ADHD + College... It is possible to make them "get along"?

In school, college and university, it can be challenging to learn like our neurotypical peers when we’re struggling with ADHD/ADD… It’s not only because we struggle to stay focused, but also because our brain will "do a tantrum" on us and demand some dopamine (by making us get distracted with something more interesting).

But what if I told you that there are ways to go to school/college/university and not suffer while trying to study? Don't believe me? Let's see if something I say (or write lol) catches your interest.

According to the DSM-V,  ADHD is defined as “a certain degree of attention deficit and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is maladaptive and incoherent in relation to the child's developmental level and is present before the age of 7 years”.

Now, despite that definition, we know that this is a spectrum and it can either “go away” as we turn into adults or stay with us for the rest of our lives...

In addition to this, both children and adults with ADHD often show other symptoms such as low frustration tolerance, some stubborn attitudes, mood swings, low self-esteem (specially if we’ve been “troublemakers” when we were kids), hyperactivity (if we’ve got ADHD), and the list goes on… So... It can actually feel like hell to try and just sit down, grab a book and study.

But... What can we do about it? We’ve been taught to “just focus”, to which I dare whoever says that to anyone with ADD/ADHD to go ahead and tell someone with asthma to “just breathe”. Like, sure Karen, I would if I could!

I’m a psychology student with ADHD, and I can assure you that there are ways to study and learn despite my condition. So I’ll share with you some tips that actually worked for me!

1. Medication: some of us need this to “function” more easily, but we also have to be aware that this is something not everyone can access to. So… Onto my next point!

2. Body doubling or, as I like to call it, The Mirror Method: According to the Attention Déficit Disorder Association (add.org), this is “a productivity strategy used by individuals with ADHD to finish possibly annoying jobs while having another person beside them”

3. Music: While some of you may need absolute silence and I respect that, at least I, Nina, need some music to get some dopamine while studying to avoid burnout. We, neurodivergents, along with some of our ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) buddies, can be understimulated, so having music helps us with this issue.

1. Breakcore: When I was talking with a young teen who was diagnosed with ASD a while ago, we both discussed how we ascended with this kind of music. But… Not any kind of breakcore, nah. If you’re understimulated and really need that “metallic taste”, something so “distracting” that it actually helps you focus (or even hyperfocus) on your task, I would seriously suggest you this playlist: https://youtu.be/DDFNgs7gp8M?si=mfniRpYjjxSQXV8k 

2. Classical music: If breakcore it’s too much, classical music can also help. Sometimes I use it as well when I’m not in the mood for some chaos induced music.

3. Brown noise: If you can’t stand music to study, I suggest you try this one. This isn’t music, but it has helped a lot as a last resource kind of thing

Now, this isn’t a magical recipe. These are just some basic tips that have worked for me, but you may need something different and that’s okay. Don’t limit yourself with this post; I invite you to investigate what works best for you ;)

Soon I’ll do a second part with more stuff that I’ve learned that can help ADD/ADHD folks and, if you like this "small series", I could also post some tips for people with ASD who also struggle with learning (always inviting you guys to seek professional help, because even though I’m in my 4th year of university and I'm really interested in the Educational Field, I’m still technically a student and not a professional…yet).

Good luck to everyone, no matter if you're in school or in university. We've got this!!!