# Does SA affect academic performance?



## Flame Sixtyone (Aug 27, 2009)

Do SA and depression affect academic performance? If so, to what extent?


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## yelda (Jun 12, 2010)

it can. one can give up his/her school.


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## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

Yeah, it can. Depends on how you deal with stress.


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

They produce all sorts of problems such as procrastination, isolation, inability to access support networks (disability services), hopelessness, sleep problems and fatigue, test anxiety, underestimation of ability, catastrophising, non-attendance, not submitting work, communication problems with teachers, misunderstanding by teachers and inability to work in groups and give presentations.

It can be to the point that many cannot continue with education. Figures show this is the case.


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## GunnyHighway (Sep 28, 2010)

This is something I can answer because I know first hand what it can do. I had to withdraw from school last semester because of it, I just couldn't take the stress of the work alongside the feeling of being able to talk to nobody my age. Would wake up and dread the upcoming hours of school, and then I would start feeling sick. Hell, it's still happening.
Another thing is around grade 8, I started noticing the SA a lot. I had won the math award at graduation (think I had a 98%), and now in high school I've failed grade 11 math twice. I can do it, I know I can. I just haven't been able to do it because I have no motivation to, and my attendance is absolutely horrid.


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## mooncake (Jan 29, 2008)

It definately can. I was thrown out of school for poor attendance, even though I _wanted_ to learn and had the potential to achieve if it hadn't been for my SA interfering (I did manage to get back into education after some time out, and this time around did well, although it still set me back a few years).

I've never felt confident enough to ask for help from any of my teachers, so if there's something I'm finding difficult I'll just struggle along by myself with it. Having SA also means that because I rarely speak with any of my classmates, it's not easy to ask for help from anyone else on my course, either. In a more direct sense, SA means that presentations are terrifying (thankfully none have been graded towards my degree yet, but I'm sure next year they'll count, so that's slightly worrying...).

I also feel highly stressed and anxious much of the time, due to SA, depression etc., so it can be very difficult for me to concentrate on my work. Consequently it takes me far longer to do simple tasks than it often should. That's a pain.

Most of all, I'm absolutely positive that if my boyfriend hadn't gone to the same university as me, I wouldn't have been able to cope living so far away from home and having no-one to talk to. So in that respect, if it weren't for his help I certainly would never have been able to complete my degree.

So whilst lack of a social life may technically mean that you have more time in which to study, since you're not out socialising so much, it can certainly be detrimental in many other respects.


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## seafolly (Jun 17, 2010)

odd_one_out said:


> They produce all sorts of problems such as procrastination, isolation, inability to access support networks (e.g., disability services), hopelessness, sleep problems and fatigue, test anxiety, underestimation of ability, catastrophising, non-attendance, not submitting work, communication problems with teachers, misunderstanding by teachers, and inability to work in groups and give presentations.
> 
> It can be to the extent that many cannot continue with education. Figures show this is the case.


This pretty much sums it up! From a moderate generalized anxiety disorder I went from straight A's to barely a B. And I have to say that's one tough pill to swallow. Even the disability centres aren't necessarily equipped to help. In my case, they made everything so much worse.


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## Teehee (Aug 7, 2005)

> hey produce all sorts of problems such as procrastination, isolation, inability to access support networks (e.g., disability services), hopelessness, sleep problems and fatigue, test anxiety, underestimation of ability, catastrophising, non-attendance, not submitting work, communication problems with teachers, misunderstanding by teachers, and inability to work in groups and give presentations.
> 
> It can be to the extent that many cannot continue with education. Figures show this is the case.


I just dropped out of university a few days ago for many of the reasons mentioned above. :um

I was understanding the stuff, but the fear of failing and the anxiety associated with it just overwhelmed me. I would wake up every morning feeling like I was going to vomit from the stress and worry of it all.

Added on top of that, I had no professional aspirations that everyone else around me seemingly had. My dream has always been to be a commercial driver, which doesn't need a university degree, so it's not as if my life is absolutely screwed.

But I am disappointed in myself, but I can't say I didn't try.


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## seafolly (Jun 17, 2010)

I'm so sorry.  I've admittedly been driven to the brink lately as well which should come as no surprise having pushed at this degree since 2004. A transfer in universities meant starting from scratch and the disability centre is absolutely horrible here. Listening to your body is a good thing. Unfortunately, what I strive for in life absolutely requires a BSc at minimum, even with all the options on the table, so I have to keep fighting. : / It's really good that you were able to see what you wanted though, thinking long term.


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## gopherinferno (Apr 7, 2009)

Procrastination. Skipping class. Showing up to class drunk because you're too nervous to deal with it sober. Yep. I've evolved in my management of college stress. Still managing to BS my way through it but it's hard D:


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## FLOWERchild (Nov 6, 2010)

yes it can. most of my anxiety is pretty much all due to school.
im on the edge of getting kicked out of all my class's. to many absences  .. 
and the days i am there i get stoned before cause its the only way i can handle it, 
but then i end up to out of it to even learn
all in all for me is a lose lose situation.


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

I always did worse on practical exams because of my SA. Labs were a problem too.


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## seafolly (Jun 17, 2010)

Ah yes. Labs. I would take the most dull botany classes to avoid labs. I missed out on a lot of really neat stuff but hey, a disorder is a disorder. If only those chem TA's knew what it took out of me for the three hours I had to titrate each week!


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## Greg415 (Aug 24, 2010)

odd_one_out said:


> They produce all sorts of problems such as procrastination, isolation, inability to access support networks (e.g., disability services), hopelessness, sleep problems and fatigue, test anxiety, underestimation of ability, catastrophising, non-attendance, not submitting work, communication problems with teachers, misunderstanding by teachers, and inability to work in groups and give presentations.
> 
> It can be to the extent that many cannot continue with education. Figures show this is the case.


This exactly. I'm losing my mind. I'm really not that bad of a student but i'm going to have to drop the english class that i'm in. I procrastinate and don't want to do the work, then it turns into depression. I know a good education is very important but my sa and add are making it so difficult.


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## GoFlyers (Nov 4, 2010)

mooncake said:


> I've never felt confident enough to ask for help from any of my teachers, so if there's something I'm finding difficult I'll just struggle along by myself with it. Having SA also means that because I rarely speak with any of my classmates, it's not easy to ask for help from anyone else on my course, either. In a more direct sense, SA means that presentations are terrifying (thankfully none have been graded towards my degree yet, but I'm sure next year they'll count, so that's slightly worrying...).


This... I end up just not understanding anything and can't find my way into the professors office, or ask a classmate for help.


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## Just Lurking (Feb 8, 2007)

HardRock said:


> Do SA and depression affect academic performance? If so, to what extent?


It didn't affect my grades too much while I was in school, but it was the driving force behind me dropping out of college (twice!)... So, overall I'd say it's had a fair-sized impact on my academics...


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## this portrait (Jul 18, 2009)

I can see how it can regarding class participation (more than just showing up to class) and presentations in class, or assignments that may require some form of interaction outside of class (such as an interviewing class).

As for me, it hasn't really affected my grades much. I get pretty good grades. If anything, it affects any presentations I may have to do, because I just suck at standing up in front of a classroom talking about topics that I most likely have no interest in. All my nervous habits come out, and I start twirling my hair, not looking out at the class, etc.


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## VC132 (Sep 1, 2010)

for me, YA


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## tutliputli (Feb 22, 2009)

odd_one_out said:


> They produce all sorts of problems such as procrastination, isolation, inability to access support networks (e.g., disability services), hopelessness, sleep problems and fatigue, test anxiety, underestimation of ability, catastrophising, non-attendance, not submitting work, communication problems with teachers, misunderstanding by teachers, and inability to work in groups and give presentations.
> 
> It can be to the extent that many cannot continue with education. Figures show this is the case.


I agree with all of this.

I avoided every presentation I was asked to do by just not turning up. My tutor guessed that I had SA and was very understanding. In the end I left university and finished my degree from home, which added another year onto the duration of my degree.

On the plus side, I worked so much harder when I was studying from home, and got much better results than I would've done had I stayed where I was. I didn't have the social side of university to worry about or distract me so I could fully concentrate on my work.


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## Squid24 (Nov 23, 2009)

odd_one_out said:


> They produce all sorts of problems such as procrastination, isolation, inability to access support networks (e.g., disability services), hopelessness, sleep problems and fatigue, test anxiety, underestimation of ability, catastrophising, non-attendance, not submitting work, communication problems with teachers, misunderstanding by teachers, and inability to work in groups and give presentations.
> 
> It can be to the extent that many cannot continue with education. Figures show this is the case.


Hey! Get out of my head!


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## Michal90 (Nov 11, 2010)

well for me the main problem is class participation. I just cannot bring myself to participate in class even when I have something to contribute. A lot of my classes now have participation as a big part of their final mark so my grades are affected.


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## allie j (Nov 11, 2010)

^^ Ooh, that's rough with the class participation.

Honestly, my SA didn't effect my undergrad work too much. I like classes and I mostly study on my own. I never talked to any of my professors and rarely talked to other students, so perhaps I could have gotten more out of it. But it went okay overall.

In grad school my classes went similarly well. My thesis is where my SA really interfered. I couldn't go into lab where I might run into other students or my advisor without feeling physically ill. I'd get panic attacks and pass out / get sick. I tried going into lab at like 3 am to avoid people, but it didn't work - I couldn't get enough work done. So I avoided lab and my advisor altogether, and obviously couldn't get anything done. Now that I've finished my classes and have only my thesis left I'm on psych leave. It seems impossible though, I don't know if I'll be able to come back and finish, which is a shame because I loved my classes and the theory of my thesis work.


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## Freiheit (Dec 8, 2008)

Not really. In my classes, there is no group work and everyone sort of keeps to themselves and is responsible for their own work. The prof mainly just talks the entire time and there is no participation requirement. I get my work done mostly with no problem. The only thing that would affect the quality of my work is when **** happens in my life, partly as a result of SA, and I get distracted by the emotional pain that it causes.


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