Effective Study Methods for ADHD Students
Are you someone who suffers with ADHD? Does studying make you feel extremely frustrated and defeated? Do you feel like you are unable to focus or retain the information you are learning? Facing the challenges of ADHD can be extremely frustrating and defeating. But when it comes to academics, it can make things especially difficult. Studying successfully typically requires a high demand of focus, attention and discipline. Because of the nature of this disorder, those qualities are more difficult to obtain; thus, making studying less successful or more challenging. Studying challenges can begin early in life and will most likely only grow as the school level progresses. While having ADHD can present a certain set of obstacles, it doesn’t make it impossible. With the right techniques and practices, creating effective studying habits is realistic for anyone. If you are someone with ADHD and are struggling to succeed in school, keep reading for some helpful tips to ease your struggles and thrive in your academics and life.
What is ADHD?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that affects many people from childhood into adulthood. Historically it has been most common for ADHD to be diagnosed in childhood, but more recently it has become common for someone to receive their diagnosis in adulthood. There are classic symptoms and markers that tend to be easily recognized in the school setting as a child, which makes it easier to recognize and diagnose. As an adult, the symptoms are both harder to recognize outside of the school setting and are often mistaken for other mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder.
ADHD displays an ongoing pattern with any of all of these certain behaviors:
Inattention
An inattentive person is typically unable to remain focused or stay on a task. A person can have the comprehension and the desire to learn the information but struggle to sustain focus on it long enough to obtain and retain the information. An individual suffering with inattention ADHD will find it more difficult to keep their life and tasks organized or orderly. They also will struggle with time management. This leads them to lose assignments, belongings or be late to/forget about appointments or commitments. It’s easy for someone with inattentive ADHD to seem like they disconnected or are “elsewhere”; it may even appear that they do not care to follow through or complete what they committed to. In reality, it is a product of their disorder and not a personality flaw.
Hyperactivity
Someone facing hyperactivity with ADHD will be constantly moving, fidgeting, moving in their seat and generally unable to sit still and calm their body/mind. They will typically run, climb or jump on things in times and settings where it is not appropriate to do so. Many children in the classroom setting show their ADHD most with their hyperactivity and inability to sit in their chair through the day, listening and focusing on the teacher. In adults, hyperactivity presents when someone talks excessively or has extreme restlessness.
Impulsivity
In children, impulsivity looks like acting out in the classroom setting – speaking without being called upon, interrupting the teacher or others who are talking, and lacking patience when it isn’t their turn, such as in line or participating in class. In adults, impulsivity presents as someone lacking patience in both life and decision making. Someone with the impulsivity spectrum of ADHD will always crave instant gratification and satisfaction and lead with the short-term gain in their decisions. This can lead to impulsive and reckless decision making. In addition, it can also present as overtaking a conversation, interrupting, not waiting to speak, attempting to finish someone else’s sentences because they don’t have the patience to wait.
Facing all of these challenges can make it difficult to function at a high capacity in life, but it can make thriving in academics feel nearly impossible. Studying effectively is one of the biggest battles that those with ADHD face, so it’s important and beneficial to have extra tools in your tool belt in combating those challenges.
Study Methods for ADHD Students
1. Develop a routine.
One of the hardest things about ADHD, is that it impacts your time management and your organization skills. In order to keep that from impacting your studying, it helps to develop a routine that involves the time you will set aside for studying. Think of your most “free” time of day each day and also think about what time of day is your most productive. If for you that is the evening, then create a habit of studying in the evening. A good evening routine could look like cooking dinner, accomplishing a household or life task that you do daily, spend 1-2 (or more) hours studying and then begin your bedtime ritual. Having a set routine that you repeat on the days you need to study will help you to stay organized, manage your time and help to create a habit that you can continue to commit to.
2. Design your study environment.
This method isn’t always at the top of everyone’s list, as it can be looked at as “excessive” or unnecessary – but it is not. Studying, much like many other things, could technically take place anywhere and anytime, but is that how you will be most productive? After you have established your routine, the next step is having an environment that is not only appealing, but inspiring of your most motivation and productivity. There are many things to consider in designing your ideal study environment.
Some of the factors to consider include:
Lighting: are you most focused when it’s bright or dimly lit? There are also “in-between” options such as dimly lit with the addition of twinkly lights or lamps.
Background noise: does it help you to have loud or quiet music, white noise, a podcast or complete silence? Many people struggle to focus when there are conflicting sounds, but that isn’t the case for everyone. Try each option on for size until you find your favorite.
Study company: Do you prefer to study alone or with a study group/partner? Some need complete solitude in order to focus or attempt to be productive, while others enjoy the company, help and feedback of others.
Temperature: It may seem excessive but setting the tone for your studying on a very specific basis will help you and your brain to focus solely on the task in front of you, without unnecessary distraction. Think about how you are most comfortable; are you a warm or cold surroundings kind of person?
In every study environment, it is certain that you will focus best in an environment that is kept tidy, organized and clear of clutter or distraction. When the area around you is clear, it allows your mind to also be clearer. Where there is clutter, there is distraction, so eliminating as much of that as possible is the best option. You are most likely to focus on your tasks and follow through with your study time if you are in an environment that encourages that.
3. Allow more time.
Those with ADHD struggle to focus and also struggle to retain information. Sometimes this means information needs to be learned several times before actually being retained. A great solution to making sure you accomplish all that you want to, is to set aside more time than you think it would take to complete the assignment. This strategy will give you not only more time to get your work done, but it will also take some unneeded pressure off your shoulders. This allows you to take your time, allow as much repetition as you need and still feel like you walk away accomplished and successful rather than the complex of failure that is all too familiar with ADHD.
4. Avoid procrastination.
Part of the reason it is so important to allow yourself more time for your study routine, is so that you have ample time BEFORE the due date to get your assignments and studying done. Neurotypical people often procrastinate and it does not impact their work – in fact, often people work better under pressure. This is not the case for those with ADHD; it is quite the opposite. Because ADHD makes it difficult for someone to have proper time management skills or the ability to sit down and work on a task continually for hours at a time, procrastination may lead to those factors worsening as well as a failure to complete the assignment by its deadline. Failure of any kind creates an abundance of new stresses for the mind of a person with ADHD.
5. Take frequent breaks.
Sitting down to study for an extended period of time is challenging for anyone. If you have ADHD, you are likely to get restless, fidgety, impatient and distracted quickly. A really effective way to avoid the restlessness is to take regular breaks. These breaks could be as small as standing up and walking to the bathroom or as big as going to eat a meal and for a walk outside. Sometimes it takes a change of scenery or some fresh air to really relieve and refresh your brain. Regardless of what those breaks look like for you, putting your studying on pause for a few minutes on a regular basis is an extremely beneficial step to add into your study routine.
6. Seek help if you need it.
As much as we all wish we could accomplish our responsibilities without any help, sometimes it is needed. Most of the most successful business owners in our world did not get there alone. When a specific task, class or subject is especially challenging for you, it is wise to seek the support of someone else. Whether that means joining a study group to lean on other peer individuals or hiring a part-time tutor to work with you one-on-one – having someone who can offer you help or support in something that isn’t necessarily your natural strength can help ease some of your studying stress.
7. Try to stay on top of it.
Of course, this is easier said than done. But staying on top of your work and doing your best not to fall behind will benefit you in several ways. Falling behind in your studies isn’t in your best interest no matter what, but even more so if you have ADHD. Any time a person with ADHD fails in some way, or feels that they have, it feeds their other symptoms. For example, when someone struggles with time management and following through with a commitment they might miss an appointment or forget to turn in an assignment on time – this “failure” will lead them to face shame, guilt and remorse, which will fuel the symptoms that got them into that position to begin with. It is a vicious cycle. Because of this, aiming to stay on top of your work and even a little bit ahead of the game is the smartest way to stay focused and empowered.
8. Expect to study and review things repeatedly.
ADHD makes it hard to retain information the first time you are exposed to it. There are many factors that contribute to that, such as the inattentive qualities that deter someone from focusing on the task at hand. For this reason, it’s good to go into studying with the expectation that it will not be a “one and done” accomplishment. You will likely need to study, read, and review the same things repeatedly and continually until you feel that the information has actually been retained. A good tip to retaining the knowledge is to create flash cards – these are an easy way to repeat each topic until you have fully soaked in the knowledge.
Conclusion
Trying to thrive in an area where you are at a natural deficit can be extremely frustrating. With ADHD, academics can truly be the most frustrating and defeating area for both children and adults. It can often be misunderstood by peers and teachers as disobedience, lack of participation, defiance or incomprehension. The perception of ADHD behavior such as these listed, is the reason many people suffer with self-esteem issues and face the belief that they are constantly inadequate. ADHD is extremely difficult, even more misunderstood and especially challenging in the school setting. These methods and strategies will surely make your studying more effective and beneficial – leading you to success, fulfillment and a happier and more functional life.
Need More Help?
If you are in need of any further help with ADHD, please also see our ADHD counseling services.