ADHD is not always a blessing, and living with ADHD is not always easy. It can drive you nuts, especially when you’re pursuing a college degree. College demands more of you both academically and socially, and there are far more distractions and far fewer support systems than school.

Moreover, students with untreated ADHD face increased risks of anxiety and depression. You might find yourself struggling to do the simplest of tasks while your peers pass with flying colors. This can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you know you should be able to do it. Nevertheless, plenty of students with ADHD have succeeded in college, and so can you. There’s something you already have that can help, if only you can get it to work for you – hyperfocus.

What is Hyperfocus?

Hyperfocus is the ability to get immersed in an activity so much so that everything else turns into background noise. Hyperfocus comes in handy when a task requires intense concentration.  Hyperfocus is a common symptom of ADHD.

When on hyper-focus mode or ‘in the zone,’ students with ADHD can lose track of everything else around them – those unwashed dishes, the pile of dirty clothes, those assignments… forget about it! This means that, with ADHD, hyperfocusing can be either detrimental or beneficial. When it’s beneficial, this ability can be a huge advantage for your study. But… if you have ADHD, you struggle to control where this attention goes. That’s the problem.

Due to poor executive function, people with ADHD can’t control or have difficulty controlling where their attention goes. Executive function is a set of cognitive skills necessary for self-control and managing behaviors. This allows people to do things like follow directions, focus, control emotions, and succeed in college.  Good executive function is necessary to succeed in college, and that is something students with ADHD find challenging.

However, it’s not all gloom and doom. If you have ADHD or other executive function difficulties, here are a few strategies and tips to try to help you succeed in college.

Succeeding in College with ADHD

Before diving into these tips, don’t be hard on yourself if you think you can’t follow these strategies. You have ADHD and it is understandable, however, these are something that you can do. For example:

1. Use music to help you get to places on time

I’d not be surprised if you’re almost always late to everything. Waking up late, getting distracted, and being less than organized doesn’t help either. Something that can help is using music. What do we mean by this? Try creating a playlist of songs you like or songs that pump you up.

You can use this playlist as a timer. For instance, if you need 30 minutes to get ready, create a 30-minute playlist. Freshen up, and get dressed while songs 1 to 3 play, have breakfast while songs no. 5 to 6 play, pack your bags, put on your shoes as songs 7 to 8 play, and walk out the door during the last song on the list. You can get a sense of how much time you have left based on where you are in your playlist. Use the same mix every day for the best results!

2. Set multiple separate alarms

If getting up early is an issue, set a number of alarms in sequence. Place one near you and place the other farther away from you. It might seem like a waste of money to get an alarm clock when you have one in your phone, but this also avoids other distractions right at your fingerstips as you turn off your alarm. This strategy works even better if you have roommates that you like, because hopefully you don’t want to disturb your roommates!

3. Eliminate distractions

I know it can be tricky, but if social media is distracting you in the morning, keep your phone away. Put your phone away and not near you when you go to sleep. And when you wake up, put on your playlist and avoid doing anything else but getting prepared to go out. To make it easier, take a look into apps that can help. There are apps that will lock you out of all others on your phone at set times every day, except for a couple of preselected ones like your music app, and Maps. There are others that track your usage of each app on your phone, and will automatically block you from using that app after a time you set has been reached for the day. This is great for things like Instagram, where you can easily spend hours without realising.

4. Work smart, not hard

There’s one thing almost everyone with ADHD is good at being creative. Use your creativity while studying as well. Don’t try to force yourself to cram information in you, use techniques like:

• Read the headlines and skim through the passages
• Have somebody to study with you
• Cover your notebook with doodles as you take notes
• Use a phone recorder to record memos and listen to them when walking 
• Use mnemonics to create fun ways to remember facts.
• Use white noise or instrumental music to drown out distracting thoughts
• Read aloud whatever you have to but in voices, you find fun and amusing
• Use a 25-minute timer with 5 minutes of rest in between.
• Choose a major that truly interests you.
• Try audiobooks for your subject.
• Get enough sleep!

I’m sure not everything in the list applies to everyone but the thing is don’t fight your intuition. People with ADHD learn to find ways to make mundane tasks seem enjoyable, and some of those techniques can be very different, and out of the norm. But if it helps you, why not?

5. Scatter your study time

Most ADHD students by the time they go to college have developed a bad habit of cramming everything the night before the test. However, this doesn’t work at college. Therefore, instead of studying continuously for hours, set times during the day when you will study. Divide those times into chunks, and set them aside for specific tasks like reading, and writing. I know following a routine is already a pain in the neck, so just finding time to study little every few hours can help. Time your study schedule when your medication is most effective.

6. Exercise

Do anything that involves physical activity, walk, jump, run, play sports, anything that you enjoy. Because exercise is one sure thing that can make anyone with ADHD feel better. Maybe have a group of friends with whom you can play sports every week. They will help you stay consistent as you’ll be part of the team, and being a member of the team, you can’t just abandon it, right?

7. Negotiate with yourself

It is hard to stay on track, on task, and schedule when you have ADHD. However, you can try and negotiate with yourself. For instance, if there’s something you want to do other than studying, you save that activity for after you have finished your 1 to 2-hour study schedule. Tell yourself, I’ll study and then only do that thing that I want to do. It doesn’t work every time, but it can be very effective.

8. Find a study mate

Find a friend with whom you plan to study. Set a time when both of you will study. The pressure and anxiety of not letting your friend down will help you with keeping up with the schedule. Similarly, set appointments with tutors to help structure your study time.

9. Don’t forget to take your medication

Medication can help you manage a lot of the symptoms of ADHD, thus this is something you should never forget. Also, if you feel like you probably will forget, find a doctor to monitor the progress of your medication regularly, and you can talk with your university’s health services about this.

Set reminders so that you refill your medication well before they finish. Also, make sure to keep your medications safe and away from others.

Meet with professors and teaching assistants during their office hours. If you can’t make those times because of your schedule, ask if they would be willing to meet at a different time. Most will be understanding. Take advantage of peer tutors or focus groups, if available, for extra support and instruction.

10. Eat and sleep well

Having a proper diet and enough sleep is universally important. And even more when you have ADHD. If you have trouble sleeping use music, audiobooks, etc. to help you doze off. Do not use social media late into the night, and do not engage in Wikipedia and YouTube rabbit holes during late hours. It can be very tempting but your health and your college degree are way more important.

11. Don’t be hard on yourself

ADHD causes enormous mental fatigue, it makes you question yourself, it can cause low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, addiction, and so on. Therefore, don’t let these negative thoughts consume you, remember you are different, you have a condition, and it was not your choice. Try to manage your symptoms but never be hard on yourself. Love yourself and push yourself but don’t hate yourself.

How to be more social in college with ADHD

To be successful in college you need to have a support system of friends and teachers. But maintaining friendships is already a challenge for students with ADHD. Therefore, here are some things you can do to be more social: 

Find activities and clubs you will enjoy. College is a good place to find new hobbies, meet new people, and form many memories. Scour through your college website or the bulletin board for activities that you might enjoy.

Don’t hesitate to talk with other people during college orientation. You can make several connections and long-lasting friendships if you just open up. Remember, everyone else can be as anxious or overwhelmed as you.

Make sure to call your friends from high school at least whenever you can.

ADHD Coaches at College

I think we’ve already established that sticking to plans is one hell of a problem for students with ADHD. This is where your ADHD coach can come in handy. They can be a great support system as they can help you plan, prioritize, and stick to your goals.

ADHD coaches can help you harness skills and behaviors to better handle your various symptoms and problems related to ADHD. They can help you reduce your anxiety by not letting you get overwhelmed and burnt out. Thus, they can also help you with your self-esteem. Nowadays, colleges are changing for the better for ADHD students, thus, see if you can find a coach for yourself by talking to your college.

I hope some of these strategies listed in this article will help you in your pursuit of higher education. Students with ADHD almost always find themselves not meeting their potential which can be a great source of sorrow and grief. Thus, hold on and try your best with medication, therapy, and some of the techniques mentioned today, and you will eventually succeed.