Can't focus on anything academic until late at night.

LegacyUser

Hey all, I am aware that a lot of posts about college end up here so thought I would seek some advice for a problem I have when it comes to doing work for college. I am final year and have had this problem since beginning so getting to where I am now has not been easy for me. I was never good at studying and developed a lazy attitude to it early on in life but have definitely improved in terms of discipline since beginning college. I suffer from anxiety also and this is something that has always impeded my performance academically I feel.

Anyway basically I cannot seem to get anything doe during the day, and only late at night. I can get myself out of bed at 8am and to my desk at 9am to do assignments for the day but it is only after 9pm that I really start to do anything. The rest of the day is spent fiddling around trying to get things started but always proves unproductive. My head is just all over the place during the day and I cannot focus on anything for more than a few minutes. I am totally distracted and often my anxiety kicks in and I start worrying about other stuff in my life and cannot focus on the task at hand.

Late at night however I feel very calm and am able to get through work pretty easy. However since I usually have wasted most of the day trying to do work, I have to compensate by staying up until the early hours of the morning. My exam experiences are always complete hell. I don't sleep right, eat right, exercise right, and have huge anxiety in the weeks leading up to them. I can't go for a walk during the day as I am far too anxious about all the work I need to be doing. I arrive at the lecture hall looking like I've been up for days and I generally feel ill around exam time. I would love to be able to go in there calm and collect and sleep in proper patterns before them but instead as a result of my late nights, this is the opposite.

Just wondering if anybody had any tips for perhaps trying to overcome my habits? If I could just focus during the day then I could have a much less horrible experience doing exams. Mine are coming up next month so I am trying to prepare myself better this time.

Thanks

niceoneted

OP, I was like this when I was studying and what I did was not bother killing myself to get up early any day. I would sleep in. I would go about jobs I had to do, go for swim or to gym. Have nice dinner etc and then put the head down to study sometimes late into the night.
I would only sometimes get a bit of research work done earlier in the day as it's there is not that much thinking needed for it.
I wouldn't worry about it too much if you can work around it as different things suit us differently like when we eat and sizes of meals.

whatsamsn

I could be wrong ...

But I reckon night time is "your time" right?
Thats when you focus and do your stuff.

As for during the day?
Sounds like you have some things on your mind, ex gf? bad situation? hurtful experiences? etc. Sounds like thats when these things might just enter your mind and over shadow things.

As for a solution I say either try to force yourself to get out of the habit or screw it ... you are in your final year. Do your best and it'll be over with. Then a new stage of your life begins.

CdeC

Hi Op,
Totally had the same thing, I know it's hard but what I found worked for me in my final year was to go to the Library. just go!. start at 10 and stay all day. Do lunch and maybe take an hour for excerxise. Even if the first week isn't very productive you'll start to get used to it and eventually you will be working away during the day. Also staying at home is a big no no, I'd be repainting the bathroom before I'd sit down to do some study, finding anything to do besides college work was a real problem.
It's all just your habits and remember these can be chaged!!!
Good luck

HavingCrack

OP I study at night as well, more just goes in that way. You'll find your study habits very hard to change at this stage, it's just what works for your body. I know someone who used to get up at 4 o clock in the morning and do 5 hours before 9 am because it suited them best. You're in your final year so you might as well stick with what you're used to perhaps.

mikemac

Everyone has their own preferences.

When I had study, I'd get up around 4am and do a few hours and then go into college. House is quiet and lots can be done. Morning person

But I was useless in the evenings, didn't do a tap.

Find what works for you OP, if it's working at night then good for you.

And I would suggest regular exercise. Yeah the footpaths are dodgy lately but get out running somewhere, like your college GAA pitch. It'll make a big difference for your anxiety.

If you go to a GP this may be the first thing they advise you to do, but warning, I'm not giving medical advice here

boarddotie

Hi OP,

I was exactly the same in my undergrad and postgrad. When all he others were going to lib at 8am to get a good spot I was tucked in bed. When i did my Postgrad it was the same. All the others were in early and I would saunter in at 12pm. However, when they all went home at 5pm I was always still there, just coming alive, and would end up there/working/productive until 1am. So for every extra hour sleep I got in the morning as a lie in I got an extra 2 hours at night. To me this makes sense!
So I would suggest, if you dont have to be early for AM classes, is to snooze in the morning, go in an start assignments when u feel ready, do some exercise and have a good meal around 5 or 6pm and then you are ready for some proper productivity without being tired.
Unfort this isnt socially acceptable in the working world but I did that in 4th year and throughout my Postgrad and now have a great job and actually am in work every morning and productive at 9am. So it will change!

But do not feel you have to be in working at 9am just because everyone else is. They are prob all on facebook anyway!

The best of luck!