5 More Tips For Fellow College Students With ADHD

“Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

James 1:17

Well, it is already that time of year again!

Winter break is over and we are back to the rat race of a new semester for us college students!

In honor of the Spring 2022 semester kicking off, I wanted to share 5 more of my tips for my fellow college students with ADHD brains. I was inspired to make a follow-up list to my first post on the subject, 5 Tips For Fellow College Students With ADHD, because of all of the people I meet in college who either have diagnosed or undiagnosed ADHD and have no idea how to advocate for themselves or how to adjust their schedules to give them the best results that work for them, ADHD tendencies and all. So, in order to keep you guys from making the same mistakes, I did my first few semesters, I am sharing five more tips for college students with ADHD!

• Start studying for your exams in advance

Trust me. Semesters go by very quickly. On the first day, when the professor goes over the syllabus and the dates of all of your exams and quizzes, you probably think, oh, that is like, months away! I have plenty of time to study for them. This is NOT true. Because there is always something due, and you will never have that perfect window of “free time” to study for the exam, and before you know it, you are panicking because your test is the next day. You have only begun to review the study guide and go over the vocabulary. 

I have heard other students and professors say, “you cannot cram for something effectively,” and that is very true. Information is usually only retained when you use repetition over a period of time, not all in one night. And most of the time, these exams and assignments are not suddenly thrust upon you. They are all laid out in the syllabus (if you have a good professor), along with the days they will be due. So plan your studying around those dates, studying more and more frequently as you get closer to that deadline.

• Make flashcards for all vocabulary and concepts

One of the most challenging parts of living with ADHD is that your memory is as slippery as water, with useless information (like lyrics from Broadway musicals) getting stuck in the forefront of your mind. In contrast, important information, like formulas and vocabulary from classes, gets pushed back or out of your brain completely. So how do you keep the critical information in your head for long enough to get good grades on your exams?

If there has been one holy grail for me when memorizing information, it would be flashcards. When I was younger and did not have a cell phone, like back in middle school, I would write out all the vocabulary from my classes on notecards in sharpie, drawing little illustrations on the back of the cards so I could make a visual connection with the words.

Nowadays, as soon as I get that glorious document called a “study guide,” off to Quizlet I go, typing in my terms and definitions for the upcoming exam and setting reminders on my phone to spend at least ten minutes each day. Of course, this kind of flashcard does not work for everyone. Find one that works for you and make as many as you need to understand your class’ material.

• Make connections within your classes

It is really easy to become detached from your classes, especially with ADHD. If you do not have personal connections, it is really easy to get sidetracked with other things and lose interest in your classes, which will likely result in your work quality and grades in said classes going downhill very quickly. For most of us with ADHD, we are so creative and right-brained that if we feel that we do not have a place to be or a part to play in a particular environment, we will hate being there.

To prevent this, just say “yes” to your classmates. When they ask if you want to exchange numbers, start a class group chat, join the study group or just talk about the class together – say yes. Even though it is a lot harder right now with COVID-19 running rampant, it is a good idea to try still to make connections with the people in your classes, even if you have to do so virtually over ZOOM calls and GroupMe.

Another significant aspect of connecting with classmates is that they can keep you in the loop about assignment due dates since all of us, especially the ADHD-prone ones, forget a project now and then, even if we use a planner and calendar. You can also give each other tips on how to go about doing the assignments, especially if you are like me and constantly second-guessing yourself about if you did an assignment right. Of course, it might not help your grade to have your classmates say, “yeah, I did it the same way,” but oh boy – it is good for your mental health.

Another significant aspect of connecting with classmates is that they can keep you in the loop about assignment due dates since all of us, especially the ADHD-prone ones, forget a project now and then, even if we use a planner and calendar. You can also give each other tips on how to go about doing the assignments, especially if you are like me and constantly second-guessing yourself about if you did an assignment right. Of course, it might not help your grade to have your classmates say, “yeah, I did it the same way,” but oh boy – it is good for your mental health.

• Use timers when studying and taking breaks

When studying, it is very easy to get sucked into an eternal black hole of powerpoints, PDFs, and trying to read your messy handwriting from the notes you took in class. Before you know it, it is dark outside, your stomach is growling, and your eyes are burning from staring at your computer screen for too long. Oh, and your legs fell asleep because you were sitting down at your desk or in your office for so long without moving at all. This is not an excellent way to study, obviously.

To prevent time from slipping away from you, make yourself aware of how much time you are spending on each task by setting timers for yourself on your phone and actually stepping away from your textbooks and computer. Then, set yourself a timer for when you will go back to your studies, and do something relaxing or energizing in the meantime, like doing some yoga or folding that pile of laundry in the corner of the room that you have been ignoring for the past week.

By working in increments, you can keep your body and mind fresh with the periodic change of environment and activity, and the work will not seem as overwhelming since you only have to work until the next timed break. Plus, stepping away from your work occasionally will help prevent you from getting deadlocked on one specific thing you are likely overthinking since you are on a timed schedule.

• Ask any and all questions about assignments

I cannot tell you how many times I have emailed my professors to ask questions about projects or papers that felt a little stupid or obvious, and they were crucial aspects of the assignment, and asking about it helped me create a better project. So never feel bad about emailing a professor a question, no matter how obvious it may seem to you – I can almost guarantee that whatever question you throw at them is in no way the dumbest question that they have been asked. Besides, this is kind of their job. Helping students learn.

This applies to in-class questions as well. Most students just wonder about things in silence because they are too embarrassed to speak about them in front of the other students, who might judge them. But with ADHD, if you wait to ask that question, chances are, you will forget about it until it is too late, and you will miss out on having the point ever clarified for you. If you need to, ask the professor once the class is over and all the other students are leaving. Then, they are too absorbed with escaping the classroom to even care about how smart or stupid your question is.

And even if it is a stupid question, ask it anyway. You or your parents pay for you to be in these classes and ask these questions. Being inquisitive is one of the signs of an involved learner, so your professors will also be able to see your dedication to quality work through what you ask and when you ask it.

I hope that this list was helpful! I want to issue a reminder to all of my fellow perfectionists and anxiety-prone students, your mental health does not lose importance once the school year or semester starts. Still treat yourself to little treats occasionally, like I discuss in this post, 5 Ways To Treat Yourself That Won’t Break The Bank as well as not overworking yourself. If you manage your time well and plan accordingly, you will be able to rock this semester!

I believe in you and me!

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Until next time!