Ten Tips for Students with ADHD
School is hard enough without ADHD, so you’ll need to find ways to adjust accordingly.
Making life as easy as possible is essential to your success.
ADHD can make school hard because there are so many obstacles to becoming a good student. The key is to eliminate as many of those obstacles and distractions as possible.
- Set your classes for later in the day, think 11 am or later.
- You never know if you’ll be up late one night fixated on a tv show, or maybe you just need more time in the mornings to complete an assignment you forgot about.
- Schedule your first classes closest to parking and home.
- Start your day with classes closest to the parking lot or home. It’s already hard enough to get out of bed, get dressed, drive over, and find parking. Do you really want to trek halfway across campus as well? Once you’re on campus, it’s easier to just walk to your furthest classes after the first one.
- Pack your backpack every night before school.
- Lower your mental load in the morning and also make sure that you don’t forget anything. Check your schedule for the classes you’ll have that day and make sure your laptop is charged.
- Utilize the on-campus resources available to you.
- Let your campus accessibility division know about your diagnosis as early as possible. This could allow you more time during tests, more time for assignments, study tips and resources, and maybe even counseling if needed.
- Take pen and paper notes in class.
- It’s easy to type more quickly than to write, but laptops can encourage internet surfing and you need to pay attention in class. Studies also show that information retention is better when notes are taken by hand.
- Sit in the front of the class.
- While no one wants to sit in the front, this minimizes the probability that you’ll zone out or leave early with the professor just a few feet away.
- Use the Pomodoro Technique to study to make the most of your time.
- This involves working for a set amount of time, then taking a scheduled break, and then repeating that for the time you have for studying. I would work for 15 minutes, have a two minute break, and then repeat. This helped me to focus because I’d trick myself into working as hard has possible in each 15 minute window to beat the clock.
- Study on campus to stay productive.
- Try to study on campus, it doesn’t have all the distractions that home does, like your fridge, TV, and bed. Be sure to bring snacks, though, so you don’t bail on studying as soon as you get hungry.
- Have a designated study area at home or school.
- Having a designated study area helps you get into the mindset of productivity as soon as you sit down because you’ve programmed your mind to work in that location. I liked the silent section of the library, but some people might prefer the white nose of the cafeteria.
- Prioritize sleep and try to have a regular sleep schedule.
- This will help you retain information and experience lower stress levels.
Cover Photo by @haley.mcgee.photos on Instagram
