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
Problems with organizing, focusing, and motivation can all make writing a struggle. By working with our brains rather than against them and understanding what motivates us, we can remove some of the barriers and write with less frustration.
ADHD folks have difficulty writing for a few reasons: motivating ourselves to do boring tasks is an epic battle, organizing our ten million creative and connected thoughts is a marathon unlike any other, and focusing on a single task, idea, or paragraph isn't something our brains are designed to do.
We are motivated by urgency, interest, challenge, and novelty and I find it's helpful to remember this even when motivation isn't my problem. For example, maybe I can organize my thoughts better if I write an outline but work backwards. The challenge of working backwards makes the task more fun while helping me organize myself. Working with my ADHD rather than against it always works better for me. Organizing
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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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