Organization Help for ADHD College Students

Expert advice to help ADHD college students get organized, study better and succeed at school.

by ADDitude Editors

Many college students with ADHD find a coach helpful in managing their new lifestyle. In the book ADD and the College Student, Patricia Quinn, M.D., lists strategies that your child — with the help of his coach — should explore:

• Learn to use electronic devices like beepers, personal digital assistants, and timers, to remind yourself of things throughout the day.

• Wear earplugs or headphones.

• Use white-noise machines to block out distracting noises.

• Use a daily planner.

• Use a large wall calendar to get a short- and long-term visual picture of what you have to do.

• Understand the importance of daily rituals and routines.

• Develop a schedule with regular sleep, eating, exercise, and study times.

• Plan for transition: Take time to wake up and do your morning routine. Set aside time to settle down and get ready to fall asleep. Take time to gather books and belongings and walk to class.

• Establish a regular time and place to study.

• Plan for long-term projects: Divide a project into smaller pieces, estimate the time required for each piece of the project, make deadlines for each piece as well as for the entire project.

This article comes from the June/July 2004 Issue of ADDitude.

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