Managing ADHD while studying

[BeMD13]

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I have always done well in school because deadlines within a day or two give me the sense of panic I need to hyperfocus and get things done. My MCAT is two months away and the longest I can sit still and study is 37 minutes (I've been logging my study time on an app). I already have adderall but taking it makes me too anxious. Does anyone have any good strategies for eliminating distractions without meds? I've probably tried them all but it's worth a shot!

 

[Planes2Doc]

Try a reward system. For every half an hour or hour that you study straight, reward yourself with something you like. Whether it's food, TV show, Facebook time, etc...

 

[mrh125]

I have always done well in school because deadlines within a day or two give me the sense of panic I need to hyperfocus and get things done. My MCAT is two months away and the longest I can sit still and study is 37 minutes (I've been logging my study time on an app). I already have adderall but taking it makes me too anxious. Does anyone have any good strategies for eliminating distractions without meds? I've probably tried them all but it's worth a shot!

I have ADHD as well and it's rough, especially because of all the reading comprehension the mcat requires (it's an ADHD nightmare). For me my meds calm me down and help me focus, so I don't have the attention span and memory of a gnat. The mcat isn't one of those tests where you can panic and rely on adrenaline at the last moment to get it done. Anxiety and the mcat always come together. My advice is if adderall works for you and helps you focus (which it should since you have ADHD) try taking it and working on the mcat. Try working through your anxiety if possible and adjusting your studying a little bit each day. With or without meds the key is to take baby steps though If you can make note of one thing each day and get one concept or one adjustment down at a time, so you can subconsciously work yourself toward getting a grasp of the mcat. if you can make one step forward in terms of progress each day the progression will build and somersault and eventually you'll have major improvement culminate. I was diagnosed later in life and this is the exact way I took learning because when I was diagnosed I didn't have the study techniques everyone else did, couldn't follow lectures or keep up with material and my reading comprehension was terrible, but I took little baby steps each day and slowly adjusted myself and I went from failing high school to A+s in organic chemistry in college in the span of a few years. I screwed up a bunch on the way through the process and made me mistakes, but I learned that being hard on myself wasn't the way to be because I was doing the best I could and I tried to learn each time things didn't work. It also took me 7 months to take the mcat, but in the last few months I more than made up for the first few months of struggling.

The other key factor is to not be discouraged and let your self-esteem take a hint. Part of ADHD which really sucks the most is constantly being negatively reinforced by "you're not good enough, you're lazy, you're stupid, you're always losing things" and that's part of the reason why our self-esteem takes a hint, especially since we really internalize. Don't think of yourself negatively or put yourself down for having ADHD. Think positively about your progress however little it may be and always believe you can do it. Even if you fail, there's always something you can learn and another way to achieve your goals. If you think negatively and let yourself be discouraged it becomes even harder to deal with even with ADHD.

That's my main advice. If you have any questions or need more specific advice let me know. My mcat scores arent the greatest but I definitely relate to what you're dealing with.

 

[DrCharlemagne]

I second the reward system, since it worked well for friends of mine. It flat out did nothing for me. You could also try a system to break the studying up into chunks. I like the Pomodoro technique, which at its most basic is just breaks up your study time into 25 min chunks of focus with 5 min breaks. Depending on your flexibility schedule-wise, you can also try studying at different times of day to see when things flow better for you. Make sure you're getting exercise; I find when I go for more runs I'm actually better with my executive functioning (a good workout can also take the anxious edge off Adderall). Focus and will-power to some degree are skills you can practice and improve over time, so if you find your mind wandering don't beat yourself up. Just return to your task and try to focus even four or five minutes longer than last time.

 

[Annabell Lee]

When it comes to studying, do what works for you. What normally helps you focus? What is most distracting to you, and how can you eliminate or minimize it? Do certain environments help you focus more? Have you tried quiet vs soft music in the background? Are there certain times of the day when you seem to be able to focus more easily? Have you tried chewing gum while studying?

You should also consider making a schedule that breaks up studying...maybe study for 30 minutes then have a 10 minute break to do something else, but set a timer so you don't forget to go back to studying.

 

[wheredidyoufind]

Does the adderall always make you anxious? If so, you may be taking too high a dose, or you may need to adjust the way it fits in with your eating schedule (e.g. if you dont eat before you take it try having breakfast, or if you do eat before you take it try eating a smaller meal).

Definitely agree with exercise 100% as well as study breaks

Also breaking the tasks into smaller, manageable chunks. Maybe even so small that it's something you could reasonable do in 37 minutes. I don't know what methods you're using for prep (which is it's own beast), but figure out how to portion it into little things that you can check off a list.

Do you have trouble sitting for practice tests? The "test-like" situation puts a little more pressure on and makes it easier to get in the zone. Taking practice tests may help, and then by the time you're done you may be curious enough about what you got wrong to have the attention to review wrong answers.

Flashcards, too, because making flashcards can be multi-tasked to some extent, and watching the pile grow is kind of rewarding, and reviewing flashcards only requires little bursts of attention

 

[blueharbor]

I have always done well in school because deadlines within a day or two give me the sense of panic I need to hyperfocus and get things done. My MCAT is two months away and the longest I can sit still and study is 37 minutes (I've been logging my study time on an app). I already have adderall but taking it makes me too anxious. Does anyone have any good strategies for eliminating distractions without meds? I've probably tried them all but it's worth a shot!

This was my experience in a nutshell, down to the problems with Adderall. It was basically a 6-month long nightmare.

I found that BR did not work for me, because it took me an ETERNITY to get through each dense, repetitive chapter. I realized my mistake too late though. I wish that I had used EK for content, keeping PR Bio handy to fill in gaps where EK is insufficient. Also wikipedia. Then I would have done way, way more practice passages, especially EK 1001 for PS.

With ADHD, if you don't have accommodations, you basically need to know the material 50% better than other test takers to get the same score. You have to be able to quickly recognize the type of question and how to get the answer. Doing practice problems upon practice problems will help with that. And I found it easier to power through practice questions than endless walls of content review.

 

[mrh125]

This was my experience in a nutshell, down to the problems with Adderall. It was basically a 6-month long nightmare.

I found that BR did not work for me, because it took me an ETERNITY to get through each dense, repetitive chapter. I realized my mistake too late though. I wish that I had used EK for content, keeping PR Bio handy to fill in gaps where EK is insufficient. Also wikipedia. Then I would have done way, way more practice passages, especially EK 1001 for PS.

With ADHD, if you don't have accommodations, you basically need to know the material 50% better than other test takers to get the same score. You have to be able to quickly recognize the type of question and how to get the answer. Doing practice problems upon practice problems will help with that. And I found it easier to power through practice questions than endless walls of content review.

You nailed it. It's the sort of intuition and guided rapid task-based thought process that can be hellish for us. Probably the same reason why I often walk into rooms and forget what I was supposed to get and end up grabbing stuff and constantly misplacing it. I went through every damn testbook and lived with flashcards and it took me 5 months out of my 7 months studying to catch onto this.

 

[Gregor Wiesmann]

Delete your SDN account.

 

[DermViser]

I have always done well in school because deadlines within a day or two give me the sense of panic I need to hyperfocus and get things done. My MCAT is two months away and the longest I can sit still and study is 37 minutes (I've been logging my study time on an app). I already have adderall but taking it makes me too anxious. Does anyone have any good strategies for eliminating distractions without meds? I've probably tried them all but it's worth a shot!

Do you have ADHD or are you just a procrastinator? It seems like the latter.

 

[mrh125]

Do you have ADHD or are you just a procrastinator? It seems like the latter.

procrastination is often part of or seen as part of ADHD. There's procrastination and there's procrastination associated with and influenced by ADHD which certainly doesn't help it.

 

[DermViser]

procrastination is often part of or seen as part of ADHD. There's procrastination and there's procrastination associated with and influenced by ADHD which certainly doesn't help it.

Well, if you need anxiety and time pressure as an impetus to do well in med school, then things will get rocky. Undergrad study tactics don't work in med school.

 

[motz]

I was a procrastinator, and it ruined my life. I also had social anxiety. I put off talking to my professor about switching my major for three years, for example. So I went on Adderall. It helped me a lot. Insurance doesn't cover it (Blue Cross HMO might as well be Medicare), so I pay $170 a month, but it's worth it.

 

[mrh125]

Well, if you need anxiety and time pressure as an impetus to do well in med school, then things will get rocky. Undergrad study tactics don't work in med school.

You're completely right, even if it's rocky making small adjustments to fit your learning style and treatment for ADHD can help in the long run. So can embracing your circumstances and realizing that no matter how ****ing hard it is and how rocky it becomes, if you really want it you'll get there. A pediatrician I volunteered with who has ADHD managed to achieve his goals through medicine is a damn good doctor. If someone with ADHD wants to be a doctor, works their hardest, and recognizes their deficiencies supplemented with proper treatment I believe that can do wonders (speaking from experience). It's not an easy path, but neither is anything else in life.

 

[BeMD13]

Wow! Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. I think the most helpful part was hearing how similar your experiences were/are to mine! Right now I'm taking half the dose of Adderall that is prescribed bc the whole pill makes me a sweaty, teeth-grinding mess (I do get a lot of work done though, but I hate that feeling!) I'm going to try taking it with meals and see if that helps. Actually remembering to take the pills on time might help too! I've been really hard on myself trying to force myself to still for 70 minute segments of content review to build stamina for the exam but as was pointed out, even the practice tests are more "test-like" and give me that stimulation I need to make it through. I need to start on that but my content is weak and the review is just torture. Taking breaks every 25-30 minutes to move around really does help though! My plan is to start the non stimulant Straterra after my MCAT. My doctor said it can take 4-6 weeks to be effective and during that time I could have side effects that just are not worth it with only 8(ish) weeks until my test.

 

[Ismet]

Just a reminder that SDN is not for medical advice. It's fine to discuss tips for focusing and eliminating distractions, but please refrain from giving or seeking advice regarding medication and dosage. This is something to discuss with your physician.

 

[SN12357]

Wow! Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. I think the most helpful part was hearing how similar your experiences were/are to mine! Right now I'm taking half the dose of Adderall that is prescribed bc the whole pill makes me a sweaty, teeth-grinding mess (I do get a lot of work done though, but I hate that feeling!) I'm going to try taking it with meals and see if that helps. Actually remembering to take the pills on time might help too! I've been really hard on myself trying to force myself to still for 70 minute segments of content review to build stamina for the exam but as was pointed out, even the practice tests are more "test-like" and give me that stimulation I need to make it through. I need to start on that but my content is weak and the review is just torture. Taking breaks every 25-30 minutes to move around really does help though! My plan is to start the non stimulant Straterra after my MCAT. My doctor said it can take 4-6 weeks to be effective and during that time I could have side effects that just are not worth it with only 8(ish) weeks until my test.

Don't feel you have to sit still and study (particularly if it's just reading, no questions) for over an hour at a time if it doesn't work for you. As long as you can focus through actual tests arrange your studying into whatever chunks of time work for you and don't worry about it beyond that. There's nothing wrong with 25 minutes at a time + 5 min breaks.

 

[mrh125]

Don't feel you have to sit still and study (particularly if it's just reading, no questions) for over an hour at a time if it doesn't work for you. As long as you can focus through actual tests arrange your studying into whatever chunks of time work for you and don't worry about it beyond that. There's nothing wrong with 25 minutes at a time + 5 min breaks.

That's the bottom line, OP. You have to find what works for you 🙂. There's no shame in it either.