I have exams in a little over a week and though I already wrote a “How NOT to Study” post, I now feel the need to explain some of the mistakes I realize I’m making.
First of all, I’m exhausted. To the point where by the end of the day I can’t even watch TV because my eyes are too tired. I sit at my laptop all day writing and studying, almost obsessively, and I believe it’s starting to be bad for me (and my potential future eyesight).
This brings me to point two: I’m not taking breaks. I’ll switch from one subject to the next, sometimes very sporadically and without completing the assignments. This does nothing for my concentration if not contribute to making me frenetic and making silly mistakes such as typos or things I could very easily avoid.
Third, time is stressing me. I was very behind after having been depressed for months during the lockdown and have managed to catch up, but I still act as if I were running after a workload too big for me (which rationally it isn’t). This contributes greatly to my feeling of stress.
Fourth, I’m not eating. Honestly, I’m not even sure why, but usually when I restrict I have obsessive tendencies and in this case it seems to revolve around the studying. This is not healthy, it’s making me even more exhausted and I know I have to stop.
Fifth, last and most important: I think I’m using studying to repress the feeling of abandonment from my partner (we’re on a break until he finishes his school). The break should end soon, but it is a very stressful situation for me which I believe I’m not fully accepting, choosing to hide behind my assignments instead.
Yesterday, at a certain point, I realized I had no assignments to complete in that moment and it almost caused a breakdown. I have and will discuss this further with my therapist as I believe it to be very important.
This is a very stressful time for a lot of people and many college students have exams around now. My advice? Try to be wary of the mistakes I’m making because it’s not doing me any good, nor would it help you. There are healthier ways to get through your workload.
Yours sincerely,
Dysfunctional Girl
How NOT to be functional 