6 tips for surviving university with ADD/ADHD

About five per cent of school children are diagnosed ADD/ADHD.  Though that number decreases as they reach adulthood, not all of us grow out of it.

If you're like me, you have trouble organizing your plans, your room, and anything else that you need to stay on top of. For me, navigating university with ADD/ADHD is kind of like being in a room full of people who all want your attention. I become so overwhelmed that I just turn around, walk out, and get some frozen yogurt in solitude. Without tactics in place to minimize disorganization, it can be quite stressful. Even if you don't have ADD/ADHD and are just a naturally disorganized person, the best way to ensure success is to find a tactic that works for you. Being in the 99th percentile of ADD/ADHD diagnoses, I've learned some tips and tricks along the way that keep me on top of things.

1) Use a planner

This can be a lifesaver. Whether you use an agenda, a wall calendar, or your phone, make sure you write down all your due dates, upcoming appointments, and even your plans with friends to avoid double booking. It's not enough to just write things in your day planner—make sure you actually look at it too.

2) Set up a routine

By the second last week of August, I started settling into my daily routine. The transition from summer to school is easy for me because of a full-time job that requires me to wake up by seven and head to bed by eleven. However, if you, three a.m., and Netflix got very close during the summer months, you may want to decide on a wakeup time and a sleep time. For some, those two are enough, but you can also plan your wake-up, breakfast, medication, study, and bedtime. Even if you don't have class at the same time every day, I recommend waking up at the same time anyway. Though your schedule may be broken the morning after a couple of six packs, following a routine for the most part means there is less to think about.

3) Set goals (and rewards!)

I set up a three-goal reward system that helped me kill two birds with one stone. I'm the worst at delayed gratification. I’ll eat stale donuts even if I know there’ll be fresh ones in an hour. But I trained myself to set three goals for myself, from something as simple as "email professor about assignment" to "don't forget medication for a week". Your reward can be after however many goals and be whatever you want, but I find that three is usually the magic number.

4) Do menial tasks with a friend

Many people hate cleaning their room, especially when you just cleaned it a week ago and have no idea how all of your clothes got on the floor. When it comes to things we just don't want to do, having a friend over who doesn't mind just hanging around with you while you do your chores can make it a less sleep-inducing experience. If they're nice enough, they might even offer to help. If they're like my friends, they'll probably just keep telling you about the spots you missed.

5) Use SAS

Student Accessibility Services is in the basement of the student center and is very helpful if you have an ADD/ADHD or learning disability diagnosis. You can get accommodated to ensure you achieve academic success.

6) Realize that it's okay

It's perfectly okay to not be able to focus all the time or feel like you just can't get organized sometimes. Take the steps that are right for you, but don't measure yourself on another's "ideal". Figure out how to manipulate external things like alarms and calendars so they can help you reach whatever goal(s) you set. Although school generally gets easier when you manage to organize, sometimes the restless and messy kids grow up to be the restless and messy adults, and that's totally okay.