Studying with ADHD

Six years ago, when I told my husband I wanted to do a degree with Open University, I'm pretty sure his heart sank. Maybe he thought it was another thing I'd start and never finish. To be fair, so did I sometimes.

But now? I have one year left, and I can't wait to share my graduation photo.

I was officially diagnosed with ADHD combined type two years ago, but obviously all the issues were there before. These are some of the strategies I've used to get me through.

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1. Choose brick or non-brick

Think about whether you would do better at a brick uni (one you have to go to) or Open University, which is completely self-motivated. I really didn't want to go to a brick uni — I didn't want to be tied to set tutorials or set classes. But for some that would be absolutely needed. I also really wanted to study on my own. My study times are my happy place and I don't speak to a single person; this gives me my recharge time so I can do my work well.

2. Tutorials

Another reason for me doing Open University is I can listen to recorded tutorials. I really struggle to sit in classes, so having the option to listen to a tutorial when I have the brain space to do it is great! I also listen to them on 1.25 speed — my brain can process it better — and I skip the bits that are not relevant or the bits where they have had an interactive time.

3. Where you study

This is about knowing your learning style. I cannot study if it's quiet, and I can't study at home because all I want to do is sleep. So my favourite place to study is in a café. I put in my noise-cancelling headphones (they don't cancel all noise) and I hide in the corner. I also choose my cafés carefully — independents don't like you taking up space, so I choose carefully so my brain isn't taken over by thoughts of the owner feeling cross at me. When I had my ADHD assessment they said this was very telling, because I need stuff going on around me, but not too much.

4. Dopamine hits

I love the topic I am studying, but there are going to be times where even ADHD meds can't get you through. Sometimes the essay isn't completely about a topic I enjoy, or sometimes it is just genuinely overwhelming. During my last essay, we were also supporting my son through a transition to his new school, so life was chaos. It's in these times that you need a little lift.

My way of doing this is buying some new stationery, a new notebook, or a new studying system altogether. This gets me a bit excited and gives me a different way to get myself going. Sad, I know — but it works, and you need to find your thing.

5. Planning

I plan my essays so carefully. Each paragraph is planned and worked through, I find all the quotes I want to use, and then I stick to that plan. This brings variation to studying — you are not constantly writing essays. I also set myself the task of writing at least one paragraph every time I sit down to study.

6. Find the best time of day for you

For me, I work all day, come home, have a nap, and then go to a café that is open until 10pm. This is helpful on a number of levels:

• The café shuts, so I can't go down a rabbit hole — I have to get my paragraph done before it closes.
• I can't work into the night. I don't do my best work after 10pm, so when the café shuts, that's it.
• My husband is doing childcare, so I can give all my brain space to my essay (unless it's a bad day for my son!).

7. Choose what you study

I know that I get bored, so I chose to do an Open Degree — which means I pick the modules each year and could veer off onto something different if I really wanted to (I haven't, but the choice was there). Choose something you are really passionate about, not just the subject you think you need to do. Then when it gets tricky, at least you still have a passion for the topic.

8. Give yourself fake deadlines

I tell myself I need to submit 2 days before the actual deadline. Something else will always need my attention, and that buffer has saved me more than once. If you don't make the first deadline, you'll still make the second.

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Disability Student Allowance

I did apply for Disability Student Allowance (DSA), which is available for anyone with a diagnosis. I had a call with an advisor and they set me up with a computer (you do have to pay towards it), some software to help, training for the software, and I was also offered an extra tutor.

Some of the software was really helpful. I have to write all my essays out on paper first, as I cannot think creatively whilst typing — writing by hand slows my thoughts down enough to process them properly. My brain moves quickly, so handwriting helps me organise ideas before typing.

I was also given software that I can talk my essay into and it types for me, and another piece of software that reads PDFs and articles aloud. Again, it slows down the pace so I can actually take it in. The built-in software on computers has since improved so much that I mostly use that now — but when I first started, those tools were brilliant.

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I'm not saying that every moment has been rainbows and unicorns. Some times have been completely overwhelming. But by using little hacks I've been able to make it this far.

I'm so excited about next year — I'll be studying children's literature and the development of language. So hopefully I won't lose focus next year!!!!

If you've been thinking about studying but ADHD makes you doubt yourself, this is your reminder that it is possible. You might just need to find ways of studying that work with your brain, rather than against it.