Procastination...

I had the same issue in high school (along with some family and medical stuff going on) I would barely get on top of my work and then something would happen to rock my emtional boat and back on the ground buried by work I would be.

The best thing I have found by far to keep myself on task is TV and a list of "must do today" it feels less like work if I have the TV playing while I do it and if I have a short manageable list then I feel like I am not overwhelmed with all of it. If you told me more details of the problem (what you are are doing instead of work, what kind of work you are putting off (is if long term projects, due tomorrow things, or both), what organization you currently have, what are your triggers, and what is getting done.) Then I could give you better advice.

P.S. I am a former college TA so I know a fair bit about all sorts of student procrastination problems.

 

Don't become overwhelmed. I acted a lot like this is high school and the beginning of college. Once you plan things out and get things accomplished, you see the light. It's so much better and you aren't stressed out!

 

I'm in the same boat. For me it's taking my mom (who doesn't know that I'm gay) being on my case about it. There's a lot more motivation when your mother is watching your grades like a hawk.

 

There is. My 7th grade geography teacher actually "encouraged" us by making it a policy of regularly requiring us to have our work examined by parents, and signed.

One time he was really evil. He ran the stack of test answer sheets through the Ditto machine and added a message to our parents that report cards would come out on such-and-so a date. Thus attempting to foil any plan to "lose" the report card. (Sometimes on report card day walking through the torn up report cards in the outdoor walkways was almost like walking through a winter snow storm.)

 

If personal issues have been interfering with your school work, try talking to a school counselor and asking for help. Sometimes they can arrange for you to have extensions on things, and to be able to make up past work you missed or didn't do well on.

You can also talk to the teachers directly.

If its clear that you care about doing well and you are willing to make the effort, usually its possible to get people to work with you on it.

 

I think Ianthe's points are worth considering.

This is not an easy time. It can be hard for anyone to accept he or she is gay. And I have read enough on your other thread (the parents and religion one) to know that your family situation has not made it easier. In your position, I'd probably have academic problems, even though my lowest grade was a B+ from 10th grade on. However, in bad times, there comes a point where something has to give, and if it's a choice between a book report, or staying sane as I'm threated by a gay conversion ministry, well, the book report might well have to wait.

So I'd urge you to consider talking to a school counselor. Even if you don't feel comfortable talking about being gay, you can--I think--legitimately claim some problems with your parents. (Obviously, you don't want to make that sound too bad, because that might create more problems.)

---------- Post added 20th Mar 2013 at 05:57 PM ----------

I hate to mention this, because I don't want to scare you, but I think it's something you need to consider. Your parents could view poor grades as being another reason to push you into some sort of Christian anti-gay therapy.

 

I never had a good time with deadlines and such. Stuff was always late or not done or I'd just put it off because it was a lost hope. Honestly that was a mistake, but I couldn't see it at the time.

I have a hard time getting in a state where I can work efficiently, sometimes I can just dial it in but that is infrequent and even more so when I'm stuck at home. I do best when I have a bunch of things that don't need done and others that do and have an organized scheduled so I can stay active (Like volunteer work).

Problem is that I became withdrawn from depression and I halted these activities and such, that's what caused my grade loss. I can't sit down and do work at home, sitting in a room with just a book won't do it for me.

I despise TV too, it just doesn't work for me. I get caught in the programs and end up wasting too much time that I could have used doing something else more productive like cleaning, learning some new tablature, etc. Worst thing is that my house is like a trap, as soon as I go down to the first floor there are two TV's that are on near constantly and it messes with me.

I plan on going out a lot more when I'm in collage even if it means just sitting by the lakefront in the car, chilling at a coffee shop, bakery or something like that. I can write a whole lot better the majority of the time like that.

I'm not much of a day person either, I don't know why but it's how I've been forever. I just feel that much more focused when it gets darker out. I'd rather be out and about when it's light, then work later (Not that I always have this choice, but yeah).

Being closeted has had it's obvious stresses too, combined with everything it just made school nearly unbearable for quite a while.

I don't quite remember the saying but I read something about how you really aren't capable of giving it all intellectually if your holding yourself back emotionally and personally. It was a segment about trans people in the workplace but I related to it quite well. Emotionally I've held myself back and that has reflected in the rest of my activities, even if it was involuntary I never quite put out in school and it effected my grades and work ethic.

 

Is this counselor the only one you can see on staff? I remember when I was in high school (about the time the last dinosaur died...), we had officially assigned counselors. But often it was possible to see someone else in the department, and often they could do things unofficially.

If you are stuck with Mr. I'm-Too-Busy, then you might consider talking directly to the teachers. You might not want to talk about being gay, but indicating that you are having personal problems, might go a long ways towards getting some flexibility. A lot, unfortunately, depends on the teacher.

---------- Post added 20th Mar 2013 at 07:00 PM ----------

I think this is pretty normal. You dammed off a part of yourself. You have now ripped into the dam, and have set off a flood. Hopefully, things will stabilize.