What the hell is wrong with me?

[Adm. Empoleon]

Well, it's been roughly 2 months since we started school, and I have noticed a great difference in myself: I can't study like I used to.
I mean, when I was in 10th grade, I could sit in front of my desk for one hour and understand everything we took on that day. Now I take two hours, and I can't comprehend half of it.

My biggest fear is that next year, when I'm 12th grade (which is make it or break it), I'm still going to be like this.

Can someone tell me what the hell is wrong with me?

 

[alamaster]

Just relax, get a tutor if you need to, it's probably just stress. If you need to, take breaks often. Ask the teachers for help. Speak to a guidance counselor. Talk to your friends about it. It's nothing to be ashamed of. And try to have fun, high school isn't the most important thing ever so don't take it too seriously.

 

[Objection]

When you say you take two hours, do you mean two hours without stopping? If so, that might be one of the problems affecting your study.

However, if after at least one hour there is something you really don't understand, make a note of what it is that you didn't understand and follow Ala's advice.

 

[jrp]

I'm in the exact same situation, when I was younger, everything used to come to me without any problem at all, and studying was generally a piece of cake.
Now, in 11th grade (exactly the same), things started getting a lot harder, and to make matters worse, my work ethic completely dropped off the face of the earth, making matters worse.

I've been surviving solely because of friends and tutors for the most part. Friends are great to ask for help, so long as it doesn't feel too awkward.

For other methods, just ask the teacher. They're generally glad to assist people in need.
Some public libraries have online tutoring programs or just programs to ask for help, and they'll help you out.

 

[Optimusje]

I have a similar thing, but its more the fact that i simply cant focus on school anymore. When I get one of those rare 30 minutes in which I am able to focus, I can cram in a lot of info, but usually I dont. My grades fell down a lot, and I still havent got them up. I think its something similar (think of it like this: When studying, does your mind wander off to other things? Yes: its the same). The only solution I found was to simply take away anything distracting. Shut down computer, no radio. Hell, even posters on the wall. Just make sure your absolutely focussed. If that doesn't help, its best to have a talk to a guidance counselor, like Ala said, as they will often find ways to help you out too.

Now back to studying for me... how ironic

 

[Texas Cloverleaf]

I'm in the exact same situation, when I was younger, everything used to come to me without any problem at all, and studying was generally a piece of cake.
Now, in 11th grade (exactly the same), things started getting a lot harder, and to make matters worse, my work ethic completely dropped off the face of the earth, making matters worse.

I've been surviving solely because of friends and tutors for the most part. Friends are great to ask for help, so long as it doesn't feel too awkward.

For other methods, just ask the teacher. They're generally glad to assist people in need.
Some public libraries have online tutoring programs or just programs to ask for help, and they'll help you out.

QFT. This is exactly what's happening to me. Math wasn't easy last year but I still tried but know its like "Math, go screw yourself".

Also, Fuck Physics. (More specifically my teacher who apparently has a PHD. WHAT THE FUCK!?!?!?!?)

 

[Alex Practice]

I've never bothered studying. I can read through something and remember the basics well enough to scrape through. Why? Because I love reading and writing. It comes naturally to me. I rarely have to write down vocal or reread a sentence because I've had a LOT of practice, lol. Like, seriously, I was reading Harry Potter-length books on my own, in three days, when I was 7. I'm sort of a nerd.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say here is, it's good to stick with what comes naturally. If you're feeling distracted, bored, etc. and can't focus on your work, maybe you need a tutor or a study buddy. We all learn in different ways and we all work in different ways, and if sitting alone at your desk trying to cram 150 pages into your memory isn't working, then don't force it.

When I DO feel the need to study, I read out loud and write down unfamiliar vocab. It stimulates the mind in non-visual ways which help up remember things.

It may seem counter productive or even lazy if you've always been a top student or whatever, but sometimes you need to put down the pencil and go for a bike ride, work out, call someone up on the phone, even take a nap, something to mix it up and satisfy whatever restless urges are distracting you.

If your problem is more of the 'I don't know how to do this' than the 'I don't feel like doing this' variety, then obviously, getting a tutor or a study buddy is the best course of action. Even if you used to be a top student and felt like the smartest kid in the class, things get harder as we move up in education, so don't limit yourself from getting help if you need it. That's serving your ego, not your grades.

 

[VKCA]

Grade eleven fucking sucked balls for me I ended up with a 60 average last year iirc
Grade twelve has been a quite nice comparably, if it's any comfort. I really haven't had to step up my work ethic, and my average has gone up by 17%.
triple math/triple english/Physics is my course load btw

 

[Gabe]

You might be too stressed about other things to focus properly. This is the case with me, I have so many problems currently that I find it hard to stop thinking about other stuff and focus.

 

[comatthew6]

Well, it's been roughly 2 months since we started school, and I have noticed a great difference in myself: I can't study like I used to.
I mean, when I was in 10th grade, I could sit in front of my desk for one hour and understand everything we took on that day. Now I take two hours, and I can't comprehend half of it.

My biggest fear is that next year, when I'm 12th grade (which is make it or break it), I'm still going to be like this.

Can someone tell me what the hell is wrong with me?

I'm in junior year too, and it does suck. Thankfully for me, I only have to take 6 classes (I have to take 8 now), so I get an early day senior year.

Anyways, to help, I suggest getting a tutor - something one-on-one (not a class). Maybe you should take less challenging courses - it might not look great on your college app, but it's better than getting C's or D's.

 

[Bologo]

Honestly, I find that the best thing to do in high school is to just do the damn homework. This is especially important in math and science courses, but also in everything else.

If you do all of the homework, you'll actually have practiced enough to 1) know your shit, and 2) be able to understand anything else that the subject matter is integrated into.

Seriously, in grade 11 and 12, I never did homework (except in my math classes). I still got an 80% average, but that was because the assignments were generally a joke.

However, I took an extra semester of grade 12, and I got an 87% average that semester. This wasn't by reading over the notes every day. I tried that and it was generally a waste of my time. I just did the stupid homework which forced me to know what I was doing, and by virtue, I could understand the notes (as long as your teacher gives good examples in their notes this shouldn't be too hard).

I really need to take my own advice though. I'm in university now, and it's really hard to find time to do homework sometimes, because there's more assignments. I basically never do my Chemistry homework, because my mind is too slow for word problems though...that plus "Introduction to General Chemistry" can suck my dick. As you can imagine, I'm not doing very well in Chemistry...lol I got 57% on my first test and 59% on the second. -.- I'm hoping "Organic Chemistry I" will be better...

Honestly though, teachers give out homework for a reason. It actually does help your grades a lot if you do it.

 

[norulz]

Freshman Year taking a course in Philosophy at FLUP, and I couldn't hate it more.

I basically only have 2-hour classes, in which I leave on the first half hour because 2 hours of a person talking is just too much for me, so I might as well not even attend. the classes are lifeless and boring, way too generic, every teacher speaks with a ridiculously low voice as if they're purposely trying to make it hard for you to hear them if you're in the back of the class (which is where I'm mostly at). There haven't been any powerpoint presentations, slides, anything, it's just a teacher 90% speaking, 10% writing with ridiculous handwriting, and I end up taking cigarette and coffee breaks every 10 minutes. I wonder if this is just my course, or if it's like this in every course in this college.

 

[Adm. Empoleon]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. I'll try to reply to each and every one of you.

@Ala: You said it all. I don't know about having fun in high school, but I'll try.

@Objection: I study for two hours with a break every half hour or so.

@Optimusje: Thanks for your advice about distractions.

@Texas Cloverleaf: Math is the bane of my existence. But we're taking algorithms now, and I seem to understand them.

@Alex Practice: Nice words dude. Especially the last bit about egos and stuff. I got Arabic Lit. and English covered, but what would you suggest for math and chemistry?

@Gabe: That kinda describes my situation right now, haha.

@comatthew6: Dude, if I could take less challenging courses in Jordan, this thread would not have been made.

@Bologo: Unfortunately, teachers in my school don't give out homework =(. Second best school in Jordan, my ass. Plus students would complain about it. Not me though.

Well how would guys suggest I handle math and chemistry? I've got trouble handling sequences and shit, and in chemistry... lets just say its my least favorite subject as opposed to last year. I like the lesson and all, but when I study it, I tend to make HUGE fucking mistakes at home. Mistakes I don't do while solving problems in school.

Also, how would guys handle subject that require you to memorize things as if they were your name? Like Religion.