Thanks guys,
it really helps to put things back into perspective. After having spoken to a few of my classmates (when I got socially comfortable), I realized that a couple of the others in my algebra (ring and module theory) class also are having some trouble with the exercises (and I'm guessing they do not all have POIS). When I'm stressed out though, because of exams, it gets overwhelming and my brain fog makes everything so jumbled up. The things I seem to be so certain of when I'm symptomless become all hazy and I get doubts about almost everything. Afterwards its a downward spiral with my mind going into a depressive state and no longer focusing on the problem written on the paper..
I'm trying to learn how to keep focus when I'm in the POIS cycle (without depending on supplements when possible). I think it helps when I concentrate on thinking about only one thing at a time. It seems in my case that when I get brain fog its as though I'm suddenly trying to do everything at once and then I end up accomplishing very little (and that's usually what happens when I get a bad mark during a test. When trying to prove a statement, I look at every direction without really going into one and then usually when I get the concentration to try a direction, time's almost up). I guess the trick is to try to keep focus and do things at the pace that POIS allows us to and never to go too fast or else the brain fog takes control. Yet this all has to be done before the test since you can't take all the time you want once your in the exam room... (if POIS kicks in the day before the exam I really have no solution... it usually ends up with a low mark for me..)
Also, recently I found that a low daily dose of ASA (81 mg) seems to help keep me calm and less focused on my symptoms. My mind is then more focused on the task at hand rather than doing some intense introspection. I conjecture that the pain felt physically by the symptoms induces the brain fog/depression felt psychologically.
