[Jon27120]

My friends strongly believe I'm a smart person, and that I'll have a bright future. Honestly, I love the world of academia. But by the time I step into the class, I lose my concentration. I love politics, computer programming, etc., but I can't concentrate. Is there something wrong with me?

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Name : Jon27120, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Asian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 23, City : Fayetteville, State : NC Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, 

[Adam25153]

This sounds similar in many ways to how I was in school and tend to be still. Years after the fact, I learned that I have Tourette Syndrome, which is a possible cause of my behavior. You should investigate whether you may possibly have a diagnosable disorder of some sort.

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Name : Adam25153, Gender : M, City : Providence, State : RI Country : United States, 

[Dan]

Sounds to me like a possible textbook case of Attention Deficit Disorder: An obviously bright and motivated person whose inability to stay mentally "on task" is short-circuiting their academic career. No, you're not alone; what you describe is very common, and whether you characterize it as ADD or as just "being a flake," there are several ways to deal with it through therapy and/or medication. I was diagnosed with ADD in my 30s after several failed attempts to attend college and, once I got help in dealing with my concentration problems, finished school and am now in law school. Be aware, though, that some people consider adult ADD diagnoses nothing more than a fad among adult scatterbrains looking for a medical justification for their flaky ways. Maybe so, but I would have finished school a decade earlier had I gotten help for my concentration problems back in high school. Don't be afraid to look for help; you might start by doing some web research on adult Attention Deficit Disorder and related issues. If you're in college, you ought to be able to get at least a preliminary ADD test for free. Good luck!

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Name : Dan, Gender : M, Age : 35, City : Detroit, State : MI Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[John-B29412]

Try a listening course, either at your college or at one of the private companies. Most people are not very good listeners naturally, and our society provides very little effective training in it. If you try the course and it has no effect, then look for medical causes; but the great majority of people (even those with ADHD) can improve listening comprehension and attentiveness by a huge proportion in just a few weeks of effort. It's really not something you can homestudy -- look for a course in your college's communications department, or their 'academic support' area, or see if one of the various private 'learning centers' has anything.

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Name : John-B29412, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 42, City : Rural, State : CO Country : United States, Occupation : Professor of communications, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Shana]

I know exactly what you are going through. I have a short attention span caused in part by Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. There are, however, many things that may be causing your trouble. Sometimes it is just your nature, but sometimes it can be something else. I recommend that you talk to a behavior therapist. S/he can help you discover the cause of your problems, and lead you to further treatment if necessary.

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Name : Shana, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Disability : Obsessive-compulsive, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 19, City : Kansas City, State : MO Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Jenny-H]

I think there could be many possible causes of your difficulty. One possibility is anxiety. If I feel anxious or conflicted about what I'm trying to do (work, study, whatever) I find it very difficult to concentrate on what I'm doing. I find this especially happens when I feel lack of confidence in my own abilities. You say that your friends say you are a smart person, but not that you believe you are. It sounds a little like you don't personally have confidence in this.

User Detail :  

Name : Jenny-H, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, City : Wellington, State : NA Country : New Zealand, Education level : Technical School, 

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