Student life tends to be hectic, with lots going on. Shared accommodation tends to be noisy, and it can be difficult to avoid being distracted by others. Problems with concentration will affect most students at one time or another, but depressed thinking habits set up a kind of internal ‘noise’ that can cause these problems to become intense or chronic. See the challenging depressed thinking pages for ways to address this. Many of the other ideas in the Tackling Depression section should indirectly help with concentration. See also here and here for more ideas.
Procrastination is another very common student issue, which can be closely linked with any or all of the other issues discussed on this page. It is also a very common part of the depression habit spiral – the more things get put off, the more overwhelming they seem. Procrastination is particularly linked to the depressed thinking habits of perfectionism, self-bullying and all-or-nothing thinking. Challenging these habits can make a big difference. These handouts from a procrastination workshop may help you understand your own procrastination habits better: procrastination at university and procrastinating on essays. See also these general ideas for making a start with procrastination and these for addressing motivation.
Having to juggle study, paid work and a busy social life demands good time management skills! Some university or college courses are quite structured, but many only specify a few lecture or seminar commitments a week while expecting students to organise many further hours of study independently. Making the mistake of seeing non-lecture time as ‘free’ time can leave students feeling lost and aimless, making space for depression to flourish. Alternatively, rushing around from one thing to the next without proper rest can suddenly lead to a depressed ‘burnout’. Take some time to work through this time management booklet and squeeze depression out of your timetable!
A little adrenaline helps performance, but over-worrying is a very good way to reduce efficiency and effectiveness. Depressed thinking habits and raised stress levels can get in the way of you doing your best in your studies. Getting your time management and concentration sorted is a good starting point (see above). Use the study skills support and resources offered by your academic or student services department. See challenging depressed thinking and managing stress levels (links below). Also try these general exam stress strategies, this workbook on presentation anxiety and this handy summary of good revision and exam technique.
