I just cant.....

LegacyUser

Hi, I am in a major rut at the moment.
Currently studying for repeat exams that start next week, and I just cannot motivate myself to study for them. This is my third time studying for them and I lack all drive now.
I really really want to pass them as I have been very close the last two times, as in within a few percent. Yet everytime I sit down my mind wanders and I find myself half reading things or not looking at anything in particular.

I just cannot seem to concentrate and focus on the material for more than ten minutes.
Everything else around is so appealing in comparison.
Im freaking out big time as my job rides on this really and there arent too many positions to chose from either in the job hunting. I am at a loss with it all and feel like my world is going to come crashing down around me leaving me broke, well more broke, and homeless and struggling to get on with my life. Yet even these fears and worries are not giving me the slightest bit of drive to study constructively or in a way that will help me pass these F***king exams.

I need some help or advice please.....i beg you boardsies. I have tried a study plan etc and it is a complete fail. Im really freaking out here.

Diziet

Forget about the fears - they do not help and are irrelevant, really. You have not taken your exam yet, so all this is a potential future, not reality.

What is reality is that you have a choice. Do you want to pass the exams? Then you have to take the steps to work on passing them. Nobody is twisting your arm, you can choose to walk away if you prefer. It will have an impact of course, but it won't kill you. You can choose to study, or you can choose to not study. It does comes down to choice, you have complete control of what you do with your time, even if it does not feel like it at the moment.

Break it down - sit down without distractions and do half an hour of uninterrupted study. Surely you can do half an hour? Then do it again. You will feel better once you get going.

Santa Cruz

A lot of repeat exam preparation is working on previous years questions. It's highly unlikely that new topics will arise. The college authorities don't want repeat failures.

Identify a number of questions, isolate the individual topic but then commit yourself to an hour of solid work on that topic. Walk away for an hour. Come back and repeat on another topic.
Bets of luck

average hero

Well done on reaching out OP. This shows that you really want to do your best and a lot of the times, this is actually the biggest step.

Okay - You have exams coming up. No problem. Forget about the 'what if' possibilities and the consequences. Think of the exams as a big wall that you must scale. You can collapse in exhaustion after the exams, but don't dare collapse before them. The wall MUST be scaled.

Use the mantra 'I can, I will, I must' and do your best. Your thoughts=your words=your actions=your habits. Cultivate positive and motivational thoughts. If you must, just sit down and stare at the book - just push yourself a little bit further than your limit every day.

With regards to your stress levels, think of a pond. When there is a storm, you cannot see very far down into the pond, however when it is calm you can see all the way to the bottom. Think of yourself as the pond, be calm and relax and you will do better than you think. (My favourite MMA fighter used to be eerily calm before fights and went unbeaten for 10 years!)

Believe in optimism and believe in positivity and it will come looking for you.

Don't fear failure either, success is not a fork in the road where success is one way and failure the other. Rather success and contentment come from riding out trials and tribulations along the one road.

I believe in you. I was where you are not too long ago. Positive thoughts, head up, chest out. You will do it.

unseenfootage

Santa Cruz wrote: »

A lot of repeat exam preparation is working on previous years questions. It's highly unlikely that new topics will arise. The college authorities don't want repeat failures.

Identify a number of questions, isolate the individual topic but then commit yourself to an hour of solid work on that topic. Walk away for an hour. Come back and repeat on another topic.
Bets of luck

It varies from subject to subject. The OP should not rely on this to get through.

I'm talking from experience. I got tripped up quite badly and eventually failed.

unseenfootage

@ OP

Same thing happened to me in August. I had to write 11 repeats since I deferred 5 from the first semester and then failed 6 in spring. I had all summer to prepare and got into a rut. About three weeks before the exams I snapped out of the rut. I knew that it was too late, but steamrolled ahead. I took a few grinds, offline and online and tried my best.

In the end, I managed to pass five and have to repeat the year. I could've passed two more subjects but I assumed that if I didn't write I could get them compensated. It didn't work that way.

So now I have to repeat another year.

My advise is to stay on catch it while you can, stay on top of things , revise regularly, be organized and don't give up. Better to try and fail than not to try at all.

If you pass then well done. If not then pick yourself up and try again.

In both cases reflect on what you did wrong and rectify that. Improve on what you did right.

If you're believe in God, then petition Him with prayer.

LegacyUser

Hi guys,

Thanks for the replies. Have taken the advice on board and slowly but surely getting through bits of it. still only managing to get 20mins before my head wanders.
They aren't college exams, they are professional accountancy ones.
Im still freaking out and very worried but the advice here has helped me force myself to do that little bit extra. Thanks guys.

average hero

Excellent OP, baby steps - remember just take baby steps! Build very slowly every day. Repeat positive thoughts, positive words - you have to take it on so go in with a hugely ambitious positive attitude. Force the positivity.

Reminds me of a quote from a surrounded Marine Corps general - 'They're in front of us, they're behind us, they're to the left and the right of us. THEY CAN'T GET AWAY THIS TIME!'

The quote basically says that no matter how bad it gets, take the offensive, grab the bull (the exams!) by the horns and take control.

Keep pushing OP, well done!

kflynn

Maybe learning the exam content in a different way might be useful. I know accountancy can be incredibly boring but you can find real life cases and look into them a bit further.

For example, I find VAT mind numbing. However, in 2009 the European Court Of Justice took a case against the Irish government over how they treated gov. agencies in relation to VAT and they won. I found that interesting because you have to wonder if there is anything else the government are doing that we just assume is correct but in fact, if challenged, isn't.

Or for the likes of directors duties/insolvencies, learning a little about the likes of Sean Quinn's case in the high court can make it interesting. If it is interesting you will last a little longer without your mind wandering.

It may also be that this career path is not for you - that's not the end of the world either. Those exams have a 60% (ish) failure rate so do not be disappointed in yourself!

kob29

I think this is what might be going on....you dont do the work= you fail. But you can put the failure down to not doing the work. Being honest with yourself deep down do you genuinely fear that you cant actually pass these exams? Sometimes when this is the case we step into self-esteem protection mode and just dial out of doing the work because if we did work our ass off and fail then where else is there to go with it? And it negatively impacts on our self image which we're programmed to try to protect. So if you dont do the work and fail then you can tell yourself that motivation and lack of work was the reason which is easier to cope with than not being good enough to pass them?

Just a thought!

AineM2013

If ur mind wanders after 20 mins take a 5 ten minute break. Work out a study time table which includes two short breaks every hour, with a longer break every 3or 4 hrs. You will take in and retain more info that way. It's natural that your attention wanders in this time! During breaks take a short walk, make tea, listen to some motivation music!!!
I found putting short info post it's in random places is good for revising...as in on the fridge, beside light switch, on bathroom mirror! Esp for remembering formulas and stuff.
Good luck