enjoyed the Fetac courses. You can also do them through Fas, and if you are on the dole you should be able to get onto one through them.

Don't beat yourself up trying to do it on your own though, that is a hard road even for someone with good learning skills.