hello everyone :)

[kjarva]

hi everyone,

my name is claire and I'm glad to have found these forums. In all honesty I don't know whats wrong with me, my other half is a doctor and I don't even want to discuss my mental health with him!

I find it very hard to concentrate on things, I am (possibly in complete arrogance) a very intelligent person who finds conventional learning methods useless and struggle a lot to deal with mainstream education.

Since I can remember I have been in to computers and can develop software in 4 languages but I can't get a degree in computing. I suffer from having a very short attention span - I am almost manic when I discover a new subject that interests me but give me 2 months and I will have learned all I want to know about the subject and then I get intensely interested in something else.

I do not know how to study because I just can't get interested in a subject long enough to actually see it through to the end. I feel I might possibly be an ADHD sufferer before it became popular to diagnose it. I was never any trouble in school and was predicted to get all A's in my exams but about half way through the year after my prelims I just lost interest and gained mediocre grades at best.

My apologies if this post is all me, me, me but I think I may have an undiagnosed medical problem that I want to resolve and I want to get it sorted - I start an OU course next month (I did my first year of my BSc of computing many years ago and desperately want to finish my degree) and I really want to get my shit together so I can finally do something and stick at it, especially seeing as it's something I enjoy and want to do as a career.

Sorry for the ramblings, I just want to sort myself out and thank you all so much for having me!

 

[keepsafe]

to the forum - hope you find it helpful here and I would say the first thing you need to do is see a doctor and discuss your feelings - possibly not your husband.

Take it easy
KS

 

[schizzzoid]

As far as education goes, we're in the same boat! As soon as I understand the general concepts behind a subject, I lose interest... That is, if I can concentrate for long enough in the first place! I'm told that it's a developmental thing, from childhood...but, I can't remember the reasons why, as I wasn't concentrating!!!

 

[Ainsworth]

kjarva

 

[CelticTwilight]

welcome: kjarva,

I can identify with some of this.

My concentration and focus became noticeably poor doing an I.T. course in December and continued into probably my worst relapse to date. This still scares me (even though it is gradually coming back) as my concentration with attention to detail was actually my strong point.

By March JSA was doing my head in and I registered with a new practice recommended by a friend with M.E.. Whilst I have still not got a diagnosis beyond depression my new GP immediately put me on the sick and prescribed AD's. I had to stop taking St. John's Wort first and rather surprisingly within a few days I was already feeling better and the doc said well that's good, if we can do it without medication...and I still go periodically under an ongoing agreement of my own emphasis that if the extreme symptoms return I'll be straight down there and shall have to try the meds, that or else emigrate which ain't gonna be easy on ESA lol.

Now back to this education thingy. Well you are in a good place with the OU. I completed my degree with them a couple of years back after several years studying in all. And I did a few different subject courses to get an unnamed 'Open' degree. Have a chat with student services about it but basically as far as I am aware you can still do any course within Science and it will count towards an unnamed Bsc (this also includes one or two courses that overlap with Arts i.e. philosophy ones). I found them very helpful especially with exams. Even though I was recurrently ill through the entire duration the flexibility enabled me to even get ahead during good times. Of course if you want a named degree then course choices are understandably a little constrained but I hope this post at least helps you feel to have some breathing space. I have flitted from one career and hobby to another all my life so I really can empathize here.

Kind regards,
CT

 

[guggy]

to the forum, Claire.