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A story about a first-year student's concerns going into university and the issues they faced regarding time management and organization. <\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"f111d080-8501-4f1c-aa45-827b1ef705b9"},"title":""My Dog Ate My Focus. . ." by Asa Reynolds"},{"content":{"params":{"text":"

First-year university was a whirlwind for me. With the anxiety of moving away from home for the first time, the uncertainty of whether I would be \u2018cut-out\u2019 for university or not, the self-inflicted pressure of making lots of friends right away, and the added burden of coping with heightened academic expectations as a student with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, to say I felt overwhelmed would be a grandiose understatement. In fact, on my way to the school on move-in day, I had to hold myself back from telling my parents to turn the car around and forget the whole thing. I managed to curb that impulse, however, by reciting the William F. O\u2019Brien poem \u2018Better To Try And Fail Than Never To Try At All\u2019 in my head for the entire 2-hour car ride from Toronto to Peterborough.<\/p>\n\n

Fortunately, my first week was incredible, and I did make many friends quite quickly, some of whom I am still very close with, seven years later. And while it was sometimes a struggle balancing social life and schoolwork, I am forever grateful for the friends and connections I made during that first year, because I truly believe that I would not be where I am today without their support and encouragement. It is becoming ever-more apparent to me that positive, mutually beneficial relationships can make even the most apprehensive, scary or unpleasant situations more promising, or at least more manageable.<\/p>\n\n

While I endured many issues during my first year, one major issue lay in organization and time management. A first-year university workload is significantly heavier than a grade 12 high school workload, and I still struggled to get my work done in high school. I did not have the patience or attention span to spend upwards of 6 hours straight working in the library as many of my peers would do, and I had not figured out how to use my time effectively in order to complete my assignments and readings. I am also a very slow reader. My lack of time management skills, coupled with my attention difficulties, and the fact that I was socializing and partying too much, resulted in a 'wickedly' tough first year, academically speaking.<\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"8f322ed6-98d0-4c16-9ff7-66bf2badc237"},"title":"The Wicked Problem"},{"content":{"params":{"text":"

Fortunately, I managed to stumble through first year with all passing grades and it wasn\u2019t until part-way through second year that I discovered a strategy that acknowledged my learning exceptionally and utilized the strengths of being a multi-focused individual. I named it \u201cHour On, Hour Off Strategic Procrastination\u201d. On days when I had overwhelming amounts of work (and life) responsibilities, I would wake up early and write an hour-by-hour checklist for the entire day ensuring that every second hour would be devoted to completing my schoolwork. On my hours off, I would factor in meals, physical activity\/exercise, chores, or anything that would get me away from my computer screen. The key to the success of this strategy was that I did not spend my hours off, scrolling Instagram, watching Netflix or videos on YouTube. This framework was founded on my renewed understanding and belief in the power of balance. Exercise the mind, then exercise the body and repeat.<\/p>\n\n

The result of this discovery was astounding, and I noticed a significant improvement in both my academic success and my quality of life. I started using the \u201cHour On, Hour Off Strategic Procrastination\u201d formula in 2016 and I have used it regularly since then to both graduate my undergrad with honours in 2018, and my Bachelor of Education with a 3.7 GPA just recently in 2021. I plan to continue to use this formula in my professional life moving forward as well.<\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"23426b87-c766-4a69-ba33-fc3e20767036"},"title":"Finding a Solution"},{"content":{"params":{"text":"

If there is one thing to take away from this story, it is that regardless of your situation, pre-disposed or otherwise, everyone has the potential to thrive and find success if you learn to accept and work constructively with the mind and body you were given. For me, it was discovering that despite what doctors and teachers told me, my ADHD was not a handicap, but rather a superpower that was just waiting for me to learn how to harness it. And in times when it feels like all else has failed, make sure that you devote time to nurture positive and supportive relationships with family, friends, peers and community members who can help you up when you fall. In both school and life, falling is likely, but as I like to remind myself, it is better to fall and learn from the pain, than never to fall at all.<\/p>\n\n

Better To Try And Fail Than Never To Try At All
\nWilliam F. O\u2019Brien<\/p>\n\n

Some say risk nothing, try only for the sure thing,
\nOthers say nothing gambled nothing gained,
\nGo all out for your dream.
\nLife can be lived either way, but for me,
\nI'd rather try and fail, than never try at all, you see.<\/p>\n\n

Some say \"Don't ever fall in love,
\nPlay the game of life wide open,
\nBurn your candle at both ends.\"
\nBut I say \"No! It's better to have loved and lost,
\nThan never to have loved at all, my friend.\"<\/p>\n\n

When many moons have gone by,
\nAnd you are alone with your dreams of yesteryear,
\nAll your memories will bring you cheer.
\nYou'll be satisfied, succeed or fail, win or lose,
\nKnowing the right path you did choose.<\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"1328af60-69ed-4930-8346-803642ad61de"},"title":"Final Thoughts"},{"content":{"params":{"text":"

Reynolds, A. (2021, October 26). \"My Dog Ate My Focus. . .\"<\/em> <\/span>https:\/\/wicked.liberatedlearner.ca\/learner\/my-dog-ate-my-focus\/<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"598ba5d0-f46a-4d63-93aa-b1ce7f8275cd"},"title":"APA Reference"}],"hTag":"h2"}

"My Dog Ate My Focus. . ."

Liam Peart