<p>Like the OP, i too had a drastic turn-around which entirely shifted my ideals and priorities.
I was never a good student except for kinder-4th grade when i was in the gifted programs. From 5th grade-8th grade I did absolutely nothing academically. Despite going to class, i didn’t listen, and instead talked to girls and friends. After school, i would usually go to a friend’s house or meet up with a group of people and hang out. In short, i was enamored with the prospects and perks of popularity, and my drive in this pursuit proved to be successful. However, my family basically hated me for being such an apathetic, self-centered snob. </p>
<p>Naturally, my mom saw the problem and for high school enrolled me in an all-male private school. Having failed many courses in middle school and making them up at summer school --which was a joke, btw. mostly creating paper airplanes and talking for grades–i was woefully unprepared. The last kind of math that i had done with any kind of focus at all was multiplication and division. Results: 1.5 GPA first semester.
The student body at this school, as competitive as it was, would call me stupid and alienate me. This was a shock for me, and it hurt even more to be called stupid by even some of my more neurotic family members. </p>
<p>So, second semester comes along and i’m fueled by nothing more than contempt and revenge. However, as i sit down, read the material, and actually pay attention, my motives shift towards a desire to learn. Results: 3.5 GPA.
This continued throughout the rest of high school as i added the most challenging courses–the school is already considered to be difficult. The results are as follows: 3.99, 4.10, 4.05, 4.40, 4.3, and a 4.1. This is on the grading scale where a 90-92 = 3.3, 93-94= 3.7, 95-97=4.0 and 98-100=4.3. Unfortunately i was cocky and took all tests at the last possible minute and got a 31 ACT, 770 math 2, and a 700 chem, which i redeemed with a 5 on the AP.
I studied more advanced math in my free time (number theory, probability, combinatorics), became known as the math whiz at my school, and participated in some research programs over the summers in math and physics. </p>
<p>I applied to Yale, MIT, UChicago, Cornell, and Emory University and was accepted to Chicago, Cornell, and Emory. I’m now at cornell studying physics and doing well.
I think the most important thing in focusing for me was looking at subjects i had an initial aversion to and trying to find something i liked about it. From that initial enjoyment blossomed an enthusiasm for the subject as a whole. It’s really that simple. Distractions and impulses should definitely be put under control as well. Mantras really help as well as putting goal-oriented objects around you, i.e, my screen saver was of MIT, chicago shirt, harvard poster–though i didn’t apply there.
Sorry for the long post.</p>
Very fun. Ask teachers for outside work or projects, resources, organizations, contests etc. Anything helps. Try to apply different sorts of skills and learning to old subjects, and you may be surprised at the results.