before we begin: i have mostly hyperactive type adhd & these tips have worked for me! i cant promise they will 100% work for u & maybe they will work even if u dont have adhd. but again, i went from a c-student to an a-student with these, so if you think they sound helpful, give them a shot :-)
🍁 make a checklist of what you need to study before anything else. as you gather your materials, refer back to this list. once you have everything on the list, double check: is there anything else you need? check again. keep your supplies within reach
🍁 try to have a large study space so you can spread out! try the floor, a kitchen counter, or even your bed. this way, even if you’re messy, you can just shove what you don’t need to the side because…
🍁 only keep what youre currently working on in front of you. people with adhd need simplicity to minimize extra steps in their thought process (extra steps lead to distractions, forgetfulness, and potentially executive dysfunction)
🍁 don’t force yourself into pomodoro cycles - work in “shifts” while taking breaks and using ur hyperfocusing powers :-) working in shifts means that the minute you get bored of working on one assignment, shift to another. when you get bored of that one, shift back to the first. if you get overwhelmed or suddenly unbelievably unmotivated, take a break to breathe - when you get bored of breathing, back to work! do ur best not to burn urself out by working too long, but if you feel yourself hyperfocusing, don’t break your focus by forcing yourself to stop
🍁 prioritize! this is a huge problem for us - we try to do 30 things and finish 1. it’s incredibly frustrating to feel like you are working harder than anyone but getting the lowest results. the secret is prioritization (which goes along with simplicity)! write down three things you have to get done. do those. do you have extra time? pick two more things to do. done? finish your study session with one last, low-priority and low-stress task
🍁 rubber bands, bracelets, erasers, rubix cubes, and stress balls are my favorite things to fidget with when i dont have my spinner. i personally can’t concentrate in chairs that spin, but walking around while reading my notes aloud helps me.
🍁 if you really really cannot physically bring yourself to do homework, watch a tv show that youve watched a million times before as you do it.
🍁 take interactive notes! if you take messy notes with a lot of gaps at school and rewriting them isnt an option for whatever reason: write your messy lecture notes on the left half of the page. at home, highlight main ideas from the left side. on the right half, fill in any blocks of information you missed using youtube/textbook/other resources. avoid extensive colorcoding because…
🍁 colorcode when youre studying for your exams! make a box next to each main topic and check off when you are done with it. highlight questions/whatever you wish as you read through your notes to stop passive learning.
🍁 take it easy on yourself! adhd isn’t a curse, but it does make it difficult to do a lot of things that school requires to do “well.” sometimes you won’t be able to understand information as quickly, or you’ll forget to turn in your homework. you are doing your best, and that can be just passing a class or finishing one worksheet. youre doing great & you will succeed!
