Five sentence summaryStudying requires several executive function skills plus focusing for extended periods of time, so ADHD folks often have trouble. There are general best practices that will help you regardless of whether or not you have ADHD and ones that are designed specifically for ADHD folks separated into organizing, focusing, and motivating. Finally, active studying is much more effective than passive studying, and the chances of feeling bored are much lower. General best practices ADHD brains are different but in some ways we are very much the same. Sleep improves our memory just like everyone else. Exercising regularly also is shown to improve our memory and overall well-being. Dehydrated brains don't work well, including dehydrated ADHD brains. Making personal connections to the material we need to study helps us but it also helps everyone else. These are the tips that are almost guaranteed to apply no matter what you are trying to study.
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Five sentence summary
That first conversation about your accommodation requirements can be stressful, but keeping the conversation short and understanding what instructors are and are not allowed to ask helps. Writing down a script can also reduce some of the burden. You shouldn't be afraid to refer people to the disability office. Educating everyone on accessibility is not your responsibility.
Depending on your school, your disability advisor may handle notifying your professors themselves. Or you may need to login to a website that will then allow you to notify each professor for each course electronically. In some cases, you may have to disclose your accommodations to your instructors yourself, which can be intimidating.
Why this is even necessary
Legally, all you are required to do is notify your professors that you have X,Y, and Z as formal accessibility accommodations. They are not entitled to know anything about your diagnosis or your medical history.
Instructors may ask you follow-up questions about your accommodations, especially if it is an accommodation they are unfamiliar with. It may be helpful to share specific examples of what you need or your past experiences, but this is your choice entirely. Instructors may be hesitant to agree to certain accommodations, such as allowing students to record lectures, because they misunderstand how those accommodations are used. They might worry you will sell your notes online or that their ideas will be stolen by others (it happens). It can be nice to share examples such as, "Last semester, I deleted all of my recordings after the grades were submitted" or "This one professor would warn me in advance if we were going to discuss highly personal information that I wasn't permitted to record. Then we worked together to make sure I still had the information I needed in order to study." You can always refer instructors to your disability office, especially if they have a lot of questions. Legally, you are not required to disclose anything about your condition(s), so keep that in mind. You don't even need to tell them what you are diagnosed with. A professor can only refuse an accommodation if it is unreasonable or would change the core content of the class; letting a professor know you need double time on an exam the night before might cause issues or asking for written assignments only in a public speaking course. That doesn't mean instructors won't deny your request, and you may already have experienced this. I have advice on what to do if a professor denies your accommodation request here. Five sentence summary:
Before the semester begins, determine add/drop dates, pick back-up classes, make sure you have your accommodations in place and potentially ask if there's anything new that might apply to you, and organize all of your sticky notes, calendars, highlighters, etc. Once the semester has begun, start feeling out your courses and potentially dropping ones that won't work and adding ones that show more promise. Set yourself up for success as much as possible by quitting classes with ableist instructors or ones that don't have the best overall design for your interests. Finally, once your schedule is finalized, add all the major deadlines for all classes to a calendar and identify if you'll need to book any tests with the disability office.
I almost always found the start of a new semester overwhelming when I was an undergraduate. There's so much to think of, so much new information, and our routines, our systems to stay on track all change. It's a lot. Honestly, the start of the semester is still overwhelming from the flip side, but I've learned a few things.
Before the semester starts
1. Determine your class registration dates and times. When can you register? Set alarms.
2. Determine when the add/drop period is. You can typically change courses for a week or two after the semester starts, but find out the date and find out any policies and procedures if you haven't done this before. 3. Pick your classes, your back-up classes, and balance your schedule. If you need to take five courses this term, find eight that you could take this semester. You'll want alternatives (keep reading to find out why). Don't take too many hard classes in a single semester. Hard may be hard in terms of they include a lab component, hard may be hard in that the classes bore you to death but are required. Make sure you have a good balance of classes that will be fun and exciting and classes that are boring and/or more work. You also want to make sure your week/days are balanced. If you don't do well with morning classes, don't expect this to suddenly change. 4. Register with the disability office (if new) or remind yourself of what the process is for notifying your professors of your accommodations. In some cases, the office handles it all for you. At other schools, you need to fill out an online form every semester. 5. Review what accommodations are available to you and ask your disability advisor if there is any new technology that you should consider. Yes, you may not have needed to record your lectures your first year, but you may find that one history lecture that is three hours long is harder to maintain your focus during. Schools also get new tools, so something unavailable last year might be offered this year. What are some potential accommodations for ADHD? 6. Buy your notebooks, pens, sticky notes, and etc. Organize all of it too so you're ready to go. Make sure to pack some snacks and some sort of drink in whatever bag you use for that first week. That break you have for lunch might be shorter than you thought or the class you planned to eat dinner during might not allow food. Throwing in a charger for your phone and any other electronics you rely on isn't a bad idea either. |
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AuthorThere's a reason theADHDAcademic is an anonymous account and there's a reason why this website will remain anonymous. That said, there are some basics it might be helpful to know about me: DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional or a lawyer of any kind. All text, graphics, and content on this website are for educational purposes only. Any and all content should not be substituted for medical or legal advice. Although I strive to provide the most accurate, current, and scientifically sound information, content should never be substituted for professional advice. Always consult a medical and/or legal professional before making any decisions. Links are provided only for reference and do not necessarily imply endorsement.
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