High school can be a stressful time for students at all grade levels, and dealing with ADD can make it especially challenging to keep up with homework and class projects. From daily assignments to finals at the end of the semester, the life of a high school student involves a daily commitment to learning.
Students with ADD have difficulty maintaining focus and face many challenges in completing assignments each day. Attention and focus are necessary for comprehension and both are important for lifelong learning, but ADD can be difficult to stay on track. If you are a high school student with ADD, or a student parent trying to manage the disorder, here are some study tips to keep up with the demands of fast-paced learning during the high school years;
1. Write a short summary of what you learned in class. This can be a simple journal entry of only 5-10 points you learned in class, and should only take a few minutes to compose. Summarizing will help you retain what you have just learned so that you can focus on the next topic or subject, and it is also useful to review the next day when you need to continue with the next chapter/subject.
2. Read the abstracts and summaries in the paper first. ADD that you feel overwhelmed when you provide too much information, so you should learn< /a> than breaking things into ‘chunks.’ Any textbooks and reading materials that contain abstracts and information points are great tools for learning; read this a few times before jumping to the whole section for comprehension and a lighter read.
3. Have your own calendar. A daily calendar is a simple way to stay on top of your assignments, and you can break larger projects into tasks that are planned over the course of the week. This takes the effort of trying to remember everything off your shoulders, and dissolving projects in this way makes it even more manageable.
4. Learn to multitask diligently. ADD can make you bored with one task very quickly—much faster than most—so have a backup plan where you simply switch between projects easily. This is a productive way to multi-task, and you’ll get a lot more out of it when you know you can simply switch to something else when boredom hits and your productivity seems to be stalling.
5. Learn to work in silence. Distractions at home include television, music, the phone, and even checking your email while studying can make it much more difficult to focus. Practice working in silence where you can give the plan your full attention and focus.
6. Establish a practice routine. Get into the habit of committing to strict study time after school to get in the routine. Habits can help manage ADD symptoms where you follow the following tasks at the allotted time and actually get things done! Aim for 2-3 hours at most and ‘shut off’ your other surroundings so you can focus.
7. Make sure you get enough sleep. Sleep is necessary for learning, and it will also keep you healthy and performing well in other areas of your life. Make sure you get enough quality sleep so your mind can rest from a busy day. ADD can take a toll on everyday life, and you may need extra rest during stressful weeks that involve exams and big projects.
Learning how to cope with ADD can be a big struggle in high school, but there are ways to excel when you can “learn how to learn.” Take the time to plan a routine and keep track of your calendar so you’re always prepared the week ahead. ADD doesn’t have to be an obstacle to your success when you have a learning strategy and manage time in place.
