having a difficult time handling college coursework

conpeito
Sat, 22 Oct 2011 00:31:45 +0000

Hello!

What should I do if I’m having a hard time handling coursework, even though I’m hardworking and spend little time on extracurriculars or social events?

In terms of what my difficulty is–well, to me, it seems like a very vague, nebulous adversary. This actually has followed me from high school, when I dropped out of a rigorous program because I couldn’t handle all the demands. In a general sense it encompasses all facets of coursework, not solely papers or practice sets. A lot of people call it time management, but to me it just seems like I need to take longer to do everything others can do in a shorter amount of time–and I don’t know why. I don’t know if it is perfectionism either… I simply try to do assignments the way it occurs to me that I can approach them (and it’s not like I always succeed in earning a good evaluation).

I also often think it must be a conglomerate of issues. I know for instance that I do sometimes have a hard time focusing and that may be because I find the assignment painful or it seems daunting. For assignments that demand critical thought, I have a hard time synthesizing ideas and then communicating them.

Anyway, the result of this is that I spend whole days or periods of time working on a single project and getting behind on readings or similar issues; my sleeping schedule is messed up, and I don’t feel like I’m taking advantage of the opportunities at my college.

I just don’t know, what am I supposed to try? Am I just supposed to accept that worse student than in general, and need more time? I’ve approached my college’s counseling center, but they only address learning disabilities. My difficulties with handling the coursework is quite a pain at times and I find myself growing despondent over this issue and other challenges I face at the same time.