How to Study with ADHD | ADHD Student Tips that Actually Work

Ana Mascara

29 Aug 202106:01

Summary

TLDRAnna Mascara's video offers strategies for students with ADHD to excel academically without compromising mental health. It defines ADHD and its impact on executive functions, leading to academic challenges. The video suggests using apps like Notability and LiveScribe for note-taking, keeping notepads for capturing thoughts, incorporating procrastination into study plans, and setting auditory cues to refocus. It encourages sharing personal tips and supports the ADHD community.

Takeaways

📚 ADHD is a common mental disorder affecting both children and adults, characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
🎓 Students with ADHD face academic challenges such as prioritizing tasks, staying organized, memorizing, and maintaining focus.
👂 Recording lectures and using visual aids like doodles or mind maps can significantly improve focus and retention for ADHD students.
📱 Apps like Notability and LiveScribe are recommended for creating comprehensive notes that blend writing, typing, and audio recording.
📝 Keeping notepads handy for jotting down thoughts or deadlines can help ADHD students remember important information and ideas.
🕒 Incorporating expected procrastination time into study schedules can help ADHD students manage their time more effectively.
🎵 Setting auditory cues or reminders, such as alarms or specific songs, can help ADHD students refocus their attention on tasks.
🤔 Metacognition, or thinking about one's thinking, can be triggered by auditory cues to help students with ADHD stay on track.
📈 Being realistic about the time needed to complete tasks and managing expectations is crucial for students with ADHD to reduce frustration.
📊 Sharing personal tips and strategies in the comments can help create a community of support for students with ADHD.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video by Anna Mascara?
-The main focus of the video is to discuss methods that help students with ADHD study better in college and university, without sacrificing their mental health.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, what is ADHD?
-ADHD is defined as one of the most common mental disorders affecting children, and it can also affect adults. It includes symptoms like inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
What are some of the academic challenges faced by students with ADHD?
-Students with ADHD may face challenges such as difficulty prioritizing, staying organized, memorizing facts, remembering to complete assignments, and staying focused while reading.
Why is it beneficial for students with ADHD to record their teachers' presentations?
-Recording presentations can help students with ADHD by allowing them to revisit the material and focus on different aspects without the pressure of trying to absorb everything in real-time.
What are two apps/tools recommended for students with ADHD to improve focus and retention during note-taking?
-Notability and LiveScribe are recommended apps/tools for students with ADHD as they help blend writing, typing, and audio recording, and can be beneficial for visual learners.
How can keeping notepads around the house help students with ADHD?
-Having notepads readily available can help students with ADHD capture fleeting thoughts and important reminders, which can aid in remembering deadlines and appointments, and free up mental space for more complex tasks.
What strategy does the video suggest for managing procrastination among students with ADHD?
-The video suggests working with procrastination by including it in the estimated time of task completion and setting fake deadlines to create a sense of urgency and stay on track.
How can auditory cues help students with ADHD maintain focus on their tasks?
-Auditory cues, such as alarms or specific songs, can serve as triggers to refocus the mind and bring awareness back to the task at hand, especially when a student finds their focus drifting.
What does the video suggest about the importance of managing expectations for students with ADHD?
-The video emphasizes the importance of being realistic and managing expectations by acknowledging the likelihood of distractions and incorporating them into study plans to minimize frustration.
How often should students with ADHD set auditory reminders according to the video?
-The video suggests setting auditory reminders, such as alarms, every 30 minutes or using music at specific intervals to regularly check and refocus thoughts.
What is the frequency of Anna Mascara's school-related video uploads?
-Anna Mascara posts school-related videos twice a week, and sometimes even more frequently.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Studying Strategies for Students with ADHD

Anna Mascara introduces strategies for students with ADHD to excel in exams without overexertion. She emphasizes the importance of studying differently due to ADHD's impact on executive functions like organization and time management. Anna suggests using recording tools and visual aids in note-taking to improve focus and retention. She recommends apps like Notability and LiveScribe for blending writing, typing, and audio recording, which are beneficial for visual learners. The paragraph also advises keeping notepads handy to capture fleeting thoughts and mental memos, which aids in remembering and freeing up mental space.

05:03

🕒 Managing Procrastination and Auditory Cues for ADHD

The second paragraph discusses how students with ADHD can work with their tendency to procrastinate by including it in their study plans, setting realistic time frames, and creating fake deadlines to stay on track. It also introduces the concept of using auditory cues, such as alarms or specific songs, to refocus the mind and maintain awareness during study sessions. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for viewers to like, subscribe, and engage with the content for more school-related videos.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. In the video, ADHD is the central theme as it discusses strategies for students with ADHD to improve their study habits. The script mentions that ADHD affects both children and adults, causing difficulties in executive functions such as organization and time management, which are critical for academic success.

💡Executive Function

Executive function refers to the set of cognitive processes that are necessary for planning, organizing, and executing tasks. The video emphasizes that poor executive function is a hallmark of ADHD, leading to challenges in prioritizing tasks, staying organized, and managing time. Students with ADHD may struggle with these functions, which the video aims to address through various study techniques.

💡Note-taking

Note-taking is the act of recording information during lectures or while studying, which is crucial for retaining knowledge. The script suggests that students with ADHD can benefit from recording lectures and using visual aids like doodles or mind maps to improve focus and retention. This method helps in capturing important details and can be particularly useful for those who find it hard to focus.

💡Notability

Notability is mentioned in the script as an app that helps students with ADHD to blend writing, typing, and audio recording into one place, creating comprehensive notes. It is highlighted as a tool that can be particularly beneficial for visual learners, as it supports a multimodal approach to note-taking that can enhance focus and retention.

💡LiveScribe

LiveScribe is another tool recommended in the script for students with ADHD. It is a smartpen that synchronizes handwritten notes with audio recordings, providing a dynamic way to capture lectures. This tool can be especially helpful for students who struggle with attention, as it allows them to review lectures and notes in a way that reinforces learning.

💡Procrastination

Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing tasks. The video suggests that students with ADHD should work with their tendency to procrastinate by including it in their study plans. By acknowledging that distractions will occur and setting realistic expectations, students can manage their time more effectively and reduce frustration.

💡Metacognition

Metacognition is the ability to think about and monitor one's own thought processes. The script discusses the use of auditory cues to trigger metacognition in students with ADHD. By setting alarms or using music as prompts, students can refocus their minds and become more aware of their thought processes, which can help them stay on task.

💡Auditory Cues

Auditory cues are sounds that are used to signal or remind someone of something. In the context of the video, auditory cues are recommended as a strategy for students with ADHD to refocus their attention. Setting alarms or using specific songs can serve as triggers to check in with their thoughts and bring them back to the task at hand.

💡Mental Health

Mental health refers to a person's emotional, psychological, and social well-being. The video's presenter, Anna Mascara, helps students achieve academic and career goals without sacrificing their mental health. The discussion of study strategies for students with ADHD is framed within the broader context of supporting mental health, emphasizing the importance of managing academic challenges in a way that is mindful of one's overall well-being.

💡Academic Goals

Academic goals are the objectives or targets that students set for themselves in their educational pursuits. The video is focused on helping students with ADHD achieve their academic goals by adopting study strategies that accommodate their unique needs. These strategies are designed to overcome the challenges posed by ADHD, such as inattention and impulsivity, and to enhance learning and performance.

Highlights

Students with ADHD don't need to study harder or longer, they need to study differently.

ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders affecting children and can also affect adults.

Symptoms of ADHD include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

Poor executive function is a hallmark of ADHD, leading to organizational and time management issues.

Students with ADHD face academic challenges such as prioritizing, staying organized, and staying focused.

Recording teachers' presentations can help students with ADHD focus and retain information.

Using visual aids like doodles or mind maps in note-taking can improve focus for students with ADHD.

Notability and LiveScribe are recommended apps for blending writing, typing, and audio recording.

Handwritten notes tend to work better than digital notes for some students with ADHD.

Keeping notepads handy can help capture fleeting thoughts and mental memos.

Being realistic about procrastination and including it in study plans can be beneficial for students with ADHD.

Setting alarms or using music as triggers can help refocus the mind during study sessions.

Students with ADHD can work with their tendency to procrastinate by acknowledging and managing distractions.

Creating a sense of urgency with fake deadlines can help students with ADHD stay on track.

Auditory cues can be used to snap out of unproductive thinking patterns.

Setting regular alarms or using specific songs can serve as reminders to check in with one's thoughts.

The video provides practical tips and tools to help students with ADHD achieve academic success.