I'm confused. If they last for less than a second, how much can be missed ? I wonder if you are instead having momentary lapses of memory where you are not having an absence seizure but rather, losing track of what was happening from a memory perspective. I have memory struggles and can easily not know what just happened.

What do other people observe when these events happen ?

If you memory is not storing information properly (as is my problem), it can appear to be a loss of awareness.

I do very little driving due to this. I can easily lose track of vehicles around me. If I am driving a vehicle with lots of feedback, it helps to keep my attention to the task. As I have said to some, I can forget I am driving.

The fact you can succeed in school is a tribute to your abilities and determination.