ADHD is known to be the cause of “problem kids”. That little boy in class who can’t sit still. The disruptive one. Yeeeeeah, no. ADHD really? It’s not that simple. Any person, no matter gender or sex, can have ADHD. Shocking, I know. So, here’s your crash course. No one knows the cause of ADHD or how to treat it properly. It’s different per person. There are three main types. Hyperactive(can’t sit still), inattentive (the daydreamer), or combined. It’s a problem with regulating dopamine levels. This means that motivation and focus come in waves. Sometimes you might be crazy focused, forgetting to eat and sleep because you’re so engrossed in a task. Other times, you couldn’t focus if you tried. So here are a few things I do to help me study.
Pick a course that you like
Yeah, I know, so obvious, right? But with limited focus and motivation, having a course that makes you excited to learn can make all the difference. ADHD’ers thrive in some more creative fields, but this isn’t just limited to art and music. Any topic that you can hyper-focus on. Are you animal crazy? Go study to be a research scientist. Do you walk around with your nose buried in books? Why not English? Focusing on your passions will be your saving grace.
Make time for your hobbies
Imagine that your brain is a battery. You’ve used all this energy trying to learn and remember your course material, but now it’s time to recharge. A simple facemask and a nap are not going to cut it. If you’re anything like me, you have a few too many hobbies. Pick one, set a timer for an hour or two and lose yourself. These timers are to stop you from losing time. If you hyper-fixate, you might lose track of time which can throw you off completely. Time blindness is real, trust me.
Annotate Slides
This is a great note-taking trick for anyone to use. It saves time in class and means you can keep up better with the lecturer. This is a super effective method for visual learners as well, as the imagery helps make associations with the text. A lot of neurospicy individual scan picture an entire slide or page of notes in their heads, it helps me when there’s more imagery, and this is a mental image I can bring back in an exam which has saved me more than a couple times. Think of Sherlock’s mind palace. Suddenly super cool right?
Flashcards
Yes, flashcards. Those little pieces of paper that get last in your bag. They are a great memory aid,but because they are a nightmare to make and keep track of, they aren’t used nearly enough. So letme introduce you to digital flashcards. Personally, I use Quizlet, learn mode. This feature keeps trackof what you’ve learnt and what you’re not so good at so you can keep your memory fresh. Plus, thephone app means you can study on the bus whenever you’re bored.
Pomodoros
This method was invented by an Italian student. Pomodoro means tomato in Italian. This student used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer to break up time into smaller increments (pomodoros). Some people do 30-minute pomodoros with 5-minute breaks in between. With my limited attention span ,I use 20-minute pomodoros. Once this timer is set, absolute focus. Keep at your task and remember that you’re almost done. During your break, recuperate and then get right back at it.
These are just a few tips, and they aren’t specific to funky brains. Just remember, ADHD doesn’t make you stupid or lazy, quite the opposite. Hang in there, and until next time, keep studying!