[JesusGeek]

So the solution would be to get off the forum right? And study. That is probably all anyone will say. I just have to get it out of my head and stop trying to deal with it alone. I just can't stop using the Internet. I am having a major addiction problem with it. I'm on it constantly. And neglecting school. My grades were great all through community college, and my first year in university. And they started declining in the last 6 months, and now they suck. I keep making plans to study all night (I sleep during the day and work and study at night), and I just do random stuff online instead. Having a major self-control issue. I love school. I love to learn. I just can't seem to do it lately, I can't focus when I try to read my textbooks. I have TMTS (too many tabs syndrome). I am scatterbrained and I can't focus on one thing for very long. I am diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and borderline personality disorder. BPD features impulse control issues in particular. I feel afraid that I'm gonna keep doing poorly and never graduate. I'm a year and six months from graduation right now. I don't want to blow it now. I'm almost there.

[Talthybius]

I think you need to look at your sleep pattern.

As well as having focused study time without distractions. So not studying behind your computer where you are supposed to have fun. But many in the library at uni. I don't do this myself, but I know many students do this to avoid distractions. For example because they have fun cool room mates.

I always feared I multitask behind the computer too much, open too many taps, and that that would destroy my attention span or focus. It has not. But that is just my innate neurology. For most people, it is a problem and it takes awareness.

Overall, the situation you describe here is rather 'simple', as in; you know the problem and you know how the solution should look like. The problem is actually doing it. For that, I have no advice. I have alway studied completely chaotically. It didn't work for me in the past. It worked for me great right now.

I have been in a situation where uni staff have really tried hard to get students to make a schedule, adhere to it, avoid study-avoiding hehavior, create a study-friendly environment. These kinds of challenges. But that's my fellow students that were struggling a bit. There are all kinds of formal methods about how to study in a disciplined and structured way. Since you are struggling, this is where you should look. And find the advice on how to implement that works for your pitfalls/inclinations.

[JesusGeek]

Originally Posted by Talthybius

I think you need to look at your sleep pattern.

As well as having focused study time without distractions. So not studying behind your computer where you are supposed to have fun. But many in the library at uni. I don't do this myself, but I know many students do this to avoid distractions. For example because they have fun cool room mates.

I always feared I multitask behind the computer too much, open too many taps, and that that would destroy my attention span or focus. It has not. But that is just my innate neurology. For most people, it is a problem and it takes awareness.

Overall, the situation you describe here is rather 'simple', as in; you know the problem and you know how the solution should look like. The problem is actually doing it. For that, I have no advice. I have alway studied completely chaotically. It didn't work for me in the past. It worked for me great right now.

I have been in a situation where uni staff have really tried hard to get students to make a schedule, adhere to it, avoid study-avoiding hehavior, create a study-friendly environment. These kinds of challenges. But that's my fellow students that were struggling a bit. There are all kinds of formal methods about how to study in a disciplined and structured way. Since you are struggling, this is where you should look. And find the advice on how to implement that works for your pitfalls/inclinations.

I go to university online, so I can't avoid the computer unfortunately, but I can try to figure something out to avoid going on other websites while trying to do school. I can deactivate my Facebook, maybe even delete it. That may work. Otherwise it's a self-discipline problem. I could order physical copies of my books, maybe that would help, so I don't have to be on a computer to study. And yes I will definitely try to do something about my sleep pattern.

[Talthybius]

I think there are programs that lock out things like Facebook, specifically designed to help you study.

I hope you see you are already bringing up excuses. If the problem is that you get distracted, you make it so that you minimize distractions. How you can most easily do that is up to you.

I understand many people here have good reasons to study online. But if you would actually study 'offline', there are so many more options for students with similar problems to help each other and the act as peer control/social control (hmm there seems to be no English term for this). What I mean is that when you were to study with a buddy, you can both pressure the other into not being distracted by Facebook, because you made an agreement to study together and to make sure neither of you fall into bad habits. If you do, your buddy will notice and help you get back to studying.