Rote memory and lacking understanding

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I've read elsewhere that people on the spectrum tend to have strong rote memorization skills but lack a deeper understanding as a whole, in particular regarding learning. I have found this to be true in my case. I have a Bachelor's degree in math but reflecting back on it, I got through it mostly by memorizing procedures without pausing to think about the deeper implications of what I was doing. I didn't learn anything from differential equations or much beyond. I'm squeaking by in my Thermal Engineering class not because I understand the physical connections but because I follow a simple procedure, almost an algorithm: "What are you given, what are you trying to find?" I lack intuition about the physical world, people, language, nuance, even how to get through life. I feel so far behind other people in understanding what life is about. I can't contribute to a conversation for very long and I don't feel like I have anything interesting or relevant to say beyond a very small handful of topics of no particular interest to the average person. I offer advice sometimes but it sounds hollow without the wisdom and experience to back it up. Because I don't have as much to contribute, I don't feel as included in life.

I don't know what I must do to stop feeling this way. I'm so tired of not having the answers I desperately need.

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I feel like such a clueless idiot a lot of the time.

Sorry, I'm pretty sure my dog must have walked across my keyboard as I did not mean to add that comment ^^ here...? Please disregard.

Well seeing as how I killed your thread, the least I can do is answer. Sorry!

In school I relied a lot on 'cramming' the night before my exams, because I could, with excellent rewards! The sad part about it though, was the information would completely flush from my memory within a week or 2 as if it had been saved in temporary storage all along. I think it was....Seems like I flush a LOT of my memories. Perhaps this is because information storage is at a premium in my brain, when so much information is available to store....I think my long-term memory favors the memory of feelings, mental imagery, and sensory input over hard facts. If hard facts are going to be saved, they have got to be of interest.

In my later adult life, especially at work, I've noticed that I need to know the who, what, where, when, why and how of everything about a task, before I can master it. It's annoying. Especially for the person training me and answering all my questions. Though, being successful at work has always been a special interest of mine.