Can't focus on exams or study/getting really stressed out

LegacyUser

Hi this is sort of stupid but I'm really getting worried about this. I can't seem to focus on doing any study at all. This isn't anything new to me (I'm 20) but in the past I seemed to be able to "get by" on what I picked up throughout the year. However, this year, it seems the material seems to have gone past "getting by" territory and into "good God this is tough" territory. My exams are starting Monday week (I'm in science in TCD) and I have done sweet FA in terms of revision for them.

When I sit down to do past tutorials, it takes me ages to do them. I have 9 exams from the 26th to the 14th of May and I feel I'm not going to pass them all. I don't know how to study. I never have known how. I (stupidly) crammed for the leaving cert and somehow scraped into science. I've booked my summer holidays to Chicago and I will be away for repeats and to change my flights will likely cost me a bomb but even this doesn't seem to able to "shock" me into action. I'm too laid back about the whole thing and I'm afraid it will ruin my summer/possibly next year.

I know I have 9 days until the 1st exam and I could probably get more in than I think. But at the same time it's already Saturday - last week just flew by and I got nothing done. I have sleeping problems, I can't get up in the mornings because I'm up all night worrying I will fail. And then when I finally do try do work, I get distracted by ANYTHING. I mean absolutely anything. Even the stupidest, smallest things that would generally be ignored by everyone are enough to seriously derail my study efforts.

What the **** is wrong with me? Why can't I be like my friends who work hard and get rewarded for their work? I'm seriously beginning to think I have ADD or something along the lines. It's incredibly frustrating - I do try to put the work in but I never make any progress through any subject until the night before an exam. No matter how hard I try, or what steps I take, I cannot do anything in advance. Absolutely everything is "night before", last minute cramming. It's a ****ing joke.

LegacyUser

I'm in the same course as you are, same year and everything!! I have exactly the same problem Maybe it's just our course? I really want to pass but even the thoughts of failing don't seem to make me study. Just letting you know that you aren't alone.

LegacyUser

I know exactly what you mean. Its so easy to fall in to a pattern of this kind of thing. I have found from struggling with it in the past that i think its got a lot to do with your lifestyle and other aspects of your life as well as study. People dismiss it as lazyness, but its more about habits and patterns of thinking, which can be difficult to change.

Its a pattern of bad habits that you need to break. Its hard but doable. Start with the simple things that you can control. Say to yourself that every day you will go to bed before 11 and get up before 8. If you stick to this, after a few days you will be feeling much better and will have a better structure to your day. If your really having problems sleeping and not just not going to bed...consider going to your gp...who may prescribe you sleeping tablets. They are by no means the solution, but they might help you to break the cycle of insomnia. Its more likely though that your just going to bed, so DO! Turn it in to a goal....see if you can go to bed before 11 or 12 every night this week?

Some other suggestions....

Make yourself a timetable....and stick to it!

Eat well!....healthy food....plus multivitamins...cod liver oil?

Do out a to-do list for each day....dont make them big things....nice and small...easily doable....with each one you cross off...you will feel better about study...momentum begins to build....and before you know it your actually enjoying working your way through things.

Im sure you know many of these things already....most people do...its just a matter of DOING them! tell yourself right now that tonight you will go to bed before 12! Or whatever time you think is a reasonable goal.


Personally, I find when study isnt going well its because my entire life is disorganised and im not happy with myself. Although now is the time for study, after the exams maybe look at other things and see if you could get more motivated in these other areas such as interests or sports. You will find your motivation and focus in these areas you love will carry over in to study.

Best of Luck OP, just try break the pattern of behaviour.

steel_spine

I'm doing Science at NUIG and having the exact same problem. Thing is, I was much better and more disciplined in 1st semester, dunno what happened. I have some really tough exams in 1-2 weeks and I've done feck all, but I just can't seem to sit down and solidly study