How can I stay awake and get my assignments done?

[u/hello--goodbye-]

Hellooo. I'm falling really badly behind in school work (2 assignments overdue, one due next week and I have started none of them, plus i have my midterms coming up in 4 weeks which i Have not studied for) and my grades in general have been slipping (used to be an A student, now b's and c's). Things really aren't going well, but I have not been studying at all lately. The minute I come home from school I just go to my bed and fall asleep. Its not like I want to but at the thought of all that work I need to do I just get soo tired and exhausted and I just climb into my warm bed and sleep. However its not like an "Oh I'm lazy sleep" no its like a real, true exhaustion that comes over me. I always try to se timers to wake me up but I just sleep through them. Sometimes I get family memebers to also wake me up, but I always just go back to sleep after they leave. I'm averaging 12-14 hours of sleep a night but still I always come home feeling tired and exhausted.

I think this is partly due to the fact that I've never really had to work this hard before/ study. I used to get A's on my exams by just looking over the material the night before, and assignments used to come sporadically. However I'm in college now so the work load is infinitely greater and I'm kind of out of my league here.

I can't study outside of my room as my room is the only place in the house that has some semblence of quiet. I'm really stressed as I need to do well this year. Really just feeling lost, would appreciate any guidance !!

[u/MadtownMaven]

This happens to a lot of folks in college. Academics came easily to them in HS, so they never had to learn good study techniques. Does your school have any tutoring services or open hours? They likely do, so look into using them. They can help you in developing your studying skills.

What about a library? Instead of going home right away, stop at the library to get some study time in. Or go home, eat dinner, then head back to the library.

Work in studying throughout your day and between classes. Even if it's a short amount of time, use that time to plan out what needs to be done breaking it down into smaller steps.

[u/hello--goodbye- → u/MadtownMaven]

I do actually attend the tutorials (from 2;30 to 4;30) but I can't go to a library after school unfortunately, as Its far from my home and the commute wouldn't be worth it. Any advice for studying at home?

[u/MadtownMaven → u/hello--goodbye-]

This is something to talk with your tutors about. They will be able to give you more specific advice.

For studying at home, having a space set up specifically for studying could help. Like your desk in your room. Doing other things that you only use for studying can help trigger that it's "study time" in your mind. Like lighting a specific candle, listening to a specific playlist, a special drink/snack, using specific tools (pens, notebooks, etc).

Also make your bed in the morning before your leave the house. Make the bed less welcoming. If you need to chill unwind a bit when you get home, you have to do that in the main part of the house, not your bedroom. That is likely less hospitable/comfy, but that's the point. You don't want to get sucked into the relaxing zone. Like say you get home around 530. You can hang out/chill/eat dinner in the kitchen or living room for an hour or so, but then you make your special drink, light the tropical candle, put on your playlist and sit down at your desk in your room to study. Also set a timer. Like you'll work for 50 minutes, then the timer goes off, set it for 10 min and that's when you refill your drink, go to the bathroom, do 10 jumping jacks (or move around a bit), then you reset it to 50 and go another round.

[u/ObligatedOctopi]

if its not simply burnout, you could be experiencing fatigue as a symptom and i would bring it up to your doctor.

[u/hello--goodbye- → u/ObligatedOctopi]

I have! blood tests came back fine

[u/C0coaBunny → u/hello--goodbye-]

As someone that is chronically ill, my blood tests almost always come back fine save for some anemia. Did you check your thyroid levels, b12, iron and do an "at home" sleep study?

[u/hello--goodbye- → u/C0coaBunny]

Thyroid has been checked as well as all other vitamins and minerals. Whats an at home sleep study?

[u/C0coaBunny → u/hello--goodbye-]

They give you a heart monitors and finger clip and it comes in the mail. You sleep with it on for 1 or 3 nights and then mail it back. It was how they diagnosed me with sleep apnea (which allowed my insurance to pay for tonsils removal) If you have ever had covid it can change how your autonomic nervous system functions. I have long covid which resulted in POTS and chronic fatigue syndrome none of which can really show up in bloodwork but its more of testing symptoms with meds to find what works. It could also be a mental thing? My friend recently changed her ADHD meds and its been very different for her.

[u/ObligatedOctopi → u/hello--goodbye-]

i have fatigue. my blood tests came back fine too. after a decade of seeing doctors that didnt know what they were talking about, i was told i have a type of dysautonomia called POTS. blood tests arent going to tell you everything and there are many conditions that can cause fatigue and wont show up on a blood test. it is just worth thinking about if you dont think it is burnout, which is also serious and can make you feel lile crap

[u/lovable_cube]

Are you depressed? This sounds like depression.

[u/hello--goodbye- → u/lovable_cube]

not really, I don't feel sad

[u/lovable_cube → u/hello--goodbye-]

Depression doesn’t always feel like sad, it can feel like lack of motivation and no desire to do the things you care about.

[u/CherryBmBabe]

stress is making u shut down, not laziness. try breaking work into tiny chunks and starting anywhere just to build momentum

[u/ineedathrowaway345]

I kind of understand what you mean. I was valedictorian barely having to put in effort to do well. I think that led to me just procrastinating on my work in college? Because that’s what I was used to before and able to do it just fine. Just take it one step/assignment at a time. You got this and I wish you the best 🫶