How normal is it to lose academic skills after almost a decade away?

September 19, 2023 8:51 PM

Have gone back to school and am struggling to focus while reading (and am having a hard time even typing accurately!). Is this normal for adults in their 40s who’ve spent time doing more physically laborious work?

Context

- have been using my phone almost exclusively for a bunch of years, haven’t really even used a laptop

- have spent a lot of that time, especially recently, doing caregiver things (household and personal grooming tasks, going to medical appointments (lots of running around) and adapting my communication to others’ needs

- on my phone, I can read long-form articles without issue. I have a feeling my writing style has gotten simpler and plainer over the years, but I’m not sure, and if that’s true, I’m not sure if that’s because I’ve adapted my communication style to the phone, or because my brain is actually shrinking

- focusing on reading academic papers now is way, WAY harder than it’s ever been in my life, used to be a piece of cake

- typing notes, my goodness… I’m hitting the wrong letters maybe every other line, and having to look hard to find them. Used to type 120 wpm with excellent accuracy. Now it’s like my fingers don’t know where to go. (Is this because I’ve been typing two-handed and relying on my phone’s autocorrect?)

- I did just get a new laptop, doesn’t explain the fiasco that occurs with simply typing

Ok, I do have a lot of responsibilities and stressors (father has dementia, partner has multiple medical and mental health issues, I do everything for both, for now). I do often wake up during the night, but get enough sleep overall. Iron is low but have been feeling better with supplements. Had a concussion recently. Ah hormones are a bit wonky (F40s). I don’t consume any recreational substances, maybe one or two beers, twice a year.

That aside, maybe this is just normal for someone in their late 40s going back to school?

(Right now, I’m taking notes and I feel like a drunk person. I am so sober.)

If you’re in your 40s and went back to school or a thinky job after doing stressful drudgery for years, did this happen to you? If you’ve taught people in my situation, have you noticed these kinds of outcomes? How long might it take to get back into the swing of things?

posted by cotton dress sock to Education (15 answers total)

Also - have had Covid at least once, probably more. Glasses - need bifocals now, monovision script is sucky. Actually come to think of it am having the same issues with focus even when reading printed pages. The density of info is overwhelming. Maybe it’s the subject (neuroscience), have fewer issues with other subjects.
posted by cotton dress sock at 8:53 PM on September 19, 2023

I went back to school at 37 and my focus on reading was truly shit. I knew it was going to be a problem even before I went back to school because I couldn't read novels either. I blame doing everything on my phone where I am constantly switching apps more than my age.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:59 PM on September 19, 2023

Reading agility comes back as you use it, typing too. Hang in there.
posted by theora55 at 9:05 PM on September 19, 2023

So, as you return to school you're suffering the obstacles of a stressful life, a new focus, sleep dep, AND a recent concussion, but you might also be dealing with perimenopause! Which is absolutely no joke; it definitely affects cognition, to varying degrees, and that's okay and can be compensated for with wit and wisdom.

You can find free typing practice sites online, which will help you get your chops back. Practice 15 minutes every day or three, and it'll come back—it's already there, in your neural pathways. And consider an external keyboard if you don't mesh with your new laptop's keyboard.

And you probably already know what you, personally, need, in order to increase your focus and attention. Silence, or white noise, or some type of music. Maybe less screen time, TV, or social media. Maybe more caffeine. Maybe a rigid study schedule, maybe a flexible schedule. Definitely gentle self-care, from walks to bubble baths to better or different food or hydration choices.

Maybe a certain percentage of treeware and handwritten notes over electronics. Maybe buy yourself some charming imported Japanese notebooks, highlighters, and page tabs, and a great couple of pens, to make it all more fun.

And letting yourself return to focus lightly and slowly, with self-compassion. Not expecting yourself to be able to pay complete attention to dense texts immediately, which are indeed different from long-form online articles, but expecting a reasonable amount of improvement in a reasonable amount of time. (You can cram later in the term, if needed.)

Academia is, more than anything, a habit. A habit you haven't practiced in awhile, but the behaviors are already there in your brain! You're not who you were last time, but you already have the basics, and you absolutely can find your way!
posted by goblinbox at 9:31 PM on September 19, 2023

I went back to school in part *because* my intellectual skills had deteriorated. They came back quickly enough and the additional skills (particularly time management) I had picked up along the way made me a far better student than I had ever been.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 9:46 PM on September 19, 2023

Yes! I went back to school in my middle 30s (and this was before phones!!) and did I ever struggle with focus & concentration.

A colleague who had done the same thing - started a masters degree about 15 years after her undergrad after having spent those 15 years working and living life said to me: "When I started, I could barely read for 15 minutes. But I kept at it, and I was eventually able to work my way back to reading for 4-5 hours. But it took a lot of time, and practice. It's like a muscle."

Thanks to her encouragement, I had the same experience - it took a while and I had to practice, and work at it, but I got there. I think of it like running -- it takes lots of practice, small increments, and you can get where you want to go, but you can't run a marathon after 15 years of not running at all.
posted by lulu68 at 10:33 PM on September 19, 2023

Yes, this is normal. I teach adults in your situation and they absolutely report what you’re experiencing; however, the good news is, with practice it comes back to them. Lulu68’s running metaphor is accurate! (Side note: my own concentration deteriorates when I haven’t been reading longform stuff, and perimenopause doesn’t help.)
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 10:54 PM on September 19, 2023

I work in a teaching hospital and write / read all day every day.

I also dealt with a family member's debilitating disease at around 38 years old.
It hit my brain HARD. I completely stopped reading fiction. I spaced out frequently.

It took a few years to get my wits back. But I'm in a much better shape, mentally and intellectually, than I was back then.

So yeah, brain aging is real but do not discount the stress and grief.
Also, it's only been a few weeks - you might be amazed in a few months.
posted by M. at 10:54 PM on September 19, 2023

Reading is work if you're not used to it. I find I can clock more pages when I'm alert in the morning; much less after lunchzzzzzz; and reading in bed at night is a sure-fire way to drop off to sleep.

My old academic boss had a great trick for boosting morale over a long task. Keep a log of how much [reading = page/word count] you can achieve at a sitting each day/week. When later you think the whole damn project is shit; then look back at your beginner achievements to realise how much better you are now than when you started. Practice approaches perfick.
posted by BobTheScientist at 1:49 AM on September 20, 2023

I went back to school in my fifties and did not have any problems. I've never been able to type rapidly and that did not hinder me.

I really don't think it's an age problem you're having.

Your glasses may not be working well for reading screens. Consider getting some that are just computer glasses. I have some I bought online for a few dollars a pair, they work great, but my eyes may be better than yours. Or even just reading glasses. Try some at your local drug store.

Can you carve out regular uninterrupted time for schoolwork? Can you spend more time in the library?

And are you getting regular exercise? You may think you're getting plenty with the caregiving and housework you do, but it's not sustained aerobic exercise. Try going for a walk first thing every morning, get up a little earlier if you have to. It will help.
posted by mareli at 5:30 AM on September 20, 2023

I'd say, it's totally normal. I think most of us have trained ourselves to very short attention spans via the use of our smartphones. When I attended an academic drawing class a few days ago that had me stay focused on one subject for several consecutive hours (and I am not new to drawing!), it was tough, sometimes uncomfortable and exhausting. It was a stark reminder that focus is almost like a muscle that looses its strength when not used regularly.

I'd recommend approaching this like any other training: ramp up slowly, plan for rest days, and strive for progress via habits rather than pushing too hard for goals that are premature. All the best!
posted by Fallbala at 6:07 AM on September 20, 2023

I have found a lot of encourgement and ideas from The Academic Imperfectionist podcast (I'm not an academic or in school but I'm trying to get back into reading nonfiction). Episode #69 was really helpful.
posted by It's_pecano at 9:29 AM on September 20, 2023

Nothing made me feel dumber than going back to school after 15 years. I had always been an academic high achiever, so it was very humbling.

But by the end of my first semester, I had done well, remembered and/or relearned my old studying skills, picked up some new skills, and felt really proud of myself.
posted by samthemander at 10:11 AM on September 20, 2023

I have several advanced degrees and a desk-bound job where I type and use my brain all the time. And when I was around 40, after being away from school and classroom learning for 8 years, I signed up for a one week class to learn a specific data analysis technique. The technique built on things I already knew -- I wasn't starting from scratch. The class involved reading, lectures and hands-on work in lab sessions. And it was terrible -- I couldn't focus on the reading or lectures and struggled to get the lab assignments done in the allotted time. And it was only one week, and I was starting from a more similar place than you are starting from! So you are not alone.

I think those skills of learning, focused reading, notetaking, etc. do decline if you don't use them. But as others have said, I am sure you can re-learn them!
posted by OrangeDisk at 1:15 PM on September 20, 2023

Update: after a decent sleep, I realized that approximately 65% of the problem was in fact my old friend sleep deprivation. A good chunk of the rest was making boneheaded moves like trying to study (anatomy!) on the subway, or while accommodating people I care for… no, I have to carve actual time out and treat it somewhat seriously. Which means waking up earlier (and going to bed earlier, which also means holding firmer boundaries). I’ll figure it out. (Getting bifocals is an urgent need, too.) Thank you so much, everyone, for your support.
posted by cotton dress sock at 5:44 PM on September 25, 2023