Help with dealing with some of the cognitive symptoms?

I'm sure there have been a million and one posts made on this issue but I can't find one that really helps me. Some background: I'm a college student suffering from my second episode of major depression, with some on-again-off-again symptoms being pretty constant since my first episode (which I got through untreated in high school). I just started an SSRI 3 weeks ago, and have been seeing a therapist for about a month and a half now.

The most debilitating symptom of this depression, and the one thats undoubtably stressing me out the most, is my complete inability to memorize information or even concentrate. I don't necessarily need "motivation" - I taught myself in high school how to sit down and muscle through work from sheer will power, but it's all pointless if the next day I can't remember the information I spent and hour going over. I literally feel like my brain is broken. I studied stats before a test with a friend and felt like I understood it all and could do the problems, but at the test the next day it was like I was reading a foreign language. I couldn't remember anything we had covered or even the basics, and ended up flunking the test. On the best days, I struggle a bit but otherwise can do problem solving and such even if I forget it all the next day, but on the worst days it just feels like my head is full of fuzz and fog and nothing can get through. I just feel pretty stupid all the time now.

My big issue is that I was planning on going to medical school, but I made horrendous grades last semester because of this and it's shaping up to be even worse this semester. I'm a junior now and they said if you don't make very high grades junior and senior year you're chances of getting in are close to none. So now I'm stuck - if I continue with school the meds will hopefully kick in soon and give me some of my brain power back, but that's not guaranteed and even so I'm dealing with so much $#%^ with myself right now that it's so hard to make school a priority. My therapist said that it's not something I can control, but if thats the case then school is kind of pointless right now, isn't it? But if I drop out for a little while with the intention of getting myself together I'll probably have to move back home and I can't think of anything more depressing than that. Classes and friends are the only thing that get me out of bed any more, and all of my friends are here.

I swear to god that there was a real point to this post but I can't remember it now (imagine that) so I'll just ask these questions:
1. Does anyone know any "tips" dealing with this sort of loss of cognitive ability, particularly with studying and such? Like do you maybe find it helpful to go on a run before studying or study in certain ways? (I do try to exercise a few times a week now anyways)
2. Are chances good that the SSRIs will help here?
3. Do you think it's worth it staying in school? (I probably won't base my decision on answers from internet strangers to be honest, but I really want to know what other people who are dealing with this sort of stuff think about it)

I think depression undoubtedly affects your cognitive abilities. What I find though is that with my depression my brain is shut down most of the time, but if I have to do something that requires focus then I can do it albeit for short bursts at a time.

It's a long time since I was in school but maybe experiment with learning techniques and see if you can find something that helps you. For example there are many videos on youtube on the subjects you are probably studying (or there will be videos available). If you can't focus on reading then perhaps watching a relevant video might help. Or an audio tape.

Some people find that colour coding helps - highlight the important facts so they are easy to pick out and read. For some reason I find if I write something down, even in bullet point form, I remember it better than if I just sit there reading a book.

Devise yourself a timetable - allowing you to work in smaller bursts and then maybe do something else you enjoy. Sometimes that's more productive than sitting there staring at the same page all the time. That way your brain only has to focus in small doses.

Talk to your tutor and see if they have any tips to help you.

Can't really tell you about the SSRIs. A lot of people find them really useful. And worth speaking to your doctor if you have any questions or worries about them.

Whether you say in school is a decision only you can make. Why not give the pills a chance to work and see how you feel then?