Academic in need of help

[opiaboy]

Ok, here's the PRE story...

I'm in my senior year, of highschool, and I'm pretty academic. I got a 32 on my ACT and I am running cross country, desparately trying to stay on the varsity team (only the top 7 runners are on the varsity team, and I keep switching between 7 and 8). I have 4 AP classes: Physics, Calculus BC, Statistics, and Litterature. I also have a hard Music Theory class, and I have a 4.4ish GPA. I'm about 18ish in my class of 460 some students.

I also just earned my Eagle Scout rank in Boy Scouts, which was an incredibly stressful ordeal (eagle scout rank = tons of scholarship opportunities, its a VERY highly regarded award).

I want to go into Computer Science in college, so I can program videogames in my career. I want to go to a top notch school, possibly WashU in St Louis (I live in st. charles, an hour away) or U of I in Urbana Champagne.

Ok, now for the REAL story...

My GF and I have been dating a year since september 11, 2007. She is a freshman in college at Miami University in OXFORD OHIO (lol). She is an incredibly ambitious woman, and is skating on the synchro. skating team. This team is the BEST IN THE USA. They will travel internationally once the season gets started, and right now they are practicing pretty hard to prepare.

Well, since we are both very busy, my GF and I have little time to communicate with each other. I try to talk whenever I can, and from what I can tell she does the same. I am very excited for when I next see her, in 2-3 weeks. Since we live about 6 hours away, and we are both incredibly busy, theres no way we can take a normal weekend off to see each other. So, I haven't seen my GF since August 20th... and its killing me! I want to see her so bad!

Unfortunately, my relationship is starting to impact my school work. I am trying to talk to her any way I can, which sometimes involves me putting up recent pictures on Facebook when I know I should be doing homework... or texting her when I have important schoolwork to do. I have always had a problem with staying on task and I have always been a slow worker; schoolwork is hard for me, normally, because of my pace and lack of focus. But my relationship is amplifying these problems!

I still have good grades. I think my only C is in Physics, but the rest are A's and B's. However, my parents will attack me if I have missing work in my classes, which I do. They get SUPER pissed. But I find myself talking to my GF and then going to bed due to a lac in motivation. For some reason I can not motivate myself to do my work when I get home.

I am not sure if my work environment (room), or food, or what distracts me, but I can't focus to save my life. My relationship is only augmenting this problem; I'm constantly daydreaming about my GF, and thinking/worrying about her instead of working.

I don't know what to do! I am very much in love with my girlfriend, but I don't know how to practice time management or prioritize. I am swamped with HW... I don't knwo what to do! I get distracted so easily! Please help...

[LadieNisha4u2nv]

Right now, you are both on two completely different agendas in two different places. Your focus should be on school first, and then your girlfriend. When you are finished with school, you can have all the time in the world to be more focused on how to contact her or whats not, but right now your priority is supposed to be your schoolwork. I'm not saying to break up, but whats REALLY better in the long run- making your parents happy because you graduated in the top 20 percent of your class, or making your girlfriend happy because you chose to contact her over focusing on your school work and potentially messing up your grades? I'm sure even your girlfriend would prefer you do your school work first seeing as she also has her own busy schedule. Finish high school, make everyone proud, and then work on your social life.

[shh!]

This is a reflection of your age, and is perfectly normal. However, you really have to keep it together for a while. You haven't started applying to universities yet, right?

It is unrealistic to think you will not spend any time talking to her at all, so I suggest you budget in 15 minutes or so per day that you devote to talking to her, thinking about her, whatever. Set a timer. when your time is up, move on. You can't afford to slack off this close to your application process...

Also, I suggest you try lightening your load at school after you get your acceptance letters. It sounds like you could use a break.

[Only-virgins]

Anxiety was my problem when I was in college and trying hard to focus. Many nights I would come home telling myself that I will start and do my homework and hours later nothing was done. It was like my mind was always racing and my body wanted me to go out and live life rather than try and prepare it for some future. The only help I can give you is to kind of do what I did. I used to dream of this girl as well and such, tell yourself that it is for the benefit of both of you and try and do something relaxing. Seclude time and devote it to school work when you need. I know what it is like and it can really suck.

[opiaboy]

I'm always thinking "Ok, tonight I'm gonna get straight to work and get my homwork donE! And then I can get to all this other stuff I wana do..." But I always get screwed over because I surf the internet too much too. I can't focus... but thanks for the help u guys, I appreciate it!

[sine24]

i think its good that both of you are academically ambitious. imagine if your girlfriend wasnt very into her studies..that would make it so much easier for you to see her and get distracted from your school work. since you're both pretty much in the same boat..you can motivate each other. when you find yourself wanting to talk to her..maybe you could both complete small do-able tasks and reward each other by having a short chat over the phone.

[agatha]

Some people say that INTELLIGENT person are IDIOT when it comes to love.

Is this your first gf?

In a relationship, you should not give all your
love to your partner,. You should left for yourself.
So that when she left you, you can easily recover.

[shh!]

Why don't you try leaving your house to study, and going somehwere where there is no internet access? It helps a lot to keep you focused, if for no other reason than you want to go home.