You’re moving in to the dorm or apartment, looking at your schedule, buying your books, and getting geared up for success this semester in college.
Here’s a quick checklist of ten tips to help you get the semester off to a strong start with AD/HD.
SEMESTER START CHECKLIST
__ 1. Meet with the disability or student services office to assure accommodations, if needed.
__ 2. Make sure to have an adequate supply of meds, if applicable.
__ 3. Check your class schedule and make a plan for getting up on time for any early classes.
__ 4. Consider how much sleep is important for you, and commit to making it happen regularly.
__ 5. Since exercise helps with brain functioning, mood, and stress management, consider how and when to fit some in each week.
__ 6. Draft a daily/weekly schedule and consider blocking out specific times for studying. (Most classes will require 2-3 hours per week per course credit.)
__ 7. Look over your various class syllabi and mark due dates for papers and projects as well as dates of tests and exams on your calendar or planner.
__ 8. Then, to help with procrastination, back up from each such date and mark start dates for the same. Divide up lengthy reading assignments so you know how many pages to get through on a daily or weekly basis.
__ 9. Think ahead about approaches and environments that work best for you for reading, studying, writing, and the like. (Do you want to set up any study groups? Reserve a library study room on a regular basis?)
__ 10. Since some amount of stress is inevitable, think ahead about what works for you for stress management around deadlines, mid-terms, finals.
If you think you’d benefit from some help with any of the skills above, or if you still find yourself struggling despite trying these strategies, consider giving coaching a try. Contact me for a free half-hour consultation to learn more about how coaching can support your success in college!
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