Dealing with ADHD as a college student can be both a confusing and scary experience. Adapting to the new environment at college as well as the new schedule and workload can be difficult in and of itself, but adding figuring out where your ADHD fits in can appear to be an impossible feat. Here are some tips that I, as a college student with ADHD, find extremely helpful and I hope that they are able to help you too!
1. Invest in an agenda AND USE IT!!!
An agenda is an extremely helpful tool for any college student, but is almost necessary for a college student with ADHD. You can use your agenda to fill in important dates when you have a test or presentation, but it is also helpful to use to write down the due dates of upcoming assignments. A good strategy I have found is to go through each class and write down all the assignments due for the next week or two, and then go through again and split bigger assignments into smaller chunks. It may be helpful to put in which days you will work on each part of the assignment so that you can submit your best work. This will ensure that you don’t end up procrastinating and have to end up working on five big assignments the night that they are due.
2. Set alarms
It can be all too easy to miss classes or meetings when you do not have a good concept of time, which many people with ADHD struggle with. It can be extremely beneficial to set alarms for 30 minutes or so before a class or meeting starts so that it gives you a chance to get your things together, and get to the class or event on time. I have found it useful to put all of my classes and meetings into the Microsoft Outlook calendar and set it to give me a notification 30 minutes prior to whatever I need to go to.
3. Attempt to have a routine daily schedule
In college there is always so much going on and so many things that you will want to participate in. It is important to try to develop at least a basic daily schedule that you can follow so that you make sure you are attending your classes, getting your work done, and properly taking care of yourself while also leaving time for you to hang out with friends and attend fun events on campus. Personally, I find it very difficult to stay on a schedule, but I find that I am most productive when I have at least a rough idea of how my day will go and what I need to accomplish before I can do the things that I enjoy most. It is no fun worrying about incomplete assignments or tests that you have not studied for when you are trying to have a good time with your friends.
4. Talk to your teachers
This is something that everyone will tell you, even if you do not have ADHD, but after experiencing a few semesters in college I have realized that it is necessary to do this. Once you talk to your professors and they know who you are and that you care about their class, it is easier to reach out if you are struggling or if you need assistance because you will feel more comfortable with your teacher, and they will already know who you are as well. You do not have to become best friends with your professors, but at least try to go up to them and introduce yourself so that they will know who you are.
5. Establish a support system
Whether it be your family or friends, it is essential to establish a support system that you can turn to with your victories or in the times that you are struggling. College is full of ups and downs, and it is exciting to be able to share your accomplishments and fun stories with other people. However, it is also extremely important to have people to talk to when things are not going well, or you are having a hard time. Your support system can be anyone you trust and feel comfortable sharing your feelings and personal experiences with.
6. Take time to care for yourself
It is easy to become overwhelmed by your workload and the daunting task that college itself presents, but always make sure to take some time to yourself so that you stay happy and healthy. Make sure to keep an eye on your mental health and address it if you are not doing well, do not just push it aside. Always set time aside some time do things that you enjoy whether that be calling your parents or friends, watching a movie or show on Netflix, or just relaxing to your favorite music.
Overall, I hope that these tips will be able to help those struggling to balance ADHD and being a college student, but also any college student just looking for some tips!