There’s a major difference between those that may not like school, but follow the path and keep up their grades enough to go to a great college, and those that hate it enough that they don’t “live up to their potential”. One of mine hated school so much he always was right on the edge of missing too many days to finish the year (had to go on the last half days of school after finals when nobody went). College did not change that and he is currently on an extended break, working and doing well at work and may have enough of a career path that he won’t need to finish. But I am still hopeful. I have accepted that it is his life, but still stings to see a very smart kid turn his back on an education his parents were funding. So many kids don’t have that option.
Neither DH or I hated school. But some of the reasons that ds hated school probably have a genetic component in terms of focus.