How Can I Study Well Despite Of Being An ADHD Student
ADHD | December 1, 2009We all know that ADHD comes with its own set of learning difficulties. Some major difficulties include low attention span, disorganized approach, are inability to follow instructions and complete tasks that decelerates the progress in academic and other areas of life. Further, if you might also suffer from other learning disorders such as dyslexia or dyspraxia. Not only this, but you are more vulnerable to have problems related to reading, handwriting, converting your thoughts into appropriate logical blocks of texts.
If you feel discouraged at this point of time, remember that many great people such as Edison also had certain learning disabilities. However, they did not bother for it and developed their own positive vision to gift the world with unique discoveries.
Similarly, the stated likely problems do not put you off from gaining high qualifications. It just that you have to apply some techniques to study in a different manner and take care in choosing a college or university. Remember – “A successful person does things differently, instead of doing different things”. So, let’s go through some considerations and guidelines for choosing a course and studying efficiently and effectively.
Selecting Your Course
There are several reasons or factors based on which you opt for a course. Listed are those reasons or factors.
- Interest
You must be interested in doing that course. - Job Prospects
You believe that it provides better job prospects. - More Degrees
You want more qualifications. - Change in Career
You want to change your career line and so require a different qualification. - Company Requirements
Your company where you are working requires this qualification.
Good news for you is that most colleges and universities consider your learning disabilities and provide you with a disability statement. This statement contains information on the support services that you will get to aid you in your studies despite of learning difficulties. So, whenever you decide for a college or university:
- Visit the place on a weekday when it is open and see the place, tutors, and other people already doing the course.
- Ask for the disability statement.
- Ask for the prospectus.
- Ask who can help you with the application (look for disability/learning support coordinator for this support).
Your next problem might be whether to take the course full-time or part-time. This is again dependent upon certain factors. Mostly go for full-time courses. Full-time college courses are a blend of self-study and the following planned periods:
- Tutorials
Refers to one-to-one sitting with a tutor influenced by the minimum attendance rules. - Seminars
Refers to group sitting with a tutor influenced by the minimum attendance rules. - Lectures (optional)
Refers to teachings communicated to a large group of students.
If you are an employed person and simultaneously want to take up the course, your this decision depends upon your job and its flexibility. You need to talk to your employer about this and look for time during which you can study. Ask the employer if you can work flexibly enough to leave early for the classes.
If you cannot make any settlement at job for the part-time course, you need to try for a distance-learning course.
Now, comes the critical problem of funding. Depending on the area wherein you live and type of course you want to pursue, there are different sources of funding from where you can seek for help. Listed below are these sources from where you can obtain the required funds.
- Access to Learning Fund (England)
- Mature Students’ Bursary Fund (Scotland)
- Assembly Learning Grant (Wales)
- Education and Library Board Bursary (Northern Ireland)
- Student loans only for Higher Education (HE) courses (a course that provides qualification higher than the A-level such as first degree course or Higher National Diploma – HND)
- City and guilds (http://www.city-and-guilds.co.uk)
- Career development loans (the Department for Education and Skills is responsible to pay your loan’s interest)
- Disabled Student Allowances (DSAs only for higher education courses and are not means tested)
- Your employer if the course is a part of your job
Dealing with the Learning Abilities while Studying
Listed below are the places/events where you face learning difficulties along with certain tips to minimize them and their effects.
At College/University
Lack of organizational skills can throw you far away in your study and attending the lectures and seminars, as you would tend to forget their timings. Further, this will further intensify your problem when you need additional time to complete your assignments/projects from the tutor, as your tutor will not be helpful to you due to your very low attendance in lectures. To avoid these problems
- Use timetables daily so that you know when are your lectures
- Create a ‘to do’ list to organize your day – what books you require, what equipments you need to take, what’s the assignment and when it is to be completed, what is expected in that assignment and so on.
Doing Coursework
While doing the coursework, low span of attention, a basic symptom of ADHD, would invite problems for you. You might lose the track or forget the methodology of doing a task. Listed below are the problems that you can face due to this symptom.
- Difficulty in noting the instructions and deadlines in lectures and seminars
- Difficulty in following the instructions
- Difficulty in paying attention in tasks
- Difficulty in completing the assignments or projects
- Forgetting items required for projects and seminars
Attempt to implement the following tips to resolve these problems.
- Prepare daily schedules to sort out your studies.
- In case of assignments, be sure that you are aware of what is to be done, what you need, and until when you have complete. Maintain a list of all this information.
- Divide the assignments into small sequential tasks and specify time for each of these tasks. For example, some tasks could be doing a research in the library, creating a rough copy, and finalizing the fair work.
- Highlight important text of notes and tasks such as using a color or underlining it.
At Exams
Listed below are certain tips that can help you in your exams associated with the course and qualifications.
Maintain a Timetable
Create a timetable for revising the notes related to a subject. Make sure that you set up a real timetable wherein you consider all subjects, job timings, family responsibilities, relaxing time, and free time.
In addition, ensure that the timings assigned for each revision are not too long or too short such that you feel unsatisfied after the revision.
Take Down Proper Notes
Follow the below tips to write effective notes.
- Apply word association, images, or try drawing things to remember concepts and procedures.
- Use mnemonics while memorizing things. For example, if there is a bulleted list of items such as features, advantages, disadvantages; pick the first letter of each item and merge the letters together to form a meaningful word.
- Divide the information into smaller sections with each section having a suitable title.
- Convert paragraphs into bullet lists/tables/images. Remember the number of item in the list and then go into the details of each item.
- Record your notes in a tape for memorizing.
- Read aloud your notes.
- Rewrite your notes again without looking into the original one.
Practice Exams
Follow the below tips to prepare for examinations of your course.
- Get past years’ papers for the subjects, which every student does for preparation; as there are high chances of repeating questions every alternate year.
- Ask the tutor for any practice exam papers and try to solve them.
- Determine what types of questions are asked often and prepare accordingly.
- Solve sample and past question papers within the stipulated time and without looking into your notes.
Follow the below tips while giving exams of your course.
- Read the exam instructions carefully before writing and avoid haste. Remember, if you do not read, you might end up answering too many/few from a single section that is similar to putting water on an effortful drawing.
- Underline words with which you find it easy to follow the questions correctly, such as describe, contrast, or list.
- Avoid panic when you see others picking up their pens directly without reading the instructions.
- Spend first 10 minutes in reading the paper and last 10 minutes in reading the answers. The left time is what you should divide among the questions that you need to attempt.
- First, answer those questions, which you know or you like to attempt.
- Mark the questions whose answer you do not know or you will give after finishing the ones you know. This way you will not forget any of the questions.
- If you find it difficult to proceed further while you are already writing an answer, leave that without utilizing any time in thinking and go to the next question. Mark it and come to it later so that your time is not wasted.
- Write a short summary in pencil that contains the main points of an essay-type question. This is because if you do not have time to complete that answer, you still get marks for the main points.
- Try to write a list of main points for all the questions first so that you do not have rethink or recall later.
Sources of Help
Listed below are some more sources of help.
- The student union (has its own disability support structure)
- Your personal tutor
- The continuing adult education department (for mature students)
- Department for Education and Skills (www.des.gov.uk and www.direct.gov.uk)
- SKILL, the National Bureau for Students with Disabilities (www.skill.org.uk/info/infosheets.asp)
- Learning disability helpline – 0808 808 1111 available 24 hours a day
- Disability or learning support office in your college or university
The disability or learning support office in your college or university is also known as Disability Services and offer elp when you:
- Are facing difficulties in studies
- Require additional time for completion of assignments
- Need support in exams such as arranging for a computer to give answers
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