All my life I’ve struggled with attention problems but I’ve never gone to see a doctor to get treated. This is mostly due to the fact that I still get relatively good grades and I’m scared of people (my parents) saying that I’m making it up to get Adderall (especially since I’m entering college in the fall).
In high school, I had problems creating a daily schedule that would allow me to get enough sleep, finish my homework, and still have time to myself. During my senior year, I finally figured it out (get home at 3, homework until 6, bed by 10, wake up at 5:30). However, I’m going away to college which will have a completely different schedule than I’m used to.
I’m getting a planner which I will use daily to track my assignments and things I need to do. Additionally, I find that drinking coffee helps me focus when I need to. I’ve also found that having a good sleeping schedule helps me start the day off right. What else should I do to help with my time management and focus?
Procrastination and time management are huge problems almost every student faces. It doesn’t always mean you have ADD/ADHD. Recently, there’s been a huge trend towards over-diagnosis, so your parents might be making the right decision in not taking you to the doctor.
I’d recommend planning out every single minute of your day, and training yourself to stick to that schedule.
Thanks for your input. I would agree with you, but it’s not just that I procrastinate - I’ve seen my peers and how they work. I find it very hard to focus on one task for more than a few minutes. Working on anything I don’t have interest in takes a lot of self-motivation.
Hello, I have ASD and ADHD. I just wanted to let you know that good grades does not mean you don’t have ADHD. I went to one of the best high schools in the country (STEM magnet school) and had all A’s last year in college (freshman year).
Number one thing is get tested. The medication makes a huge difference. While I don’t take it everyday, I make sure I take my medication leading up to and during assessments.
Procrastination and self-motivation is a huge problem for me. I generally do fine with my math, CS, and music work (stuff for my majors), but writing essays is a challenge for me. Last year, I wrote several 10 page essays starting two days before they were do.
I’ve found for the smaller writing assignments I’ve had (1-4 page papers), the easiest way to motivate myself is by rewarding myself. For a 4 page assignment, I might say to myself, if you finish the first two pages, then you can watch this episode of TV you want to watch or then you can go to dinner.
I use my calendar on my computer and phone (they’re synced) to map out everything college related. I have my classes, my rehearsals, lessons, finals, tests, major deadlines (big papers and projects), and other events I am going to on campus (such as concerts, open mic nights, special events for those not involved in greek life). This allows me to visually see how much time I have in between things. If I know I have one hour to be productive, I’ll choose something I know won’t take long to complete.
I don’t know if windows has something similar but mac has a program called stickies that you can use to create virtual post-it notes on your computer. A lot of my friends use that to record what homework they have and when it’s due.
ADHD would be even more problematic if you’re intellectually gifted. It can more than make up for the ADHD in high school. Then, when the workload exceeds your natural abilities, even when all you need to do is literally spend 30 minutes (vs. zero minutes) to review your material, it kicks you in the arse.
Hi @guineagirl96, I’m majoring in CS and I have the same exact problem with writing essays. Thanks for your input, it’s refreshing to hear from someone who does suffer from ADHD. I am keeping a calendar in my planner that will be updated with the things I’m planning on doing. @klai31, that’s exactly what I’m afraid of.
GuineaGirl has some great suggestions. Schedule yourself to be evaluated for ADHD now. It is not easy to get an appointment with a good evaluator & you should have it done this summer. If you do have ADHD, medication may help you. My daughter has ADD (no hyperactivity). As you noted, the varied college schedule presents a challenge. I’m glad you also noted the importance of sleep, it is often underestimated. My daughter struggled freshman year, then asked to go back on a low dose of her meds & work with a coach. This helped her get organized & stay organized. She is doing very well in her classes & has 2 leadership positions in student organizations.
Also, make sure you register with the office of disabilities at your college & ask about resources. They will want to see a copy of your testing - another good reason to get tested now. Students with ADHD can be very successful & I’m sure you will be!