Can't concentrate on classes. Feel worthless

[Delong]

This quarter I have had a really tough time concentrating on school. I was dealing with a lot of existential stuff adn it impeded me from concentrating on my science classes adn that suffered greatly. I had to drop three of my classes adn I can't even really concentrate on my remaining two. Right now I'm trying to finish this take home final for my dynamics class and I can't hardly answer any of the questions. It all takes more brain power and learning then I have at the moment. I was really looking forward to this class and now that it's all over and I feel like I haven't learned a lot I feel worthless. The year is pretty much over and I wated a quarter worrying about all sorts of stuff instead of learnign in school. What do I do about this feeling of wasting time and feeling worthless?

 

[johng23]

Don't dwell on your mistakes or self pity. Just figure out what you need to change to do better.

You need to figure out if the problem was really your "existential issues" or whether you used that as an excuse for laziness or some other bad habit.

No one else can help you figure out what your issue was without very specific information.

 

[Geezer]

This quarter I have had a really tough time concentrating on school. I was dealing with a lot of existential stuff adn it impeded me from concentrating on my science classes adn that suffered greatly. I had to drop three of my classes adn I can't even really concentrate on my remaining two. Right now I'm trying to finish this take home final for my dynamics class and I can't hardly answer any of the questions. It all takes more brain power and learning then I have at the moment. I was really looking forward to this class and now that it's all over and I feel like I haven't learned a lot I feel worthless. The year is pretty much over and I wated a quarter worrying about all sorts of stuff instead of learnign in school. What do I do about this feeling of wasting time and feeling worthless?

Sounds like depression to me. If you're a freshman, I put your odds of having depression at 97%. Otherwise, 90%. I'd seriously recommend visiting your student health center's counseling services and ask to speak to a counselor (or psychologist or psychiatrist).

Symptoms

Depression can change or distort the way adolescents see themselves and their lives, as well as other people around them. People who have depression usually see everything with a more negative attitude, unable to imagine that any problem or situation can be solved in a positive way.

Symptoms include:

Agitation, restlessness, and irritability

Dramatic change in appetite, often with weight gain or loss

Extreme difficulty concentrating

Fatigue and lack of energy

Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness

Feelings of worthlessness, self-hate, and inappropriate guilt

Inactivity and withdrawal from usual activities, a loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed (such as sex)

Thoughts of death or suicide

Trouble sleeping or excessive sleeping

Depression can appear as anger and discouragement, rather than as feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Use of alcohol or illegal substances may be more likely to occur.

If depression is very severe, there may also be psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions. These symptoms may focus on themes of guilt, inadequacy, or disease.

 

[XxsithlordxX]

Perhaps you just need someone to talk to. See the schools counselor. They have excellent listening skills. Motivation is key.

 

[General_Sax]

Don't feel worthless, because your self-worth isn't solely dependent on your school marks.

Hope you feel better =)

 

[Delong]

Don't dwell on your mistakes or self pity. Just figure out what you need to change to do better.

You need to figure out if the problem was really your "existential issues" or whether you used that as an excuse for laziness or some other bad habit.

No one else can help you figure out what your issue was without very specific information.

Part of it is my laziness I admit but I really do love science and I love this subject. I'm just having so much difficulty concentrating because all these other things are on my mind. Oh how I wish I could just concentrate on doing the things I love but this quarter I've been wrestling with a lot of stuff (like for example my grandmother is getting old and senile and I realized I won't see her again). Sigh maybe I'm just making excuses. Whatever the case I feel awful and worthless, I suck at science and I suck at life, F me.

 

[Delong]

Sounds like depression to me. If you're a freshman, I put your odds of having depression at 97%. Otherwise, 90%. I'd seriously recommend visiting your student health center's counseling services and ask to speak to a counselor (or psychologist or psychiatrist).

I'm not a freshman. In my freshman year I had a blast. Sophomore year was probably the worst but junior year which is what I'm in right now isn't that great either. I considered talkign to the counselor but they were really busy and I don't know how much they will help. Besides it's the end of the year so I don't know if they have anything anymore but I will consider talking to them.

 

[Delong]

Perhaps you just need someone to talk to. See the schools counselor. They have excellent listening skills. Motivation is key.

I am indeed lacking motivation.

 

[Delong]

Perhaps you just need someone to talk to. See the schools counselor. They have excellent listening skills. Motivation is key.

Don't feel worthless, because your self-worth isn't solely dependent on your school marks.

Hope you feel better =)

sigh...

 

[hadsed]

I just finished my freshman year, and I sort of had the same thing going on with me towards the end of this spring semester. I love physics, mathematics and computer science, and I'm all set with research already and grades are good but for some reason I was just meh about it all. I think this was a case of me being slightly burned out, having started working on research in September non-stop all the way till spring break in the spring, plus I was taking around 20 hours of classes (mostly math classes). In the end, I just didn't feel like studying or reading more about the stuff I liked to do.

When summer came around I spent almost a month doing other things like reading some different books, joining a politics group forum, learning more about other things really. I'm only now starting to get back into physics and I feel wonderful. It's nice to have a philosophical outlook on life sometimes, but sometimes it's a bit draining and causes you to feel apathetic. I even considered how these things were linked to depression, but I know that I could force myself out of the state if I really wanted to. Anyway, as soon as I started reading physics again and started thinking about that stuff my mind suddenly became clearer and I was more focused. Now I'm back to my 'usual' self, and doing physics is a pleasure again.

I think you should try what I did. Just take some time off, chill, relax, watch the history channel, read some philosophy or religion books, buy a longboard and ride it through the park, whatever you want to do. It'll definitely help you to get over these feelings I think.

 

[Delong]

thank you very much. I'll try that. I can't wait for the time when I can just focus on science again. My mind is too caught up in other things this whole quarter (like religion and philosophy).

 

[PhDorBust]

Many people have gotten very rich by creating new words for laziness. Depression, ADHD, etc.

Just start exercising and change your diet and stop making asinine excuses.

 

[micromass]

Many people have gotten very rich by creating new words for laziness. Depression, ADHD, etc.

Just start exercising and change your diet and stop making asinine excuses.

Oh, so you think that depression and ADHD is just an excuse? You obviously never went through a depression...

 

[clope023]

Many people have gotten very rich by creating new words for laziness. Depression, ADHD, etc.

Just start exercising and change your diet and stop making asinine excuses.

How scientific...

 

[Pengwuino]

thank you very much. I'll try that. I can't wait for the time when I can just focus on science again. My mind is too caught up in other things this whole quarter (like religion and philosophy).

You can always take a semester/quarter off to clear your mind.

 

[Delong]

You can always take a semester/quarter off to clear your mind.

well it's summer so that is nice.

 

[stringy]

I went through the same thing during a summer REU. Very unfortunate timing. I started reading a bunch of philosophy and it helped.

I am now going into my first year of graduate school. Your interest will come back. Mine did. Just like any hobby or interest (playing guitar, painting, cooking, etc.), there is a natural ebb and flow. Some days you're extremely motivated, other days you couldn't possibly care less. The key is to realize this and don't fret too much when you feel your interest and motivation shrinking. Just remember that it'll come back.

Many people have gotten very rich by creating new words for laziness. Depression, ADHD, etc.

Just start exercising and change your diet and stop making asinine excuses.

Nonsense.

 

[Geezer]

Oh, so you think that depression and ADHD is just an excuse? You obviously never went through a depression...

Nor ADHD, apparently.

 

[mathwonk]

please forgive this shot in the dark as i have not read your posts thoroughly.

but i saw the title and then the words i am lazy.this reminded me of my own experience. i thought i was really smart

but did not try hard, and did not succeed much. finally i realized i was afraid

to try and find out just how good or not so good i really was.

after all when we try, we have no excuse for poor outcome.

so i just said, ok, i'll try as hard ad i can, and if i am not as good as i hoped,

so be it, at least i will have tried.

well the rest is history, i was indeed not as good as i hoped,

but a hell of a lot better than i had been while screwing around doing little.

i am glad i did. go for it my friend.

 

[Tosh5457]

If it makes you feel better I'm in a very similar situation as you and I've been like that since the my 1st year in univ. started. I thought I was going to enjoy finally learning physics and maths on an university, but it was a living hell. I couldn't concentrate, I wasn't motivated, and studying was so frustrating and all of this made me feel worthless like you do.

But I realized the cause of all this, atleast on my case, are the ridicule pressures I put on myself to be a successful mathematician/physicist. Because of those pressures very easily I start doubting my own intelligence and I start thinking I was way more intelligent before than I am now, and I start wondering how am I going to be successful this way, when I can't even study without feeling worthless. And to think that 2 years ago I loved to study physics and maths and I felt I was really intelligent...

Anyway, I suggest you try to find the cause for those problems you're having. Nobody goes into a state like that without a psychological cause. After you find the cause, you try to change the way you think. In my case I said to myself (similar to what mathwonk said) I'm going to do my best and if I can't be successful, atleast I tried and gave my best, and that's all I can ask for. When I start feeling I'm not intelligent I convince myself I am, because rationally I know I am.

Hope it helped.

 

[Bourbaki1123]

Many people have gotten very rich by creating new words for laziness. Depression, ADHD, etc.

Just start exercising and change your diet and stop making asinine excuses.

 

[Delong]

Thank you for all your replies. School is starting again and I hope I concentrate better this time.

 

[PCSL]

Thank you for all your replies. School is starting again and I hope I concentrate better this time.

Good luck! I find it funny that I actually remember reading this thread when you first posted it... haha

 

[jeebs]

what you need is a montage.

 

[verty]

What I used to do when I felt like I was slipping behind in a class was to dedicate time and attention solely to that class for like the next whole evening. From when I got home, study, read, think, look again, hammer that subject until it just cannot refute you. That usually sorted it out.

The most extreme example of this was a history exam when I was still young, I just couldn't get the stuff to stick. I had done poorly in two tests, and for the exam I approached learning it like an actor learning lines. I went into that exam able to recite the notes verbatim. It would not refute me. It took about 6 consecutive hours to memorize and I could remember none of it two weeks later, but it was the only way I was going to be successful at it.

Sometimes you just have to find a way.