Am i lazy or do i have a legitimate problem?

i have so much trouble around doing university assignments and studying for tests. i know i'm not alone in this, but, whenever i go to do anything it's like my mind kinda freezes. i open word to start an assignment and suddenly i can't think of any words. i open my textbook or a provided pdf file for readings and it take dozens of tries to even get started.

i kinda feel this almost overwhelming sense of failure and hopelessness whenever i try to get started.

i don't really know what to do. everyone i've spoken to just says i need to study more, or i need to set aside more time for it, so i dont know maybe i'm just lazy.... maybe i do have a problem. again, i dont know what to do.

i really don't want to fail another semester, i rwally cant fail another one. but i just dont know what to do.

suggestions?

I think it would be good to find strategies to focus.

Start small. Pick one class and work on it. Break the assignment up into smaller parts. If your mind still freezes, take a short break by going outside for a short walk, watching the end of a show, a short youtube clip, or leafing through a magazine.

If you really were lazy, you wouldn't even be concerned about this. Or would think it's a big deal. Are you experiencing depressive episodes at all?

Do you have anxiety? It sounds to me like you might feel overwhelmed with not knowing how to plan out your assignment and so you freeze up. I've definitely experienced this feeling. When I get a big assignment or a lot of assignments, any of which might have some vague instructions or a lot of room for creativity, I get stuck. For me, it's an executive planning problem. I just don't know where to begin and it all just seems so big. I just sit there and go around in circles not knowing what to do, except say over and over in my head, "I don't know what to do". Even though I know what I'm supposed to be doing - I'm supposed to be completing this assignment. But that's easier said than done and it just seems like a huge task before I can break it into less scary, manageable steps.

You could be going through a state of hypo-arousal. What helps me is observing people I admire who have enough of their life together to accomplish their goals. Making lots of lists and the satisfaction of crossing stuff off that list. Or you could get dressed professionally at least your top half and play a character who has to get their work done by a certain deadline. Give yourself little breaks to do things you enjoy in between.