[sbcy]

I'm obsessively detailed and things but I've always had a hard time in school and I guess life in general because I seem to always make mistakes, get confused, lost easily, etc. Basically I guess I'm slow (though it's not always obvious to someone who doesn't know me) but also impatient at times and inattentive. It's kind of a jumble. I'm usually running late unless I plan on arriving like 2 hours early in which case I might get there "on time" (but I'm still behind my planned schedule). I'm very logical like most any ISTJ but I always screw up and get lost and can't seem to be effective at anything without spending 100x the time someone else does and utilizing all the resources I can. I have a strong desire to be the best when there is something I want to do but often times average to slightly above average can take a monumental effort and with the world constantly changing, just getting through and learning such and such won't likely lead me much of anywhere, unless I'm able to comprehend things as well or better than the average person. I've also never been one to read a lot of books really...but I guess if there's something I NEED to find out about I'll often obsessively research it a little via the inernet. I also have been diagnosed with ADD, OCD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) but I seem to be treatment resistant, so I'm trying to cope.



Anyway, do any other ISTJs struggle like this? Always trying to be that expert your ISTJ personality desires but just getting lost all the time and not "getting it" without banging your head against the wall several times? How does one manage??

[kuropuu]

I usually don't. I'll admit though, there are times when things stop making sense and I headdesk. A big part of the reason I don't though, is that I avoid anything I don't truly understand. I only ever pursue things that are easy (for me) to get a basic grasp of, and then I strive for perfection. School just happened to be one of those things.

That just not getting it part shows up more in my conversations with other people than anything, and then I totally understand that utter frustration.

[Holgrave]

I know I recently started falling behind in school... though for different reasons. The trick is to take lots of little breaks, record lectures (& listen to them later and fill in missing notes), and take notes on the readings. Also, review notes daily. It's a lot of effort, but manageable if you make a schedule.

[sbcy]

I know I recently started falling behind in school... though for different reasons. The trick is to take lots of little breaks, record lectures (& listen to them later and fill in missing notes), and take notes on the readings. Also, review notes daily. It's a lot of effort, but manageable if you make a schedule.

Yeah, taking notes of everything and recording the class so i can re-create it outside of class to re-learn or actually learn the material at all is the only way I've gotten by in the past. But this was also high school and I never took any enriched courses. I guess it's usually been... if I have ample time I can get a decent grade by over-studying the material, getting help and extended time on exams due to my ADD. But this seems like a very inefficient process, I can't seem to find anything I thrive at unless I'm amongst slackers and some how am motivated enough to "get ahead" or have sort of information others don't. Even still, getting ahead only seems to ever get me so far. Say I have a lot more previous knowledge regarding a class on the first day compared to other students...by midterm they may catch up and over take me and though I'm learning, my rate of learning is almost always more gradual-so it basically feels impossible to "get ahead" again, let alone barely keep up.

In the market place there is no "extended" time for work, whoever can do it best and fastest wins. So i want to find what i can do that applies to this most strongly but have yet to find anything.

[Holgrave]

Hmm, if you're in college you could always take a lighter class load. Maybe go to the Disability Services Center. Talk to your teachers about having one on one time so you can ask any questions. If you don't want to do these, then perhaps someone else will know something different.

[JMor22]

I share some similarities with you. I really try to work ahead so that as I'm absorbing the material, I have time to go through it slowly and thoroughly. Unfortunately I have fallen behind every quarter. Classes just move so fast, each week it's on to a new aspect of the subject. Luckily for me, I have pretty good short term retention so I can get good grades while I'm in the class, but my long term retention and "full understanding" is minimal. The only time I can retain the information long term is if I really study it, develop flash cards and read it, re-read it, and re-read it again until I got it.

[thestrangewarrior]

I had this problem with one class over the fall. It was a variety of things that made it a problem. Some of it was me and some of it wasn't. A bad group didn't help things and you pretty much had to have a group to make it work. One member quit the class and another wanted to do all the work and he wasn't very good at what he did. This along with poor test grades due to a lack of planning and working with others (I've found out that working with others provides quality control) in a good way led to my downfall in that class. Thankfully, I'm getting closer to graduating from college and most of my classes haven't been struggles, so I'm keeping at it and getting done will be very rewarding for me.

[sbcy]

Hmm, if you're in college you could always take a lighter class load. Maybe go to the Disability Services Center. Talk to your teachers about having one on one time so you can ask any questions. If you don't want to do these, then perhaps someone else will know something different.

Yes, I intend to do this for classes that have no relation to an intended profession that I just have to "get through" but it seems counter-productive to work towards getting into a profession where I already need all this extra help and am lost all the time...sure I can keep getting by with a bunch of extra help and stuff but that's not going to be there when it actually counts (outside of school). Plus, I usually get frustrated listening to other people for some reason.

I had this problem with one class over the fall. It was a variety of things that made it a problem. Some of it was me and some of it wasn't. A bad group didn't help things and you pretty much had to have a group to make it work. One member quit the class and another wanted to do all the work and he wasn't very good at what he did. This along with poor test grades due to a lack of planning and working with others (I've found out that working with others provides quality control) in a good way led to my downfall in that class. Thankfully, I'm getting closer to graduating from college and most of my classes haven't been struggles, so I'm keeping at it and getting done will be very rewarding for me.

I guess when I say "struggle," I wasn't necessarily referring to grades...with enough misery, lack of sleep, help and way too time much, I could get by with decent grades (though not as good as I would like always). Rather, the process of actually comprehending the material initially is the struggle. Once I get it, I get it and it sticks usually, but often not without monumental time spent regardless of whether it was a monumental task or not (though, if I'm not paying full attention when being tested on it then there's other problems...).

Looks like I'm in the minority of ISTJs as I was kind of guess. lol.

[JPRyan04]

I never had much trouble in the classes themselves. I always got A's or B's. The trouble for me was in my mind. I didn't (and still don't) know what I want to do (major-wise). I stopped going to college until I figure out what exactly it is that I want to do. I don't really see the point in taking classes without a major.

[Owfin]

If I have ample time I can get a decent grade by over-studying the material, getting help and extended time on exams due to my ADD.

Do you take medication for your ADD? While it doesn't particularly improve my school performance, my daily dose of concerta really increases my general quality of life.