- Username
- Anonymous
- Date posted
- 44w ago
Getting through school with OCD
Has anyone felt very anxious from OCD and still successfully gotten through school? If so do you have any tips? (I’m an engineering major in college)
Has anyone felt very anxious from OCD and still successfully gotten through school? If so do you have any tips? (I’m an engineering major in college)
it’s all about learning about yourself and who you are and about finding a career / school/ major that best suits you’re needs and wants especially as a person with OCD. Also all schools should have a Disabled Student Services and OCD is under that. They do differently accommodations to help with that. Also you’re school work !! this can be an upside i like to look at with ocd is i am very organized use that power and channel it into something that is good something that is positive. I organize everything when it come to my school stuff! As well as note taking! Look and find different note taking app or tools and try to find the once that best fits your needs and classes. maybe take a care and life exploration class at your college ! School hasn’t always been easy for me mentally but oh boy did i graduate with 4.2 Gpa! i’m currently getting my masters in psych ;)
@Boosboots Well I’m a third year in civil engineering and I’ve had internships already. I have it figured out and I like it. It’s just recently somehow going through a negative thought cycle which I guess is OCD and it’s made me anxious and not focus in class. Then I worry if I’ll not be able to do well on tests and I have two tests coming up this week I’m not ready for yet bc I wasted time being anxious. I also don’t want people to notice that I have an issue. But that’s great you graduated with a 4.2 gpa, congrats!
Hi!! I am in a similar position. Definitely a battle, and I find my symptoms get worse during high stress periods like exams. It is distressing but I’ve found that as much as you’re able to, leaning into school can actually reduce symptoms: obviously it reduces stress to accomplish tasks, but also, it gives your mind something else to focus on. That said, it’s not always possible, and it is incredibly important that you’re kind to yourself during these times. If you need to drop a class, or take an extra semester, that is 100% okay. People do it all the time for all kinds of reasons, including physical and mental health issues, but also just stress buildup! STEM degrees are incredibly demanding, and there is truly 0 shame in needing to take breaks or lighter semesters. I find it helpful that many of my neuroscience professors talk about their ‘failures’ — poor grades, semesters they took off, not getting into graduate schools. Having a hardship like a mental illness does not mean you won’t succeed.
@madeleck It is good to stay busy and focus on school. In the past I had to drop classes because I lost confidence from being depressed and anxious. I’m taking a lot of credits now but my classes aren’t as tough as before except a couple of them. I don’t really wanna take longer but I guess if I have to I will. Thank you for the advice, I really appreciate it. Because I feel like this will ruin my life and it will never end. I got an internship with a company I really wanted and I hope by the time I start I’ll feel myself again. What’s your major?
@Anonymous I study neuroscience, so different for sure but still very demanding. I get that completely — sometimes it feels like if I can’t succeed in school there’s no way I’ll succeed in a job. This isn’t true! School, especially STEM I find, had an odd and incredibly demanding structure and little immediate reward — the feeling of getting an A lasts about 5 minutes before you have to start worrying about the next assignment. Jobs have financial motivation, much much much more teamwork and communication, and you already know what has to be done a lot of the time — applying skills instead of acquiring them. Honestly, of all the successful people I know, very few of them were straight-A students. Things happen. University is a complicated time of life. I am taking 4 courses/semester and taking an extra semester because I found I was ALWAYS overwhelmed with 5, and my mental health is more important than a timeline I made for myself in high school. Take time to decompress after the semester and I’m absolutely sure you’ll feel up to the internship by the summer. PM me anytime if you want to talk more!
@madeleck Thank you for the advice, I appreciate it. How do I DM you? Im so tired of noticing these sensations and it’s shifted from breathing to noticing my heart and I barely slept last night because of it. I have a test tomorrow and idk what to do with this. I wanna get rid of it.
So I’m about to enter the eleventh grade this year, in September, and I’ve started thinking about university and what I want to study; however, my OCD has been hard regarding the uncertainty revolving around the question of whether or not I’ll actually get into the university I want to get into. I don’t know how to deal with the stress! Does anyone have some tips? Thank you so much.
The premise behind managing your OCD is to become comfortable being uncomfortable. You’re not going to get rid of your anxiety, we had a disorder. But we can get use to it to the point where it’s just an annoyance in our life. But it takes time, patience, and commitment to getting better. You need to adopt good habits, talk to a therapist, maybe go on meds, you need to be open to options. Take it from me, I was fucking miserable two years ago, went through multiple meds and therapists until I found a system that worked. Now I’m rolling in all cylinders, close to graduating , interviewing for my dream job next week. It’s possible to control OCD, i still have symptoms, but after surviving the past 2 years it’s nothing I CNET handle. YOU CAN DO IT!
Hi everyone! I am a University student with moderate OCD. I was wondering if anyone else on this app is also a college student? If so, how has OCD been impacting you during the pandemic? I would love to discuss with anyone who is willing how COVID has impacted you and what tricks you’ve found for coping. I’ve had a bit more trouble with my OCD than normal.
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