If you are a student with Attention Deficit Disorder and are either considering going to college, or have already begun your collegiate studies, here are some tips to help you succeed. College is a new and exciting experience, a time for you to grow as a person and an intellect, but college for those with Attention Deficit Disorder can be a little more challenging. With the right attitude, and a little extra preparation, you can handle college in stride and achieve your dreams.
Research Schools
If you are still looking at colleges, research which schools offer assistance to students with Attention Deficit Disorder. Many colleges accommodate Attention Deficit Disorder students by offering academic tutors, and general life classes, to help you get acclimated to living on your own and maintaining your academic work. Make a mental checklist of the things you needed to do to accomplish your high school workload, and think about things you can do to allow for more intensive study and heightened pressure to perform on tests and papers.
Try to find current college students dealing with this disorder, and talk to them openly about college for Attention Deficit Disorder students. If you can’t find anyone you know personally, search the internet for an online support group or forum. The more information you have going in to college, the better off you will be.
Recognize Your Weaknesses
Recognizing your weaknesses will help you to prepare to tackle college with Attention Deficit Disorder. If you have trouble keeping your space organized, enlist the help your parents to get some supplies to help you keep your space neat. Don’t let your paperwork pile up on your desk, purchase stackable letter trays and organize your loose papers by subject.
If you have trouble getting yourself up and out the door on time, find a classmate with the same early classes to knock on your dorm room door, or to meet up with your for breakfast, to help get you where you need to be.
Study Something You’re Passionate About
If you tend to become easily bored, spend some serious time thinking about what you want to do with your college studies. Choosing a course of study that you are passionate about will help keep you on track, and the daily struggles of college for an Attention Deficit Disorder student will have some meaning behind them. Learn to pace yourself when trying to tackle large reading or writing passages, and just allow yourself to slowly soak it all in.