Straight As this semester

[LifeFirst]

I really want to get straight As this semester

But as you guys probably know, I have been put on academic probation because of my poor performance last semester. I was just too stressed out. I was nearly exhausted everyday, and I felt like I was losing some of my common sense. Maybe I was severely depressed, but I can't even tell anymore.

So now, the new semester is 3 weeks in and so far I have been keeping up on things. But I still have some troubles. It's still very hard for me to focus because of constant stress and exhaustion. It's not that I procrastinate, but my classes are heavy on math and confusing stuff so it takes me days to finish an assignment, and I'm just stressed out the entire time I'm at it.

I have only had 1 A during my entire time at the University, that wouldn't look good at all. I need to have more, or else I would feel that everything has been wasted (if not already is)

But so far here are the things I have been doing this semester:

-Getting up earlier

-Going to sleep early

-Getting started on assignments the minute they are given

-More focused in class than before

-Exercising/Lifting weights daily


But I'm still very stressed and I have been losing my temper a lot. Of course not in front of other people just by myself in my room. And it's really bothering me, I want to change my situation but sometimes I feel as if I don't know what to do.

So what do you guys think are some good tips or advice I should follow.

[CStrunk]

Make sure you eat breakfast everyday and bring snacks to class if you have a few in a row. Cal Newport has a nice blog about this sort of thing. You should check it out. Here's another link for student resources from Lifehack. Check out Steve's articles on college, they're good.

Good luck this semester!

[Joely]

What about learning to relax and some better techniques for dealing with stress? If stress was what caused you trouble last year, putting massive pressure on yourself to get straight As this semester can't be helping you this time. I think that's an admirable goal, and as a former university teacher I always cheer when students say they're getting on with their assignments straight away.

There is one more thing you could do, though, speaking from that perspective: if you have a tutor/support worker, talk to them. Ask lecturers and tutors for advice on completing really top notch assignments, but also communicate with the university support system. There seems to be an attitude amongst students that we're all ogres and we expect to make things as hard as possible. Actually, the opposite is true. If you were my student and you came to me looking for help to deal with stress, I'd be very pleased and be able to put you in touch with valuable resources to help you out. Possibly the best advice I could give you would be "relax a little."

[Brutha]

Make sure you eat breakfast everyday and bring snacks to class if you have a few in a row. Cal Newport has a nice blog about this sort of thing. You should check it out

I would also recommand Study Hacks.

[Luisa]

These are a few things I'd suggest:

- Consider lightening your study load (take less subjects)

- Go to a doctor and get tested for vitamins/iron/etc, in case you have a deficiency which is making you exhausted

- Go to see a counsellor, if you're stressed/angry/depressed (not sure about where you live, but it's probably available free from your uni/college)

- If you're having trouble focusing and concentrating, try taking gotu kola (from a health food shop)

[Cultivate]

I'm also a college student who is working towards getting better grades (hopefully straight As!). I've been getting pretty stressed out myself and the one suggestion that I can make to you is that you do not treat school as your life. School is very important, but you should not be thinking about it at every moment. Go to class, do your assignments, and study, but if you're not doing assignments or thinking about school then don't stress about it. Plan stuff out so that you have enough fun time and study time and then just follow your plan. Make it so that you enjoy your college life and socialize, but then get to your work when you need to.

Math is a tough subject, especially to figure out yourself. If you can, find someone who has taken the class or is in the class with you who can help you understand the work. If you want to shell out the money you could find a professional tutor to hire. Maybe find a second book at your library that you can use to offer another perspective on the math concepts that you're learning. Also, you could try skimming the material before lecture so that all you do during lecture is add details to a framework you're developing.

Oh, and lastly looking at the fact that you're working out now. Two things: take a multivitamin and make sure that you're eating more than you used to. You might just be a little tired because you're eating junk food and not eating enough food to balance out your exercising.

Good luck!

[NadeeshaCabral]

I'd recommend a few things too.

• Try to be light-hearted: This something that really worked for me when I was stressed about my final exams once. I took things one at a time and I never pressurized myself to do things to an extent that I'd be stressed about it.

• Eat more, drink more: Commentators before me did a great job explaining this.

• Have mini-goals: A reason that you go through exhaustion might be because of the workload that you might be having. Since you're studying for straight A's, cutting down the workload might not be possible. But have mini-goals. They will encourage you to perform better and take the pressure a bit away. Complement yourself when you've achieved one or more of them.

• Consider a place of change in study: Sometimes, change can work magically. Take your work elsewhere for sometime. See whether the change works for you. It will give exhaustion a break.

And finally have faith in yourself and never doubt for a second you can't make it!

Good Luck!

[Restrikted]

I'm in my second semester at college too, and I've found a few things have really helped me out.

1) Changing your study location, like NadeeshaCabral said, has worked wonders for me. I was originally studying in my dorm room and I was constantly distracted by my roommate and the tv. I went to a study lounge, and I found that I can concentrate better, and its just an overall better environment

2)It seems really weird, but for me, not caring about school has done wonders for my stress levels. Let me explain. For most of last semester, I was constantly stressed out with all my assignments and exams. Then, while I was studying for finals, I realized that the worse that happens is I fail a class and I take it over. It's not like I'm going to fail at life or anything, everybody gets by some how. So when I had my first final (physics) I walked in happy as can be, not a care in the world, and I got a B+ on it. Don't get me wrong, I still studied, but there wasn't that huge pressure to do well on it, which makes me work about 100x better. And when taking tests, a lot of my mistakes come from being stressed and thinking irrationally. I would study for it, and let fate take the rest. Sorry to go off on that tangent, but it actually works for me.

3)Yoga. I signed up for a gym membership this semester, and I would go to a yoga class on Wednesdays (that was the only day they had REAL yoga) and when I walked out of it, I would feel stress-free and just overall good about myself. I say you try out a class if you have it, or buy a tape and do it in your room.

These ideas may sound stupid to most people, but they really helped me out.

[astra]

Hello again! I remember you posting last semester and being very stressed out. I hope my suggestions helped a little then, and I hope I can help you a little more now.

First of all, well done for going back and soldiering on! I know you may not feel like you have a choice, but you do, so kudos for the right one.

I (finally) finished my studies in November, and the way I handled my last semester was very different from previous semesters. I ended up with A's in both my subjects for a change! So I've got some tips and hopefully at least one will ease the strain a bit for you.

1) Stop, take a breath, and relax. Even if it is for 1/2 an hour, go think about something else. Try and do this a bit every day, without feeling guilty. When your mind is refreshed, you can deal a lot easier.

2) When you get assignments, instead of thinking about the whole lot that you have to do and getting overwhelmed, try breaking it down. Work out how many days until it's due, minus a day or two, and break the assignment down into that many pieces. Then plan to do one piece each day. The extra days are a buffer if you need a break, or get stuck. Don't even think about the next peices until you've done the piece for the day. When you think of an assignment as 3 parts completed, it's a lot less stressful than thinking of it as only 1/4 finished. You can then relax as you complete each day's section, and relax.

3) I'm not that good with schedules and time plans, but I tried to have a basic idea of when I wanted to do what, and why. If you're excellent at plans, try drawing up a schedule and stick to it. Make sure you schedule some free time and relax time every day, even if it's just half an hour.

4) Don't be afraid to take a break, especially if you're getting frustrated. The amount of times I threw a book down and walked away because I couldn't work out a problem, only to come back an hour later and have it make sense, is unbelievable.

5) Find a family member or friend to act as your sounding board, support you and encourage you (and sometimes, pick the book back up for you). Knowing my partner was behind me made it so much easier to get through. Sometimes you just need to know you're not alone.

Lastly, don't be afraid to ask for help or encouragement. That means from people close to you, to your tutors, to coming on to the forum and seeing how many people are here to support you.

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. In the meantime, good luck and I hope you get something out of this.

[Iamsuperman]

Sharpen your mind! It will help you understand the concepts better (better marks), and it will help clear up your mind. Here's a couple ways you can boost your brainpower;
- omega 3's
- chess (try a google search for benefits of chess, you'd be amazed what it can do for your brain)
- exercise
- healthy diet (eat breakfast!)
- adequate sleep

Hope this helps!

[The Cloud]

Hahahaha, seems like you're exactly like I am when I have to do calculus homework! I'm almost universally cool, calm, steady, except when I'm doing my homework. Then I will swear a lot (when I normally barely swear at all) and yell at the homework telling it how stupid it and its problems are. If this is you, then I believe that I know your problem. You hate the way you're learning math, because the structure of it just doesn't make sense to you like some other things do. For me, biology makes sense, it fits together. But when it comes to equations, I can barely understand anything beyond y=ax+b. And forget calculus, I just have to memorize the methods for doing things on the exams, but otherwise I have no way to apply it to anything meaningful outside of class.

Of course, even if this is all true, none of it helps you at all. And that's basically what I'm saying, is that as long as math is taught in the way that it is, you're going to struggle with and hate it because it won't make sense to you. If you find another way to look at it, make me the first to know, because I would love to be able to really get calc. Until then, we'll just have to suffer and be miserable in the name of a college degree. This may sound fatalistic, but it's the only answer I have found, and I'm an 8th semester senior taking differential equations.

Now, in order to prevent the misery of mathematics from becoming pervasive in your life, I would suggest setting a standard amount of time a week you spend on your homework, and refusing to work beyond that amount of time. This way, you will have time that you know will be available for the things that you want to do, because all your homework time has been used up. Also, it teaches you to be more efficient with the time you do spend doing homework, because it is limited. In the beginning, you may not finish some assignments before your time is up, but then you'll learn to work more efficiently so that you can finish within the alloted time. So take the things you don't like and limit them to a certain amount of time so that you can do things that you do like without worry.

[Fullcrum]

Hey mate, what's going?

You feel stressed?

Wonderful! Your brain is growing and becoming more used to greater amounts of stress, continual learning, and growth. Honestly mate - this is a good thing. If you are STRESSED, it is a GOOD THING!

Now it's time to move past it.

Take the concepts of surrender to the moment, acceptance of what is, being in the Now, non-resistance, etc. They all say the same thing. When you are doing this kind of work, see if you can alternate every few minutes between a state of no-mind and a state of intense focus. It's like many little breaks that actually integrate the learning more deeply. You'll find you overall learn more quickly and there is less stress.

Be "non-resisting" to doing your homework. Don't mentally comment, just do it. You'll enter the flow state, and it will be more likely to come together. Do all your work in this state UNLESS you feel you really need the stress to keep yourself going. Otherwise move past it.

Basically, be in the NOW!

[Luisa]

Just want to second Restrikted's suggestion to change study locations. This did wonders for my study efficiency. When I switched from studying at home (constantly distracted) to studying in the library, I got more done in a lot less time, my grades went up, and I was less stressed.

[Stephen]

If I have learned anything about education (both formal and informal) it is that the only guarantee of retention of knowledge and capacity to regurgitate it is when you can relax and enjoy what you are doing.

If you cannot 'get into' what you are doing then perhaps it's not for you.

Dont sweat the small stuff, and make your major aim to pass. If you aim for straight A's from where you are at present, you will explode.

Relax and enjoy the subject. You will see a change.

[Freelancer]

Get into meditation to relax yourself more and reduce the stress levels.

Start listening to Tolle, I can't stress (lol) enough how brilliant this guy is.



Edit: At self: To work you FOOL.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Freelancer

Get into meditation to relax yourself more and reduce the stress levels.

Start listening to Tolle, I can't stress (lol) enough how brilliant this guy is.



Edit: At self: To work you FOOL.

Tolle: I might return to this audio. I turned it on, but his voice just turned my heart to stone. I felt stressed listening to him! lol

[Freelancer]

Originally Posted by Stephen

Tolle: I might return to this audio. I turned it on, but his voice just turned my heart to stone. I felt stressed listening to him! lol

Haha in that case your listening through the ego.

If the voice ****s you up then try listening to the silences (which is impossible for the ego, SCORE).

[Fullcrum]

Tolle makes a great study aid.

[LifeFirst]

Wow...I actually forgot I made this thread.


Anyways, so far everything is good. I got up early yesterday and today and went to the gym to work out. That's what I am going to strive for everyday from now on. When I get up early to work out, I feel like I'm wired, more focused, positive energy running through me, I feel unstoppable.

I'm on top of my classes at this point, I aced a quiz today. It's all good for now at least.

[LifeFirst]

Well, just an update on how things are going.


So far, I have come to the conclusion that there is definitely a problem with the way I approach classes/tests. I can't pinpoint exactly what, but I never seem to get anything. Like I feel the more I learn, the less I know. And in the end, I don't know a thing. There are times when I'm confused by the simplest concepts. Today for example I got back my test (which I thought I did really well), when I was doing the exam, I was confident doing the problems, I answered every question and I thought I got most of it right too. And I got it back today and I got 11/20. The class average is 13...even though the class average is low, I'm still below it. The thing is, I did get a lot of it right, but not completely right, just mostly around the edges. And plus I completely misinterpreted a question, which had cost me. Because I knew how to do it, in fact I knew how to do every single problem on the exam.....but I still got only a 11...maybe I do have anxiety/whatever issues that I don't know about. Because before a test, I hate studying for it. I would usually start studying a couple of days/a week before it, but I HATE studying the night before it.

Plus, I don't know if I'll have the time to take care of these issues......

Everything else isn't too bad....

I'm up earlier in the morning than ever before, usually around 7 AM

I go work out, exercise every day.


I just feel dumb and old

Don't know if there are any solutions.

[supertom]

have you tried Holistic Learning ??

[LifeFirst]

Originally Posted by Stephen

If I have learned anything about education (both formal and informal) it is that the only guarantee of retention of knowledge and capacity to regurgitate it is when you can relax and enjoy what you are doing.

If you cannot 'get into' what you are doing then perhaps it's not for you.

Dont sweat the small stuff, and make your major aim to pass. If you aim for straight A's from where you are at present, you will explode.

Relax and enjoy the subject. You will see a change.

You're right....


My heart is pumping nitroglycerine right now....I'm at that point already.


I have been trying to enjoy the subject. Trying damned hard. It works for intervals. I will get into the "flow", and I will be able to understand the details. But the minute I break the pattern and flow, my mind breaks apart with it. I mean I can't remember much of anything if I'm not in this "zone" or "tunnel" 24/7. And the next day, I have re-learn everything all over again. I feel like I can't do this. I feel ashamed and humiliated.


How do you relax when you can't? My perception of things have become really disrupted right now. Whenever someone says something....I think it's another thing. I don't know anything anymore. I can't escape this trap I set for myself...damn.