Hi guys, I’ll try to make this as brief as possible. My name is Ethan and I am currently a junior at my very competitive high school that is known for its high standards and stellar academic performance. Since the beginning of middle school until now, I have been diagnosed by a psychiatrist with a pretty moderate OCD and anxiety disorder which has really caused me much difficulty in my school work and life outside of studies. Throughout my highschool journey I have had a lot of ups and downs, but for the most part mostly downs. In my freshman year, my far worst year, I got two c’s(1 in french and the other in english) my first semester and really made me hate school overall. At the time, I had no idea that I actually had this condition and I was really trying to figure myself out why I was having thoughts I was having. I was always rethinking scenarios in my head that I knew made no sense at all during class lecture, and I couldn’t pay attention to anything the teacher was saying. Later that year in 2nd Semester, my parents started to notice things about me that seemed off, so I totally spilled the beans about what was happening to me in my head which had been causing me so much distress and worry. My parents wanted me to consult a psychologist about my condition so I agreed and I finally was introduced to the term "OCD. " Fast forward, I was able to cope with what had been troubling me and finished strong with mostly A’s and one B. The following year, my sophomore year, I was given a chance to redeem myself, but the it still came back and I was still plagued by the constant flood of worrisome thoughts and compulsions in my head. I ended off with one C and B that year. (one in an honors math class and the other in an AP, everything else was an A). In the second semester I dropped from that honors math class and was able to pursue regular math and I was able to do pretty well with only 1 B and else A’s. As of now, junior year, I have a pretty heavy course load with 2 Aps (computer science and Environmental Science). This seemed like a good challenge for me when picking my courses so I felt that I could take it. But boy was I wrong, as I have been staying up far too late to finish up work due the next day or study for tests. This year was also the first year that I started taking medication for my condition since it has really handicapped me in ways that it makes it almost impossible to focus while doing homework or studying. Unfortunately some of the OCD and anxiety is still there no matter what mental strategies I have used to relieve the condition. Currently I have 1 C and 2 B’s ( C in comp sci and B’s in math and Environmental Science). I feel like I have done just about everything and I have so much more envy with people that don’t need to deal with this crap. I guess my question for you all is do I still have a chance of getting into one of the “good” colleges such as Colgate or USC even though my grade aren’t ideal? Just a note I still haven’t taken the SAT but I plan to study the heck out of it to get anything above a 1400.
You are pretty early in learning how to manage an anxiety disorder. Getting medication regulated can be difficult. It takes weeks to arrive at the correct dosage and even the most successful medication for you. After that, your body must adjust to medication as the new normal. Medication for a chronic condition is different from taking antibiotics for a throat infection.
After medication settles in you will need to recognize how the medication works and what lingering problems with anxiety persist. When is anxiety worse, how do you recognize anxiety and what you can do to modify it when medication is not helpful. Learn how to control anxiety when it occurs. There is bunches you will need to learn to recognize anxiety and control it. This in no way means you won’t do well in school. For example, if you can’t focus on reading, read aloud.
Be sure you learn test taking techniques and how how you calm it. Mentally celebrate when you know you got a hard question right. Expect to do about as well as you typically do an standardized testing. You could fell pretty drained right after leaving, but that doesn’t control or predict your scores. Best wishes.
Thanks @zannah I’ll try incorporating your advice better during school or times when I get really anxious.
Ethan, are you at a public school? If so, you may qualify for a 504 plan that compels your school/teachers to make accommodations for you e.g. more tine for assignments and exams, ways to minimize distractions e.g. being able to wear headphones aometimes and sit in front of the classroom. My D has a 504, along with medication and counseling, for anxiety disorder and depression. These strategies have helped her immensely and she’s now having really good results with college applications. I encourage you to work with your h.s. counselor to explore this option, and they can also (very carefully as there is stigma) explain your grades in their letter to colleges, especially if your SAT ends up much more impressive than your GPA - so it’s clear you were working hard, but just challenged by your conditions. Best of luck!!