The ADHD College Bound Podcast

In this episode, Gloria and Chaviva discuss how to stay motivated while doing work you hate. They suggest that adding ways to give yourself more dopamine can make unpleasant activities more pleasurable. They provide strategies to make work more engaging, such as making it urgent, challenging, interesting, and novel. They also recommend asking yourself what the purpose of doing the work is and listing all the reasons why it should be done. Finally, they provide a motivation chart to help make work more pleasant.

In this episode, we will be discussing study habits that can help reduce feelings of overwhelm for young adults with ADHD as they navigate their journey through college, trade school, first jobs, and into their 20s.

One of the biggest challenges for young adults with ADHD is staying focused on their studies. Here are some tips to help minimize distractions:

• Find a quiet place to study where nobody will come talk to you. It may actually be in the middle of a coffee shop, if that's what works for you. Try different places to see what works for you.
• Use headphones and 'Focus' or 'Study' music/background noise. Block out the sounds around you. Music with words doesn't work the same way.
• Turn your phone to 'Do not disturb'. Make the space for yourself to get the work done that you need to do. If you see that you lack self-control with your phone, consider using an app that blocks the apps that you tend to get the most distracted with.

Sitting for long periods of time can be challenging for young adults with ADHD. Here are some tips to help you stay active:

• Stretch, walk around the block, do jumping jacks.
• Get a snack.
• Go to the bathroom.
• Meditate
• Call your mom. ;)
• Use a timer that can be helpful. Studies have shown that optimal focus time is between 10 and 40 minutes.

Cramming for tests is never a good idea, especially for young adults with ADHD. Here are some tips to help you stay on top of your studies:

• Review your notes after class. We often see things in our notes that we didn't fully process while we were writing everything down. If you get into a regular habit of this, there is never a TON to review, but everything will be much more familiar and ingrained when you get to test prep.
• Recopying your notes is great for retention.

Studying with others can be a great way to stay motivated and focused. Here are some tips to help you study with others:

• Every student picks things up in different ways. Having other people to bounce ideas off of, discuss concepts with, or to teach concepts, will all help you be a better student.

Setting achievable goals and rewarding yourself when you reach them can help you stay motivated. Here are some tips to help you set goals and reward yourself:

• Achievable goals, small rewards when you reach them.

Keeping track of deadlines and assignments can help you stay organized and avoid surprises. Here are some tips to help you keep track of deadlines and assignments:

• No surprises!

We hope these study habits will help young adults with ADHD reduce feelings of overwhelm and succeed in their academic and professional pursuits.

Sources:

• Coursera
• The Learning Agency Lab

In this episode of the ADHD College Bound podcast, Gloria and Chaviva offer tips and strategies for balancing study schedules with extra-curricular activities and jobs.

It can be challenging to balance work, school, and other activities, but by prioritizing your time effectively and taking care of yourself, you can achieve success. Some of the strategies discussed include using a planner and electronic calendar, determining how much time you need to set aside for assignments, planning when you are going to study, establishing a morning and evening routine, and deciding how and when you will eat your meals. By blocking out your times and assigning your work hours, you can stay on track and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

As a college student with ADHD, keeping track of assignments and due dates can feel like an impossible task. Many students find themselves in a cycle of procrastination and stress, waiting until the last minute to complete assignments and feeling overwhelmed in the process. But there are strategies you can use to break this cycle and stay on top of your assignments.

Research has shown that writing things down can help you remember them better. Handwriting in a notebook, for example, triggers more robust brain activity and is associated with stronger neural encoding and memory retrieval. People who vividly describe or picture their goals are also more likely to successfully accomplish them than those who don't.

Here are some strategies you can use to set up a study schedule and reduce feelings of overwhelm:

1. Add all dated assignments to your calendar at the beginning of the semester. Whether you prefer paper or digital, use the system that you are most likely to pay attention to. Digital calendars allow for reminders to be automated, but if you get lost in a digital app, find something simple that integrates with your workflow.
3. As assignments are given, make a list of the steps that need to be taken to complete the assignment. Then, working backward, add those steps to your calendar as tasks on the dates that you plan on working on them.

4. Create a physical list of your assignments and post it somewhere visible. Every time you finish an assignment, cross it off the list. This visual representation of your progress can be motivating and help you stay focused.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by your assignments, the first step is to gather your course outlines and put all your due dates in your digital or paper planner. From there, you can start breaking down your assignments into manageable tasks and scheduling them accordingly.

By taking control of your study schedule and breaking down your assignments into manageable tasks, you can reduce feelings of overwhelm and stay on top of your coursework. Remember, the key is to find a system that works for you and stick with it.

In this episode, we are discussing setting up morning and evening routines in college.

College life can be busy and stressful, and for students with ADHD, it can be even more challenging. However, establishing a routine can help you stay organized, reduce stress, and improve your overall well-being. Here are some tips and strategies for setting up your morning and evening routines.

• Rise early: Getting up early can give you more time to get things done and reduce stress.
• Make Your Bed: Making your bed every day can give you a small sense of pride and encourage you to accomplish other tasks throughout the day.
• Affirmations: Start your day with positive affirmations to set the tone for the day ahead.
• Exercise: Regular exercise can help improve your mood and focus throughout the day.
• Breakfast: Eating a healthy breakfast can provide you with the energy you need to start your day.
• Medication & Vitamin routine: Take your medication and vitamins as prescribed to ensure you are taking care of your physical health.
• Cold Shower: Some studies show a link between cold exposure and an increase in various brain chemicals associated with well-being such as noradrenaline.

• Look at your calendar and plan for the next day and set goals: Planning ahead can help you feel prepared and reduce stress.
• Reflect on your daily achievements: Reflecting on the things you accomplished during the day can help you feel more positive and motivated.
• Tidy Up: Cleaning up your living space can help reduce stress and improve your overall well-being.
• Prep for tomorrow: Laying out your clothes, packing your bags, and prepping your coffee maker can save you time and reduce stress in the morning.
• Calming Activities & clearing your head-self care: Activities such as stretching, reading a book, journaling, or meditating can help you relax and clear your mind.
• Shower: Taking a shower can help you relax and feel refreshed before bed.
• Practice proper sleep hygiene: Setting a consistent sleep and wake schedule, minimizing blue light from screens, setting the temperature in your room to between 60-65°F (15-18°C), and making your room as dark as possible can help improve your sleep quality.

Establishing a morning and evening routine in college can be challenging, but it can also help you stay organized, reduce stress, and improve your overall well-being. Try incorporating some of the tips and strategies outlined above into your routine and see how they work for you. Remember, setting up a routine takes time, so be patient with yourself and keep trying until you find what works best for you.

If you want to learn more about setting up your morning and evening routines, check out our printable/downloadable guide on how to set up your morning/evening routine.

ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, affects people of all ages, but it can be particularly challenging for those transitioning from high school to college and beyond. In this podcast, Gloria Starr and Chaviva Lifson share their personal experiences with ADHD and offer tips and strategies for managing it during this transition.

Gloria, an ADHD coach, was diagnosed with ADHD at age 35. She explains that many girls and women with ADHD go undiagnosed until later in life because their symptoms often present differently than in boys. Girls with ADHD tend to be highly distracted and susceptible to anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and perfectionism. Starr notes that as responsibilities pile up, executive functioning suffers, which can lead to struggles with planning, organization, task initiation, and procrastination.

Chaviva, a college professor, also has ADHD and was diagnosed after her child was diagnosed. She emphasizes the importance of finding strategies to manage ADHD so that one's interests and goals are not just overwhelming items on a list. For Lifson, her interest in graphic design led her to start her own business and eventually teach web design at the college level.

Together, Gloria and Chaviva aim to help those with ADHD feel heard, understood, and inspired to take action as they navigate through the transition from high school to college and beyond. They offer tips and strategies for managing ADHD, such as finding the right medication, developing routines, and breaking down tasks into manageable steps.

As they note, the transition from high school to college and beyond can be overwhelming and challenging, but with the right strategies and mindset, those with ADHD can succeed and thrive.

Stay tuned for more episodes of their podcast, where they will continue to share their personal experiences and offer practical advice for those navigating ADHD.