Your ADHD College Survival Guide

Are you starting college in the fall or returning after a tough semester?

As an ADHD-er, it’s important to mentally prepare yourself for common challenges ADHD students face and come up with a game plan for overcoming them.

Maintaining a Routine

An irony of the ADHD life is that ADHD-ers tend to function better when sticking to a consistent routine – but it’s incredibly hard to actually get yourself to stick to the routine. It's the same with tidiness. ADHD brains tend to function better in tidy environments – but it’s super challenging to actually do the tidying itself.

Seeking Help Proactively

This is where reaching out for help can make the difference between thriving or barely surviving. So if you have a hard time getting yourself to stick to a schedule and to keep your space tidy, you can work with an ADHD coach.

A coach can help you come up with a realistic and reasonable schedule, not an idealistic one that only superheroes can follow. (We all know that perfectionism is a big part of ADHD). Also, a coach can provide the external structure and accountability you need to keep with it.

If you know your coach will be regularly checking in on you about how things are going with your schedule and with keeping things tidy, it will be much easier for you to stick to it. Also, when you run into roadblocks, a coach can help you problem-solve and come up with a way through.

Utilizing On-Campus Resources

Another huge source of help is the plethora of on-campus resources available for students. Most universities have a study skills center, a disability center, and a writing center, among other resources.

I recommend you get plugged into all three of these as soon as possible. You probably won’t have much homework in your first couple of weeks, so that’s the perfect time to book appointments at these places so you can get assigned to advisors who will help you be successful in your classes.

The Importance of the Disability Center

I would say the disability center is the most important one because they will help advocate for you with your professors so you can get the accommodations you need. Things like extended test times can really boost your performance and reduce your stress level, putting you on a more level playing field with students who don’t have ADHD.

The Note-Taking Challenge

Also, note-taking tends to be a big challenge for ADHD college students. The process of taking notes means constant transitioning between cognitive tasks, which is a trademark difficulty for ADHD-ers.

One second you’re listening to the professor and your brain is doing a lot of auditory processing, then the next second you’re trying to analyze the most important points that were just made and write them down accurately – then the next second you’re back to auditory processing – then you’re back to analysis and writing, on and on for extended periods of time… It’s truly a recipe for disaster for ADHD-ers.

Solutions for Note-Taking & Staying Focused in Class

A great solution to this problem is to not even worry about taking notes yourself. The disability center can connect you with a designated note-taker in each of your classes – students who get paid to take notes and deliver them to the disability center for students just like you to use.

Another solution if you learn best through listening, is you can record your lectures and listen to them again later while studying (make sure to ask permission). If you go this route, it can be helpful to do something with your hands during your lectures to help you stay focused on listening.

Perhaps you could use a fidget toy or doodle in your notebook. You’ll probably want to work with your advisor at the disability center to give your professor a heads-up that when you are focused and listening, it might look a little different than with other students.

Preparing for Class

You also might need to have the professor email you their lecture plan the day before each class. Many professors these days like to have impromptu interactive exercises peppered into their classes because research shows it can help with the learning process.

However, all this spontaneity with moving chairs and backpacks, being roped into discussions about topics you haven’t studied much yet, having to join different breakout groups with different students, etc. can be incredibly disruptive for neurodivergent students like ADHD-ers.

Once again, just like with note-taking, it’s a lot of constant cognitive transitioning which is kryptonite for ADHD brains. There’s even a lot of physical transitioning as well because many times you’ll be required to get out of your seat and move to a different location in the classroom for a particular learning exercise.

This will be much more manageable for your brain if you know ahead of time that it’s going to happen. If a professor emails you their lesson plan for that day, you can mentally prepare for any cognitive and physical transitions you will be making during class time. This will help reduce your stress level and help you be able to actually focus during the class.

Advocating for Your Needs

Be prepared though, some professors might balk at the idea of a student knowing what kind of surprise exercises will be in the next day’s class time. They might say that it gives you an unfair advantage.

It’s important to stand your ground, though. Calmly explain to the professor that you are merely exercising your right to reasonable accommodations as provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

If you need some extra clout, you can do two things. First, discuss the idea with your coach to solidify your thoughts and practice the language you will use. Second, meet with your advisor at the disability center and they can advocate for you with the professor. You will most likely “win your case” of receiving the accommodations you need even if you have to jump through a few extra hoops.

Emotional Support

This kind of personal advocacy can take a lot of emotional resources, though. Once again this is another scenario where it can be incredibly helpful to work with an ADHD coach. They can listen to you vent about your frustrations and help you develop strategies to regulate your emotions.

They can also help you refrain from comparing yourself to other students around you who don’t have ADHD, as well as remind you of your own unique strengths and skills. Your mental and physical health are immensely valuable and worth protecting at all costs.

College is an amazing time and many people look back on it as one of the best periods of their lives. With the right mental preparation and support, you can help yourself have an experience that sets you up for success.

I hope you found this article helpful! If you’re curious about how coaching can help you manage your ADHD and succeed in college, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]. You can also find more articles and resources on my website at KimberlyPutmanCoaching.com.