drop your most boring or least interesting class... Your "dysfunction" means you have to meet school on your own terms. Don't take more classes because that's what's expected or typical or whatever, take only a few. Try to coordinate which classes you take to relate to each other in a way that you know of yourself that you can work on both subjects at the same time... For instance, this is my 3rd college term and my instructors feel I am too advanced for my basic classes but I have no formal education in any of these classes, so they have to be taken. This term I am taking 2 4-credit classes and 1 1-credit class. My 4-credit classes are Archeology & Prehistory and Cultural Anthropology. They are 100 level Anthropology classes that cover the span of human ancestry and existence, a "holistic" introduction to Anthropology. By taking both of these classes together, I know that I will be able to associate my studying in each class with my studying in the other one and to produce work that is relevant to both subjects at the same time, I am able to approach my classes with a more "specific" focus, as is the "norm" for "people like me". You probably do a lot better focusing on 1 subject per term, too. I recognize that I have to spend a lot more time doing my studying than most people do, especially more than NT's do and if I try to spend the same amount of time that they do my work turns out really poor... as in, below my own personal standards. I absolutely cannot function under the pressure of having too much to do and/or too little time to do it in and that is amplified by having the categories of stuff to do too broadly spread out.
By narrowing and reducing my class selection to a subject or 2 per term that appeals to my particular interests (or is required for such a class), I am able to focus my "superpowers" to thorough study for my classes. I read the chapters a first time, then I go back and read again making notes of my criticisms. Then I read again and find specific places to do fact checking (and compare differing views from other academics). All in all, I spend probably twice the clock-hour:credit-hour ratio just digging into the books. My method of learning is different from others. I ask a lot of questions that most people might not consider. I investigate more information pertinent (even if abstractly so) to a subject of study than typical humans. This is very time consuming but rewarding in that I develop a very strong grasp on things.
When it comes to doing written assignments, I tend to use notepad++ to make a rough draft first. I like notepad++ because I can structure the layout of my sentences and paragraphs however I like, I can space them and structure them so that I can see them flow. I spend a lot of time reading and criticizing my rough draft, adding and removing as needed. Once I have covered all of the content that is required for my assignment and have satisfactorily (to my standards) produced a fluid work, I transfer my rough draft to a word processor, fix my line breaks and indentation, fix font formatting and line spacing, add my heading and then start reading. This is my "first draft". This is where I critique my own work for grammar, language style, redundancy, presentation and flow. Sometimes I might restructure sentences or rearrange paragraphs here. Then, after hours of critique, I have something I ask someone to read and to get their opinion of it. I ask them to read the prompt and I ask if my work adequately covers everything in it in a fluid manner. Once I have gained the approval from a reader, then I have my submission. All in all, I spend about 4 times the amount of time with my classes than is expected based on clock-hour:credit-hour ratio. I select my classes each term expecting no different.
Also, distractions are horrendous when I'm already under pressure to produce work... I find it very easy to slip off into video games or other unproductive activities... This is very difficult for me and so sometimes I might have to force myself by leaving myself no option to be distracted. Hope some of this helps.
18 Apr 2017, 11:38 pm
