Workin' 9 to 5. OK... 9:10 to 5.

Today was a big day in my life as a grown-up. I finally started my first real job as an intern in the office of a small construction company. I didn’t mention my ADHD at the interview, because I’d rather try to work it out on my own, and learn to cope without accommodations at work.

This morning I was so proud of myself: I woke up very early, put on my professional clothes, and left (what I thought was) really early in case of traffic. As it turns out, I should have left 10 minutes earlier, because I arrived frazzled and stressed to my first day of work.

First set-back aside, I was thrilled when they showed me to my own desk, complete with office supplies, and lots of complicated gadgets that I had no idea how to use. Then, my worst fear came true; they gave me a huge stack of papers and briefly explained what I should do. I do not do well with spur-of-the-moment assignments; I like to have time to prepare to compensate for some confusion and slow processing due to my ADHD. Needless to say, I kind of freaked out for a few minutes, until I settled down, and looked through the papers which I discovered were a set of floor plans for a new building. After what felt like 3 hours (but was really only 20 minutes) I had taught myself how to use some of the odd-looking tools (a ruler used to measure the building plans drawn to scale, a T-square to draw and cut straight horizontal lines, and an industrial stapler) and I had completed my first assignment.

The rest of the day continued in a similar fashion, until they said I should go home for the night. My first day in the real world was overall, a success. My ADHD didn’t hold me back at all, and I learned that I can be successful if I have confidence in my abilities and take the time to slow down and look before I leap (or run away from things that at first seem scary).