Effective Study And Organization Strategies For Students With ADHD

Living with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can mean facing unique challenges in school that your peers don’t experience. This condition can impair focus and task management, making studying and learning more difficult. However, certain study skills, classroom accommodations, and organizational habits may help students with ADHD succeed despite their unique obstacles. 

Achieving academic success while living with ADHD may involve paying attention to the specific ways your symptoms affect your ability to manage your life and retain information. You may test out many different strategies to find the best combination of adaptations for you. Seeking support from others through learning accommodations, coaching, therapy, and helpful reminders may also have a significant positive impact. 

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How ADHD can affect academic performance in the classroom

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition and form of neurodivergence that can interfere with certain aspects of behavioral and attentional control. The inattentive symptoms of ADHD can pose various challenges for students, including the following: 

• Being easily distracted can make following lectures or assigned reading materials difficult for students with ADHD. 
• Difficulty staying focused on tasks can cause assignments to take considerably more time and effort. 
• Forgetfulness can lead to work being overlooked or difficulties retaining information relevant to the course. 
• Fidgeting and hyperactivity might disrupt the classroom environment and lead to more frequent disciplinary encounters.

A 2015 meta-analysis of studies on children with ADHD found that they tended to display worse academic performance and lower scores on achievement tests compared to the average student. These negative impacts may persist throughout an individual’s academic career, as college students with ADHD typically achieve lower GPAs than their peers. However, the study authors also reported that supportive interventions improved performance within this population, indicating that effective symptom management can reduce the disorder's impact. Below are suggestions for effective ADHD strategies to help you excel in school. 

Use organizational tools for an attention deficit 

Get help from teachers and staff

Letting your professors know about your challenges with ADHD may help them develop more accessible teaching strategies or classroom rules and adapt assignments to your needs. You may also talk to your academic advisor or school disability center, who might be able to arrange accommodations like extra testing time, audio notes, or quiet exam rooms with minimal visual stimuli. 

In addition to enabling a more supportive learning environment, your teachers can often offer additional help when you encounter difficulties in your classes. Taking advantage of office hours that allow more one-on-one time with a professor may provide significant benefits, as ADHD students often learn more effectively in smaller groups. 

Seek out coaching for students and children with ADHD

Colleges may offer academic tutoring and classroom accommodations for students with learning disabilities and neurodevelopmental conditions, and research suggests that this type of support may be particularly beneficial for students with ADHD. Try different options to see which works best for you, as your school may have several programs available. Examples of these programs could include:

• ADHD-specific study skills coaching
• Academic advising
• Peer tutoring
• Faculty mentoring

Establish a steady routine

People with ADHD may benefit from having a consistent daily routine. Remembering to prioritize productive activities like homework can be easier when habitual instead of a task you have to think about doing each time. However, ADHD symptoms can make time management a struggle. The following tips may make it easier:

• Schedule breaks for fun or relaxing activities
• Use your environment to reinforce distinctions between activities — for instance, keep your room for relaxation and the library for studying and homework
• Start with a short daily schedule so you don’t become overwhelmed
• Allow yourself the flexibility to change the routine when a part isn’t working for you
• Use timers to help you remember when to switch tasks
• Incorporate a bedtime routine to ensure you get to sleep on time
• Plan time in your schedule to map out the day and week ahead

Ways students with ADHD can practice adaptive study habits

Researchers studying the ways that people with ADHD manage their lives found that those with the highest levels of daily functioning tended to be those who used adaptive strategies. They found ways to adjust their habits to account for the effects of their ADHD symptoms. Below are a few examples of adaptive strategies that might prove helpful or inspire you to develop your own.

Break tasks into chunks

Looking at a major homework assignment can seem daunting to people with ADHD since staying focused on a single task for an extended period may be difficult. If you can find ways to split up these assignments into mini-goals, they may become more manageable. Then, build in short breaks between these steps to reduce attentional burnout.

Give yourself rewards frequently 

Academic difficulties in adults, adolescents, and children with ADHD can often arise from difficulties motivating themselves to perform cognitively challenging tasks. Adding positive reinforcement in the form of rewards may provide an extra incentive. Allowing yourself to partake in a fun activity after completing each task may keep you on track. Treat yourself immediately after engaging in the desired activity, as self-rewards may break down when you let too much time pass, decoupling the reward from the positive habit.

Keep your body occupied to pay attention 

While the tendency to fidget in ADHD is often thought of as a form of distraction, some research suggests fidgeting may help you sustain your focus by giving you an outlet for restlessness. Some students with ADHD find that they can pay attention more easily if they perform a motion like chewing gum, humming, using a fidget item, or tapping their feet while studying. 

Reduce distractions

Having fewer external factors that can pull your focus away may reduce your “attention deficit.” For example, a 2019 study found that children with ADHD were able to stay on task longer when exposed to low levels of white noise in the classroom, reducing auditory distractions. Students with ADHD may benefit from wearing noise-canceling headphones and studying in quiet, clean spaces with minimal clutter and visual stimuli.

Use visual and audio aids

Some people with ADHD find absorbing information easier when presented in several formats or organized in visually compelling ways. While different systems work for different people, some of the following strategies may be useful:

• Use multiple highlighters to color-code notes and text
• Take audio notes and listen to them while walking or running
• Create graphs, charts, and other visual media to summarize information
• Use verbal mnemonics to remember information 
• Add doodles and sketches to your notes
• Read aloud to yourself while studying (using an unusual voice may help)
• Flag important pages or passages with sticky notes
• Stand up or pace while reading

Work with others

Another factor that may increase motivation in students living with ADHD is being connected to other people. Finding a “study buddy” to work with may transform homework or test prep from a boring solo activity to an engaging team effort. You may also be able to recruit friends or family members to act as accountability partners with whom you check in regularly about your progress. Getting frequent feedback may assist you in sticking with your plans and positive mental, behavioral, and health habits. 

Pay attention to your mental health 

Proactively managing your psychological well-being may ensure your symptoms don’t overwhelm your attempts to be academically productive and successful. You might try the following techniques: 

• Self-monitoring: Checking in with yourself frequently to see if you’re getting distracted, forgetting important information, or engaging in disruptive behavior
• Observation: Observing your habits and assessing what situations pose the most significant challenges to organization and focus
• Following medical guidance: Taking any prescribed medication regularly
• Monitoring symptoms: Watching out for symptoms of conditions that frequently occur alongside ADHD, such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders

Making the above behaviors consistent habits may make managing your symptoms considerably easier. 

Resources for students with ADHD

The following resources may assist you in succeeding academically and remaining healthy as an ADHD student.

• Campus health centers: Your college may have a health center that can assist with medication management. 
• Student disability office: A student disability office may go by different names at different institutions, but you may be able to find dedicated support services for students with conditions like ADHD.
• Student counseling centers: Working with a mental and behavioral health counselor may help you manage stress and symptoms.
• Academic advising: Your faculty advisor can be an advocate and a source of assistance in navigating school with ADHD. The resident advisors in your dorms may also be able to offer help, guidance, and accountability.
• Advocacy organizations: Various non-profit groups dedicated to helping students with ADHD provide helpful informational resources, including the Attention Deficit Disorder Association and Children and Adults With ADHD. 

Navigate school life and ADHD in therapy

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Finding a therapist 

You may consider looking for mental healthcare online, as on-campus mental health services are often in higher demand than they can meet in a timely fashion. Internet-based therapy platforms like BetterHelp may offer flexible, convenient scheduling, making treatment easy to fit into your routine. 

Through an online platform, clients can also access resources like support groups, journaling prompts, goal-tracking, and worksheets, which may help them stay organized. Evidence from controlled trials indicates that online therapy can be effective in reducing core symptoms of ADHD and improving social functioning.