Unmotivated Student

Throughout childhood,
the student experienced
recurring difficulties
with things that seemed simple
to everybody else.

Assignments were unfinished.

Summer preparation
never began.

Important deadlines
approached steadily
without producing visible action.

This situation confused many adults.

The student was clearly intelligent.

He understood the consequences perfectly well.

This made the situation
more suspicious rather than less.

Possible explanations included:
laziness,
carelessness,
poor discipline,
weak character,
or lack of concern for other people.

Over time,
the student himself
gradually accepted
many of these conclusions.

This did not appear
to improve the situation.

However, after leaving home for college,
the student slowly changed.

Responsibilities
that once seemed impossible
became manageable.

Planning improved.

Relationships improved.

He was slightly surprised
by these developments.

At this point,
the parent quietly reconsidered
many earlier conclusions.

Apparently,
the student had not been
lazy,
heartless,
or morally defective.

He had simply arrived later
than everybody expected.