Re: College is my job and I suck at it. Why?

[Anonymous]

zgjp82, I graduated college just a few years ago, so I think I can help out here. You’re on the right track about the medication/isolation bit.

Are you using any ADD medications? I took Adderall daily and was still having trouble in the late afternoon/evening, so my doctor prescribed me some low-dose Ritalin to carry me through the last quarter of the day or so. I’d take it whenever I’d get too far off task in the evenings or when I woke up too late in the day to take an Adderall (Taking a pill that wires you for about 14 hours + waking up at noon = bad idea).

Some other things for studying/homework/doing papers:

-Consider going to the library to do your work, especially the bigger projects. For me, there were just too many distractions in my dorm/apartment. The library is full of people who are also busy and working quietly, providing a “productive” atmosphere that also doesn’t distract you too much. My school’s library also had “cubicles” that would isolate you even further, but not so much that you missed out on the productive air of the library. Also, there you’ll be around more of the good students than the Alcoholism majors that you mentioned, which can’t hurt.

-When working on a computer, just close ALL of your non-classwork-related tabs on your browser. OK, maybe one if your pace allows for it to give you a few mental breaks.

-This one may or may not work for you, but it worked for me: On the longer papers and such, I would find some fast-paced music without lyrics and listen to them on headphones. Somehow this enabled me to focus even more. But I’d pause it if I had to do some really deep thinking or precise wording that would briefly slow the pace.

Whenever I had a big enough paper due, I’d bring my laptop (switched off if I could, so that it’s a little more clutter-free) to a library cubicle, pop a Ritalin, put my headphones on, set my iTunes to nonstop-repeat the song linked below, and get cracking. I should note that this was more for the writing phase than the source-finding phase.

Here’s the song I used. It will either work wonders or drive you mad. It needs a few listens before it starts working, IMO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lghXiuFCr5E.

More recently, I’ve been using this track, which wires me in as much as the programmers in the movie that it came from:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yczul_609Gg

You can get the second one on iTunes, let me know if you’d like me to send you a copy of the first.

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