how can i focus in school?

[Anonymous]

— I was officially diagnosed December 2010 and barely spoke to a doctor about medication last week.

In the mean time i need techniques to help me focus! my biggest concern is my inability to focus while writing papers for my courses!

i love all of my courses but i just cannot focus!

i have looked online and seen the read the same advice or breaking it down, blah blah blah, but that is NOT enough for me!

i need specific, not broad techniques!

– for example, when it comes to papers, i have my outlines done, my arguments set out, but i just cannot fill in the blank. its like my brain does not and cannot focus on what needs to get done!!! ( is should probably mention i am a 20 year old undergraduate sophomore majoring in psychology and philosophy — and i still need help!)

—- i am beginning to feel sooo hopeless!

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[Anonymous]

Cheezy all is not lost…..

Do not even think your gonna stop paddling this boat. We are in it together. Me i do not row because of bum shoulder but I bale out the water from all the splashing of the paddles… see all different here but we all want to move forward… so we are here to help….

OK my first question is… the fill in the blank stuff. Is that stuff information you had recently read and then have to use that information to fill in the blanks of the paper? Lets call the stuff the content of the paper

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[Anonymous]

Hope this helps some.

I seemed to struggle with papers also. What worked for me is writting down anyting that popped in my head. Then i would try to put all the notes together that where similar and form my paragraphs and examples. It may not work for you but. Just writting anything and everything down in any order first, then seperating the similar and different notes helped me. It seemed like my brain had to get everything out first, then i could go back and have enought quite in my brian to try to seperate.

Also, i went through a stage when i would go blank. So if a thought would pop up while i was driving or watching tv i would hurry up and write it down. At those times when i would go blank it seemed like i would think about my paper when i didnt need to but when i would sit in front of a computer my mind would go blank.

Dont feel bad about school. I am 29, went back to school in 08 and only have 18 credits. I had to start with non credit courses with math and english. I only take 2 or 3 courses at a time. I will be 50 by the time i graduate!

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[Hans]

cheesylove

My first question. Are you taking medication?

In this forum there are lots of people with ADHD taking medications to help them focus– to fill in the blank.

ADHD medication helps your brain smooth out a bumpy road into a highway.

I have written this example so that younger readers in this forum can understand the medication concept.

As a example..

Supose you wanted to deliver a load of goods from New York to Chicago. The ADHD NO MEDICATION TRAIN travels from New York to Chicago by way of Miami. In addition the train can stop at any moment to look at the scenery or let another express train go by

The ADHD TRAIN ON MEDICATION is an express train. It goes directly from New York To Chicago. It is not held up or experiences any delays.

EXPLANATION ON PROPER DOSSAGE. The ADHD TRAIN ON TOO MUCH MEDICATION GOES TOO FAST, It JUMPS THE TRACK. AND NO GOODS GET DELIVERED.

Computor example. An ADHD brain without medication is like a computer with a slow address buss. The information requested is not obtained if there is a real time interupt. The slower the address buss the greater the chance of an interupt.

Good Luck

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[Monika]

Hi CheesyLove,

You wrote,

“I have looked online and seen the read the same advice or breaking it down, blah blah blah, but that is NOT enough for me!

i need specific, not broad techniques!

– for example, when it comes to papers, i have my outlines done, my arguments set out, but i just cannot fill in the blank.”

So you ALREADY are breaking it down. So you are half-way done.

1. The next step is paragraph formation every paper needs a beginning, middle, end. Every paragraph needs the same.

http://www.behaviordoctor.org talks about the 3-2-8 paragraph. Three ideas in the introductory sentence, two descriptive sentence per idea and a summary sentence.

2. Set yourself up for success, gather all the materials, tools and instructions you need for the task you’ve set yourself. (If you have to get up for a piece of tape, you’ll probably return back to the project a few hours later holding an icee.)

2. USE a timer, to help you focus, allow no interruptions during the 15-20minutes you have set for one paper. Timer dings then you reset it and either “sharpen your axe” ie, give yourself a break to come back re-freshed or switch to a different paper.

3.Procrastination is a real problem and has a reason almost everytime….lack of confidence, lack of discipline-“grasshopper mentality of I have plenty of time to do it later”, lack of preparation.

If organization and time management are skills you lack, peruse the student control journal found at http://www.FlyLady.net

She is an invaluable resource for creative sidetracked souls trapped in a time-conscious world.

Best wishes on your success and future,

Monika

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[Anonymous]

I found that starting and maintaining a regular exercise ie arobics weights and cycling for at least one hour per day three times a week supplemented with a dietary plan, did wonders for me when I was younger.

Plan it and stick to it. Don’t make yourself over-tired with this plan, stick with a regular bedtime schedual and never work out when you have a cold or the flu.

after about 2 weeks you should notice a difference. I’m betting it will be a good one

It got me higher marks with less study time, less anxiety and less panic

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[Anonymous]

ps cheesyLove

This did in fact specifically help me for 3 semesters

That is until I quit doing it because I decided to chase my hormones instead

A Big Mistake on my part!

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[Anonymous]

Hi cheesylove,

Nice to hear someone describing the exact problem as mine.

I’m in university for the second time. I’m attempting to finish my final project paper to receive a Master’s degree. I’m 48. The first time I was in school I was 21. Both times I have extended my stay… by 2 years this time, by 3 the first time.

I didn’t complete grade 12, and was accepted at 21 as a mature student (haha, fooled them!).

I, too, have ideas, completed outlines, and excellent arguments. Then to sit in the library to gather references and write is nearly impossible.

I’ve requested a medical leave to explore the possibility of ADHD… it only dawned on me a couple of weeks ago that that may be what I’m up against.

You said you “barely spoke to a doctor about medication last week”… so you’re not trying meds?

From what I’ve read, and what makes sense to me (and I’m hoping to make this happen for myself soon) is that you should try meds.

I’m curious to hear how things go, and what techniques or meds you discover working, or not working.

My own experience with writing, ever since elementary school, is that I feel stupid trying to think that I can write anything at all like what I read in books and articles. How can I possibly approach the organization of thought, the depth of knowledge? I’m just pretending to know anything about the topic. I end up feeling frustrated less about having facts in front of me and being organized as I do about trying to climb a mountain of knowledge. I look at the stacks in the library, full of peoples’ writings from the past centuries, and I just want to go for coffee… I really hope I can change my perspective.

One thing I am experiencing for certain is that as I take baby steps towards solving problems in my life, each step becomes easier and carries more significance. For example, I have changed my sleep patterns from midnight-3am-ish-waking-whenever-I-could to making every effort to lay in bed at 10:30pm with the alarm set for 6:30. Waking now is a joy, the groggy regret of having to leave my bed being a short-lived one instead of an all-day one. With that lifestyle change made the other changes seem doable and welcome.

Good luck,

Roy

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[Anonymous]

Roy, You just described 3/4 of my entire academic life. I think I am going to cry now

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[Author]

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