[Typo]

I saw a post on bipolar and working, and read it, I don't seem to struggle with working, but I seem to struggle with managing my bipolar II and school, I'm working on my degree, and the last two years has been a real challenge, in getting myself to go to class, complete assignments, and not let my mood swings affect my schooling, my first year was a disaster, It's not that I don't want to be obtaning my degree, I am very passionate about it, and I love to learn. But it's such a challenge for me, even as I get deeper into just the classes that are in my degree specialty, I was wondering if anyone else struggled with this and if they had any coaping mechanisms they we're willing to share.

[questionable]

Try going to the disability office and seeing if they'll be able to help you out at all. It really depends on what you need.

All nighters are common in college/university, but if you've got bipolar disorder, all nighters may be somewhat destablizing. Caffiene is probably a bad thing (chronic habit among students and maybe not so good especially if your all nighter is becoming a 48 hour thing) and as is eating proper meals (maybe make your schedule so that you have planned times to eat?), exercise (your school likely has a gym) is a good thing and avoid parties on the weekends 'cause drinking/drugs not so good bipolar wise. (I'm only telling you from experience doing what I'm not supposed to do though).

Now that all the supposed tos are over with the most important advice I can think of and should follow myself. Don't beat yourself up because you're depression or mania screwed a semester. It happens. It's over. Beating yourself up over it is just going to make things ten times harder when they don't have to be.

[Eloise42]

I was diagnosed halfway through my bachelors. I didn't start having manic episodes regularly until college. The school disabilities co-ordinator was a Godsend for me, she was way more supportive, informed and helpful than the school therapist.

Our classes were discussion based and and if I got too worked up I would go out for a cigarette. I told my teachers ahead of time that I might have to do that and it wasn't a sign of disrespect.

My friends knew that when I was more fragile there were things I couldn't talk about. My main strategy was to monitor myself and walk away whenever I needed a time-out. I got really good at not letting other people or situations over-load my stress level.

[Fire_Star]

Going to the disability office is a good start. Someone that understands you to at least bounce ideas off even if in the end they don't directly get involved.

If your lecturers know what you're going through, they have to accommodate as much as they can that works for the course criteria. Some students discuss this directly with a lecturer, some do it through the disability office (as they peeps know what they're doing, anti-stigma and can protect your details so you don't have to bare all to lecturers, they just trust the office knows it's legit.)

I saw mine to deal with a prick of a course I'm in now but the lecturer was quite an *** which I ranted about on here ages ago so won't now. :P I regret it now - I need less stress placed on me. It's my final year so it's hectic and I'm dying in it all.

At the moment, I'm starting to do all nighters and back on the caffeine. BAD IDEA. I feel horrible, now I can't do any study. I've always been unstable and I think I use to rely on mania to get my assignments done (poorly). Now that I'm medicated, I'm either sick or depressed so can't do anything! Sigh.

I've never got the balance right so I can't give your examples off experience though I'd have to say, getting it sorted asap is the main thing. If you know when you're assignments going to be due, set a few earlier deadlines to pace getting it done out to avoid not sleeping, using caffeine etc which could trigger an episode.

Also, you could always drop by to chat to a counselor at school? I know my uni has a number of them that most people use just to go over things like time management for this courses or how to organise their tasks. They might be a useful too when you don't have a chance to see your usual doc etc and they have the advantage of dealing with school related issues all the time.

In the end, if you get sick, it doesn't matter as far as school. Let your lecturers know and it's not the end of the world. They know you need to take care of your health above all. They'll sort out your assessment and anything else so there's not really isn't a big risk of a 'disaster'.

[Typo]

Thank y'all so much, I was afraid I was the only one struggling with it!

I've started in the past year to make sure I"m on a regular sleep schedule, I excerise everyday during the week, and I avoid large amounts of caffinee outside my daily cup of coffee, which if I'm feeling manic I skip, I've eliminated a lot of processed sugars too and noticed it helps my mood swings.

My problem is when I hit a low, or a manic peroid, if I get low I can't motivate myself to get out of the house, if I"m manic I can't get myself to sit still or focus on the material at hand

I didn't know I could contact the disablities office over my bipolar disorder, that is something I will have to to look into when I transfer, right now I"m able to talk to my instructers on a face to face level and let them know what is going on with me, I go to a very small community college and all the professeor's have been very understanding and helpful, but when I transfer to a four year university I will find out about the disablity office

Sometimes I get in the fear I"m using it as an excuse, but school got very hard for me around the 5th grade, and continued to get more and more diffcult through my high school years, I was a decent student, but was always missing assignments, found it hard to go to school, and focus in class, and other days I was sharp and attentive and on top of things,

It's just so hard to focus, and to accomplish things, it's a challenge for me, espically with the mood swings, I never put the two and two together and that it was having an affect on my schooling

Guess it doesn't help my parents don't believe me about my bipolar disorder, and would never accept it affects my schooling, which in turn doesn't help me accpet it does,