Similar experience. I said fuckit when I found out I could only afford to go to my state school, which I hated and would place me at top 1% of their student body. I hated that. I wanted to be the average so I can have that coveted discussion among peers. My number 1 choice would place me in 17k in debt and I thought it wouldn't be worth going into debt over that. It would place me as 60th percentile and I liked the location and reviews of the college. I never applied. I only applied to my state school, dropped all my courses in the second semester after finding out that the state school was my only choice, which was my initial safety school, and only had 3 classes, English, Health, and Psych AP. I had to take a study hall because of my district's requirements where I'd do homework for Psych AP or English in. Then, I'd walk/run home 2 miles away.

Even then, there was no motivation for it all. I didn't want to college at that point, so I said fuckit and started not doing the homework the last 1.5 months for Psych and typed the essays during study hall by going to the library. I ended up failing Psych AP, but then I got a 5 (max score) on the AP test because I knew the material and read the whole textbook chapters during study hall. I was one of the highest scores on the AP test in my class. The teacher was surprised and really hated me for it. Called me a good test taker. No, I still remember most of the material, bitch.

Real life doesn't work like that at all. The world moves at a slower pace for people with faster minds. It's a matter of playing politics and seeming busy that nets you the most points. That game is a different game altogether and a different skillset which I acquired through the years in the workforce.