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Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a lot different than you may think. Most people hear ADHD and imagine a person who talks a mile a minute and can never sit still. They have boundless energy and are always ready to go, constantly fidgeting and borderline frantic. This may be true to a degree, but ADHD, especially among college-age people, is much more complex.
ADHD is struggling with impulsivity and never being able to wait for something you want. It’s having jumbled, disorganized thoughts that bleed out into your environment, and you just can’t figure out why everything is always so messy. ADHD is having angry outbursts and breaking down when you feel stressed. It’s having a low tolerance for anything that is frustrating and giving up on things because you want to avoid the hassle.
ADHD can affect anyone, and it changes as you age. Many people who grew up with ADHD suffered a lot in school. They may have been written off as unmotivated, lazy or just difficult. But if you have made it this far, you can succeed in college. Here are a few tips on how to manage classes, college life, and stress with ADHD.
Get a Tutor Immediately
You should drop into tutoring at least once a week to help stay on track. Because people with this disorder get overwhelmed more easily, the mounting reading assignments, essays and other tasks for multiple courses can quickly become unmanageable. A tutor will help you work through assignments big and small, simplify concepts and ensure you’re on track with the rest of the class. You will have an opportunity to learn basics like writing skills you will need in college and time management strategies. Tutoring also provides structure to your study schedule, something that a lot of students with ADHD desperately need. You’ll feel better knowing you have someone to turn to when you need assistance.
Get Stressful Tasks Done Early
If you leave a lot of things on the backburner, you wind up overwhelmed by deadlines later. Big picture things like applying for scholarships and financial aid should be done ASAP. Get it done at the start of the year/semester so you can focus solely on your courses. This scholarship search and application platform helps you find and apply for multiple awards in under 30 minutes.
Recognize Your Desire to Procrastinate
You will want to slack off at some point, no matter how committed you are to your program. This doesn’t make you a failure, stupid or a bad student. It’s just a symptom of a mental health condition. While you can’t control your ADHD entirely, you can learn to work with it and find harmony. Being easily distracted or frustrated might require more frequent breaks, and that’s okay. Try out the Pomodoro technique, which is 25 minutes of timed, dedicated work followed by a 5-minute break.
Use Songs to Time Your Schedule
Set up a daily 10-song playlist that you’ll use to guide your actions. When song one hits, you have three to four minutes to get out of bed and get dressed. By song three, you should be making breakfast. By songs five and six, it’s time to brush your teeth, put on makeup or do some personal grooming before getting ready to leave for class. You’ll know that by the last song, you should be walking out the door. Having ADHD often requires a lot of creativity and typical ways of keeping track of time just don’t work as well. Instead of forcing your brain to work like everyone else’s, focus on what works for you, and do it well.
