Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsQualities for Student SuccessADHD and CollegeAcademic TipsSocial Tips

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Qualities for Student Success

ADHD and College

Academic Tips

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Every autumn, thousands of students move away from the structure and safety of home to the freedoms of college life. While it’s an exciting time filled with many possibilities for learning and growth, it can also be challenging academically and socially—especially for college students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Learn some of the challenges thatcollege students with ADHDface, as well as strategies that can be used to overcome these obstacles. This includes learning how to study with ADHD and taking certain actions to foster friendships with other students.

The Best Online Resources for ADHD We Tried and Tested

Sarah D. Wright, ADHD coach and author of “Fidget to Focus: Outwit Your Boredom—Sensory Strategies for Living with ADD,” explains that successful students usually have four qualities that help them achieve their goals:

These particular skills, however, don’t come easily to people with ADHD. One of the hallmarks of this mental health condition is impairedexecutive functioning.This means that students with ADHD may struggle with staying organized, sticking to a plan, and managing time effectively.

How ADHD Affects College Students

College students often face more responsibilities, less structured time, increased distractions, and new social situations—all while lacking access to many of the support systems they had in high school. Impaired executive functioning can make handling these changes a bit harder for students with ADHD, resulting in:

The good news is that these areas of executive function can be improved. For most college students with ADHD, the problem isn’t in knowing what to do, it’s getting it done. Developing strategies that focus on this goal can lead to positive academic and social effects.

Tips for Succeeding in College With ADHD

There are several strategies you can use to help stay on track if you are a college student with ADHD. Here are seven that Wright suggests.

1. Take Steps to Start the Day on Time

There are three main factors that contribute to being late in the morning: Getting up late, getting sidetracked, and being disorganized.

If Getting Up Late Is an Issue

Set two alarms to go off in sequence. Put the first alarm across the room so you have to get out of bed to turn it off. Put the second where you know it will bother your roommates, increasing the consequences if you don’t get out of bed and turn it off. Set both alarms to go off early so you can take your time getting ready.

If Getting Sidetracked Is an Issue

If certain actions tend to derail you, like checking your email or reading the news, make it a rule that those activities must wait until later in the day so you canstay on task. Also, figure out how much time you need to dress, eat, and get organized, then set alarms or other reminders to cue these tasks.

Three options are:

If Being Disorganized Is the Issue

2. Work With Your Urge to Procrastinate

Though it may sound counterproductive, if you feel theurge to procrastinate, go with it. When you have ADHD, sometimes things only get done right before they’re due. At that point, nothing has higher priority, increasing the urgency and consequences if you don’t do them now. These qualities are what can finally make a task doable, so work with them.

If you plan to procrastinate, it’s important to stack the deck so you can pull it off. For example, if you have to write a paper, make sure you’ve done the reading or research in advance and have some idea of what you want to write. Next, figure out how many hours you’ll need, block those hours out in your schedule, and then, with the deadline in sight, sit down and do it.

RecapUnderstanding yourtendency to procrastinate with ADHDcan help you plan ahead so you won’t be left scrambling to finish projects at the last minute.

Recap

Understanding yourtendency to procrastinate with ADHDcan help you plan ahead so you won’t be left scrambling to finish projects at the last minute.

3. Study Smarter, Not Harder

Boredom andworking memory issuescan make studying a bit more challenging for students with ADHD. Rather than trying harder to force the information into your head, get creative with the learning process.

If you’re wondering how to study with ADHD, research shows that multi-modal learning or learning via a variety of different methods can be helpful.Ideas include:

These won’t all work for every person, but try mixing up your strategies and see what happens. Taking study breaks every couple of hours andgetting enough sleepare also part of studying smarter, not harder.

Sleep impacts learning in two main ways. First, sleep deprivation has a negative impact onshort-term memory, which is what you use to learn the materials when you study. Second, sleep is needed to move short-term memories into long-term memory, which is what you rely on when it’s time to take the test.

Sleep is important for both short- and long-term memory, making it critical for both learning new material and recalling what you’ve learned.

4. Schedule Your Study Time

This strategy doesn’t work as well in college since cramming reduces your ability toretain what you’ve learned long-term.This can make it harder to remember what you need to know once you enter your field of choice.

One good rule of thumb for college students is to study two to two-and-a-half hours per week for every course credit hour. Put this time into your schedule to make sure you have it.

5. Plan and Prioritize Your Time

It may sound strange, but it’s important to plan time to plan. If you don’t develop this habit, you may find yourself always being reactive with your day rather than proactive—the latter of which can help youtake more control over your schedule.

Set aside time on Monday mornings to develop a high-level plan for the week, using Friday mornings to plan for the weekend. In addition, do a daily review of your plan over breakfast—possibly adding pertinent details—to make sure you know what’s coming your way that day.

When making your plans, differentiate between what youneedto do and everything thatcan or shouldbe done. Prioritize what needs to be done first, taking care of these items before moving on to lower-priority tasks on your list.

6. Implement Strategies to Stick to Your Plan

With ADHD, sticking to a plan is often difficult.If you like rewards, use them to assist with this. For instance, you might tell yourself, “I’ll read for two hours, then go to the coffee house.” Having something to look forward to can make it easier to muster through your studies.

If you’re competitive, use thispersonality traitinstead. Pick another student in your class whom you want to do better than and go for it. If you know that you respond to social pressure, make plans to study with classmates so you won’t let them down. Or hire a tutor so you have structured study time.

Research suggests that focusing on skills related totime management, target planning, goal setting, organization, andproblem-solvingcan all be helpful for students with ADHD.

Hiring a coach can also be beneficial. There is growing evidence, both research-based and anecdotal, that supportsADHD coachingas a vital strategy in helping students learn to plan, prioritize, and persist in following their plans.

7. Manage Your Medication

One study found that only around 53% of college students with ADHD adhere to their medication plan.Poor medication adherence can have serious consequences, contributing to poor academic performance and decreased graduation rates.

Steps you can take to stay on top of yourADHD medicationsinclude:

Research points to medication as the most effective and availableADHD treatmentoption.However, it’s important to talk to your care provider to decide the best treatment approach for your individual situation and needs.

Social Strategies for Students With ADHD

Interpersonal challenges are also common for college students with ADHD. While being out on your own for the first time can be exciting, this mental health condition can lead to difficulties inbuilding and maintaining friendships.

A Word From Verywell

Being proactive and getting strategies in place early on can increase your success as a college student with ADHD, both academically and socially. This can help make your transition to college life a happy, successful, and productive time.

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We’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

14 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

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