How do you get a 4.0 GPA as an adult with ADHD trying to finish your college degree? Do you study your ass off and hope for the best? Or do you look for ways to hack the system?
Surprisingly, the answer lies somewhere between. Let me explain…
Earlier this year, I took the plunge to go back to school and finish my Bachelor’s degree. Since I work full-time and have a family, I went the online route because of its scheduling flexibility.
Part of me was a bit worried about this because the last time I enrolled in school (from ’06-’08), I never finished. No surprise… I actually succumbed to the pressures of working full-time while being a full-time student. I just couldn’t handle it. Most of the time, I was either bored or burnt out. Granted, this was well before my ADHD diagnosis, and before I had a kid, a house, a wedding to plan, this blog, and even my side hobby doing martial arts. None of this happened overnight, though. Well, maybe some of it…
Since being diagnosed with ADHD, I’ve learned how to manage my time better, adapt to change, decrease my stress levels, and most importantly, make learning more fun. Why is that last part important? Why is learning so important?
Learning is an essential part of our lives. Learning leads to more opportunities, new jobs, pay raises, better skills, and ultimately, a better quality of life. The downside of learning, though, at least in the traditional sense, is that we can easily get bored or frustrated, and just give up or move on to something else. Some of this has to do with the method of education (i.e., instructor-led vs. books or online videos) and some of this has to do with the appeal of the content.
To get a 4.0 for my first quarter back in school, I had to do some fancy legwork in the time management department. I knew that there would be a significant time investment, and that inevitably, some of the content could be very dry, so I focused on efficiency and using the right tools to make it a bit more fun. Here are the top 3 ways I was able to achieve success:
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I used speed-reading when possible
When studying or reading online, I use either spreeder.com or Chrome’s Sprint Reader extension, which is built on RSVP (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation) technology. This method forced my “speedy Gonzalez” ADHD brain to keep up with the text and kept me focused. Speed-reading also eliminates doubling back while reading and reduces sub-vocalization, which are major hindrances to reading for most people. Surprisingly, many ADHDers naturally excel at speed-reading.
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I cleared away screen clutter & distractions
Screen clutter & distractions are the bane of productivity. I’m talking about Instant Message windows (like Skype), your Facebook/Twitter updates, phone calls, email alerts, and so on. Like many ADHDers know, one small distraction can lead to hours of wasted time and make you even more frustrated. It’s best to kill these programs before you start, or at least use a tool/app to keep yourself in check. For example, you can use Clearly or Readability to read distraction-free and you can stop distracting websites with a tool like Freedom or SelfControl.
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I knew my objectives before I jumped in
It’s pointless to dig into new material if it has nothing to do with what you’re trying to learn. Whenever I studied, I typically used the SQ3R method, of which the most important part is “Question.” Before speed-reading or watching something, I looked at my discussion or assignment requirements, and kept those in mind while reading so I could easily jot those down as I went along. Doing this not only saves time, but prevents you from having to re-read later. Plus, it trains your comprehension in parallel with your reading speed.
I could talk about the value of music, binaural beats, and other study tips, but for my hyper-speed ADHD brain, those three things were absolutely essential. They put me in the zone and kept me engaged. With speed-reading in particular, I get a thrill from outpacing my current speed and then finding a way to apply what I just read.
If you’re interested, there’s also a great course on Udemy for super-learning that goes deeper into speed-reading and memory techniques like the use of mnemonics. [Personal disclaimer: I have no affiliation with this course. I just love the concepts and the material!]
How do you make learning fun with ADHD? How has learning improved your quality of life?
