Well, I’m more than halfway done with my freshman year in college and I must say, my brain is starting to fry. Ten weeks is a long time to be going to class without break. Obviously, there are the weekends, but usually they themselves are so hectic that I find it hard to consider those 2-ish days out of the week a real “break”.
As I’ve been moving through the curriculum of all my classes, I’ve become accustomed to taking notes in lecture, doing homework, asking questions in discussions, preparing for tests and exams, and reading the textbooks. However, as more time passes, I seem to struggle with being as “on-the-ball” as I was when I first started figuring out my college study formula.
I sometimes find myself glued to my Pinterest account, searching for ways to grow my hair faster, rather than translating my Spanish vocabulary for the week. I’ll catch myself doodling on the margins of my notebook, rather than finishing my math homework. Occasionally, I decide painting my nails is a better use for my time, rather than reviewing my econ notes.
Okay, so sometimes my brain goes a little fuzzy. Intermittently, it feels like I physically cannot be productive. I procrastinate, and boy, do I do it well. I sit on my computer, browsing one of the several social media sites I have an account for, call old friends from high school to catch up, find my favorite show is having a marathon and decide “Hey, I need to watch this,”, pick out my outfit for the next day, decide I should (meticulously) pluck my eyebrows, go to the Serf, find funny videos of cats…Honestly, the possibilities are embarrassingly endless.
I’ll be into my 4th video of cats licking windows when I realize what I’m doing. I’m absolutely putting off accomplishing any form of productivity. Usually, once I’ve had my I’m-a-lazy-POF epiphany I attempt to get something done.
However, there are those days where I just cannot focus. I’ll begin doing my reading and I’ll realize I’m daydreaming about a casual run-in with Channing Tatum. I’ll turn on my television to check the weather for the week and I won’t turn it off for two more hours. I’ll have a day where I won’t be able to describe to my dad what I did, because I basically didn’t do anything at all.
I wasn’t always this negligent. I think a large part of my hair-brain is that I’m tired. Not physically (well, okay, always physically but that’s besides the point) but mentally. It’s difficult to study for 6 hours every day.
At this point, I’m looking for the light at the end of the tunnel, Thanksgiving break. Sure, it’s not the longest break I’ve ever had, but it will do. Being a freshman, I don’t think I’m quite used to having to grind for three months straight and I’ve come to realize that it is a difficult thing to do. Sure, I don’t have to get up and go to school for eight hours straight, but the amount of time I have to commit to my classes including outside of the classroom probably exceeds that of my high school schedule.
It’s true that I am definitely ready for a little break. I know I can make it through another week before going completely crazy and dropping out of school, but it will take a lot of effort and a little caffeine in order to focus through all of my reading for my econ class.