bethyy

Thank you all so much for your posts and support!
I was definitely worried that I was overreacting, but reading all of your posts makes me realize that I should definitely look into this. I have managed to convince my mom to take me to a psychologist, but who knows when she'll get around to that...

Oh and to answer your questions transitionsuccess: I did take the most challenging courses possible at my school, which is the IB program. I recieved the IB diploma in addition to getting college credit for some extra APs. I don't think it is necessarily a lack of challenge, as I don't get straight A's or anything. However, I do have a problem studying, which may explain the lack of perfect grades. Basically, I just don't study. I can only focus for very short periods of time when studying so it's usually just not worth it. A couple of years ago, I realized I could get by just not studying and doing the minimum school work and somehow it's actually worked. I'm aware it won't work like this in college.

The other example I forgot to mention with regards to focusing is that I cannot watch TV. I seriously watch a show for about 5 minutes then wander away and get food or go to the bathroom because I get bored and have no interest. Also, I've never been able to sit through entire movies. I hate going to the movies because I always get fidgety and have to excuse myself to go to the bathroom so that I can wander around and not bother everyone else. Don't know if this is relevant, but it's what caused my friends to start to convince me that something isn't right.

ADad

Can you sit down a read a book for pleasure for any length of time?

bethyy

If I enjoy the book then yes, for hours and hours. If not, then no.

ADad

That's interesting. Well, I hope that you can see an educational psychologist. I can't diagnose a specific problem, but it still troubles me that your performance is so far below your potential.

bessie

Scoring in the top % of the SAT's does not mean you do not have an attention problem. As a matter of fact, that is how we first suspected son had ADD. His SAT scores as a sophomore (2220) and AP scores (mostly 5's) did not in any way reflect his performance in school so we had him tested. If we had taken him in without having that discrepancy to point to, his LD may have gone undiagnosed. He was a National Merit Finalist, but still struggled to get his (easy) homework done. Unfortunately, many of his teachers held the same view as the above poster (if he tests that well, he cannot have focusing problems) and that led to a serious lack of understanding regarding his performance in class. I actually have two kids who test high and tend to underperform grade wise. One good thing for the OP is that since many college courses are graded mostly on tests, you should probably do okay there! See a psychologist. You can ask the CHADD (ADHD organization) group in your area for a local referral.

TransitionSucces

The key is to break your studying up into short, frequent periods. It's called "distributed" studying. Sit for as long as you can concentrate, take a 5 minute break, and continue again. They idea is to keep your concentration at 100%, so the minute you start to drift off, you stop - otherwise you're wasting your time.

Also, have you tried typing (or recopying) your notes after class? It may be hard to do in HS because you're in class all day and then have plenty of homework at night. But in college, you have breaks b/w classes. Recopying your notes within 24 hours is a proven study technique. It allows you to clarify your notes and starts the process of getting the material into your long-term memory. By the time the test rolls around, the material isn't so foreign to you anymore. You can also try to rewrite your notes in Cornell style, using one side of the paper. That way, when you fold the paper in half, you essentially have flashcards to test yourself!

Also, have you tried a study group (of serious students)? If you are an auditory learner, and the group is focused, this may keep you engaged.

In addition, most textbooks have an accompanying website - the URL usually can be found on the back cover. It sounds like you are a kinesthetic learner since you get fidgety. Doing the exercises on the website is a lot more interesting than "studying", but you're accomplishing the same thing. There is almost always at least one practice test also - you NEED to take a practice test before going into any exam. It serves as a rehearsal and gives you feedback on what you need to study further.

In any case, you need to employ as many senses as possible while studying, and try to use a different method each time to alleviate boredom. Why don't you take a learning styles inventory online - it will offer many study suggestions that may not have occurred to you.

It sounds like perhaps you're in a studying rut - but I do agree you need to look into your focusing issues further.

bessie

Great suggestions above! As I read them, I realized that I did the exact same things (recopying noted to study and memorize) in college. Although not diagnosed, now that I have two ADD kids and an ADD husband, I think I recognize certain symptoms and have pretty much accepted my "learning style." I still recopy things when I really need to know them. I tried to get my kids to do this, but it was torturous for them. You have to find what works for you!

happymomof1

This will sound counter-intutive, but I have a close friend who has learned over the years that if she is doing some kind of small hand-work project (her current favorite is cross-stitching), she is actually better able to keep her concentration on the discussion topic at hand. I take it that this keeps her fidgeting to a minimum.

Good luck!