[schwartzworld]

School sucked. It sucked because I had ADHD and couldn't operate well in that environment. It sucked because I was a voracious reader and autodidact even at a young age, 3 reading levels ahead of everybody else. In grade school, I frequently knew what was being taught because I'd read about it in books. This exacerbated the ADHD stuff. I could fake my way through tests and essays without reading the assignments. By high school, I had no studying discipline. I was completely unprepared or suited for college, so I spent most of my time in school partying, playing guitar and chasing girls.

My confidence in myself improved after school ended. I can learn almost any topic if I'm allowed to learn it my way, but in school you have to learn it their way. It's not enough to know the answer, you have to show your work, and your process needs to be right. Once you're a grown up, none of that matters anymore.

I was always in trouble. My daughter asked me about this recently: why? Why were you always in detention or the vice principal's office? I couldn't answer. I think I was just a noisy distraction for the kids and teachers.