Last essay of my access course and my brain will not work!

[Apocketfilledwithposies]

I'm getting so frustrated. I'm Audhd and so far I've done so well getting all my assignments in / exams passed etc but this is my last assignment, I've had to ask for an extension as it's not finished and my brain just won't focus on it!

Has anyone else had this situation, if so what helped?!
I need to get myself sprung into action but it's like a massive mental block.

I can be quite demand avoidant when stressed but like I say on this course I've not had that until now. 😔

I have done about maybe about half of the essay I think, but it's just painstakingly slow, tonight is my second evening where I've had the time but my brain has just gone into shutdown mode and I've got nowhere. 😱

What can help me is to write really rough and ready high-level bullets of what I think the key points are, and then go back and flesh them out. Much less daunting than a blank page somehow. Might that work for you?

Is it with OU? To be honest I just sit down and get on with it, as it won't write itself.
I've pulled many all nighters on almost all of my OU assignments due to kids etc and lack of time.
It all starts with some sort of plan. I don't really do draft assignment's, I write tons of notes and piece my assignment together from that, then I start typing it up as if it's my final piece of work, to almost perfection, with edits here and there.
But if you are a thorough plan person then bullet point what you want to say, and expand on those points, it will then start coming together.
I'm kind of a dive straight in person, and my first paragraph normally takes around 4 hours because I don't do it rough, but others like to have a rough assignment first then edit. It all depends on what works for you and what you prefer. You've done assignments before tho as this is your last essay, so you know what works for you, but you do need to just push through the mental block.
My final year/module starts in October, so I've got it all to come again.

Nobody is going to do it for you OP. You have to force yourself to do it.

How well have you done with your other essays / assignments?

I ask because if you have good grades already then handing in half an essay might not have a huge impact on your overall grade.

Once your brain realises that you might find it decides it can cope with finishing.

I can sympathise. I finished my degree last year and every assignment felt like it was done in a rush and panic. I used a self-hypnosis YouTube video for procrastination which helped me focus enough to start.

I also wrote a message to myself with the amount I was paying for the course, that was sometimes the only reason I opened my laptop. Keep plugging away. Even if you have to get a week's extension, you can do this!

I make myself go to the library as even 2hrs there gets more done than a whole day procrastinating at home.

Write down any thoughts you have on the topic. Don’t start at the beginning - you can add on an introduction later. Look at the question and make a list of the paragraphs you need to write - each one on a different part of the question.
I’m afraid you just need to buckle down and do it. Tell yourself it will be finished by tomorrow evening , promise yourself a treat when it’s done and get on with it.

What do you need to do to pass? Do you have a list of learning outcomes you need to meet? Often, this kind of procrastination at the end of a course is a kind of self sabotage due to fear of uncertainty/worry about the new thing/feelings that we’re “not good enough” that causes our brains to kinda say “if I don’t complete this then I won’t finish the course and nothing will have to change”-but of course that’s not actually true. The ‘shut down’ is paralysis caused by anxiety and this can be broken by just doing the bare minimum. Just passing is all you have to do. Also, talk to your tutor. They’ll have seen this kind of ‘end of course’ paralysis before and will be able to help you with what’s needed. It might be that your ‘half an essay’ is already good enough. Remember, you want the next steps and you can do it. The parts of your brain telling you that you can’t are wrong.

Thank you so much everyone.

I've done well on the other exams and assignments so I known logically that I can do it.

I do think there may be an element of it being my last one, a bit self sabotage and it what next etc.

I did do a little more after posting last night which is why I didn't come back and reply there and then.

I tend to make lots of notes then try and break it down into headings, then bullet points and eventually I can delete the headings and bullet points when I've added more.

It's been good revisiting learning now I know I am neurodivergent, and has been nice to do something that's just for me, but I don't know how single parents with little support manage to juggle a degree. I usually do go to the uni library to work but this term overlaps with school summer holidays which makes it trickier.

I do have a learning matrix sort of thing of what I need to do to pass, and a pass is only 40% needed.

Not much more to do now, a bit of the main body to write and the very short conclusion.

I think I will not try and make it perfect and polished. I will just aim that it's DONE and submitted.

Then reward myself lol. I'm aiming to do some more later tonight all being well.

Well done! You've got this. Don't worry about the degree at the moment, just concentrate on getting this handed in and don't forget to celebrate your achievement before looking for the next step.

Hoping it is all done, submitted and you are soundly asleep.