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Man! It's frustrating when subjects just don't seem to sink in like you'd like them to!

The human brain is a pretty amazing thing though. When you try to learn something the first time, even if you don't quite understand it, your brain files little bits and pieces of that information away in case you ever encounter that topic again. When you do, your brain has those bits and pieces to jumpstart learning the second time around.

I also use snacks to motivate myself. If I'm doing heavy reading or homework I don't like, I get one m&m or goldfish or whatever for every problem I complete or every three pages I read... or however I want to break it up. That reinforcement gives your mind a break and creates positive associations with doing homework. It might seem silly, but it works! Other good reinforcers might be studying with a cup of tea or cuddled up in a blanket, or getting up every 20 minutes to go outside for a breath of fresh air. Whatever makes you happy and relaxed :)

And lastly... It's frustrating when you don't get all A's. Believe me, I'm an honor student and just a little bit of a perfectionist ;). But regardless of what letter is at the top of your paper, you are smart and dedicated and totally capable of learning whatever is thrown at you. You got this!

Can you study with a friend in the class? Or form a study group? I found those very helpful for tough classes. If you missed something someone else may not have. And you mighy find you picked up lore tgan you thought you dud. And fiscussinv the materiel helps a lot!

Thank you all c:

Sweetglow, I'll definitely try that snack idea!

Callisto, I do not unfortunately, and phones aren't allowed in class. But I do have access to all the powerpoints and any notes the professor makes he uploads them to his website.

Talltree and golden sun, I've never really been able to study with other people because I tend to get distracted, also the ones I've studied with before had different ways of remembering or explaining things and just confused me more. I do have 3-4 other people in my lab group and we all seem to think the same way, so we'll definitely be working and studying together :)
Going somewhere else is a great idea and he has a lot of office hours so I'll definitely try to go to those.

Thank you :) I've already found a few good ones on quizlet that helped with the homework we had today. That does sound hard :o

As someone currently in college who doesn’t do well with large crowds, being in a lecture hall and especially being forced to do group work sucks. I’ve so far avoided full blown panic attacks, but my first two semesters were pretty bad.

The way I’ve learned to cope with it is by mentally “resetting” myself. It doesn’t make it 100% better, but it helps me to get out of my head and focus on the task at hand.

Since I don’t know beforehand if we’ll be doing group work or when, I can’t exactly psych myself up beforehand like I normally do for things I’m anxious about. In these cases, I’ve made myself a sort of reset button, and it’s worked well for me. May not for you, but you can certainly give it a try.

Take some small, inconspicuous object. At first I did it with a necklace pendant, then a fidget cube when I got one of those, then a “worry stone” - a small, smooth rock a little bigger than a thumbprint - and my current one is a bracelet with a solid charm. The idea is that you want it to be easy to reach for without drawing attention, and relatively solid. I change it up every so often, you can stick with the same thing.

Essentially, I reach for it whenever I feel a lot of anxiety coming on, rub it and fidget with it, and the solid feeling of it helps to “ground” me. It draws my attention away from whatever is causing stress long enough for me to remember to breathe, and I usually follow up contact with the object with a few calming breathing exercises to slow my heart rate. I also focus on using the adrenaline currently in my system as a tool. I remind myself that it is my body, under my control, and I can take the enhanced senses provided by the adrenaline and put them to use in making myself more alert.

This all happens in the space of one to three minutes, depending on how long I have to get into groups, and it settles me down and makes me more calmly alert to my surroundings.

You may have to practice at home, and it may not work for you, but I can say for myself it’s done a world of difference. Starting with the concrete object (especially a cold one, as metal or stone is) to focus on and following up with manually bringing my body’s reaction of stress under control has allowed me to get through my more stressful classes so much better than my first year. I hope it helps you!

I don't want to overload you with advice, lol, but it can be really helpful to talk to your professor. yes, they are in charge of your grades and such, but they can be really amazing and kind people. I'm in and out of my professors' offices all the time, sometimes to ask questions about a topic and other times to just sit down and drink a cup of tea and talk about life. If you are comfortable with that, let your prof know if you are overwhelmed by a topic. Knowing you have a friend in the front of the classroom can make a big difference :)

Waldgraf - I second your observation on note taking! I went to college in the 80's, before there were electronics everywhere, We had to listen to the lecture, think about what was just said, on the fly reformulate it into something we could jot down, and write it in our notebooks - while the professor talked on. I developed my own shorthand for concepts and long words. (Instead of writing "increased", use an up arrow. or a triangle(delta) for "change".)
I returned to school four years ago, at 50, to study IT, due to a layoff and retraining program. The classroom was all electronic. I found myself hoping the teacher would explain stuff by writing it on the chalkboard using his own concepts, as in the days of yore, but no. We just got videos and powerpoints. It WAS hard to concentrate, and at the end of class the concepts felt so ephemeral. So I bought the books, scribbled in the margins, and took notes. It helped a lot.
Now in my job at a tech startup, I am the only one who takes notes in a notebook during meetings. The act of writing reinforces memory.
It's a thing.

@Waldgraf- Good luck in vet school c: I can totally see how technology has changed the learning environment. Last semester I had an English professor who didn't use powerpoints or anything and that was the class I had some of the best notes in. Next class I'll try taking notes without using the powerpoints. Now that I think about it, that does seem to be part of why I lose focus so easily. I'll definitely try setting smaller goals, I think that could be part of why I was so overwhelmed last time.

@Lallyhop- I can relate to that a little too well :( It's great that you found something that helps you though :D
A few years ago one of my friends let me try her fidget cube for a few days and it really helped, I almost forgot about them. I'll have to look and see if there's anywhere around here that sells them. When I get anxious, I usually mess with my rings or bracelets, but it doesn't always help. I have one of those wax melt things and I have it on pretty much all the time, I like the forest or rain scents cause they're calming for me, but I've used lavender ones too :)

@HTRanch- That's great advice. I usually have trouble talking to professors because they intimate me lol. So far I'm not having any trouble with the class, but if I do I'll be going to his office hours :)

@RenieRfarms- I don't have a way to record, but I've been writing down a lot of what he says :) That's a really neat trick, I never thought of it that way before.

@WhiteMountain- I agree :) I hand write all my notes, even if it's all online, because I can't remember it otherwise.

Thank you all C: