ok. here's the deal. i'm a freshman in college, adhd, and my grades are going down big time! i'm just at a loss to figure out what's going on. my gpa was a little over 3.5 in high school. i've never had any trouble at all in math, which is why i picked it as my major. i got a 36 on the math part of the ACT for crying out loud (for anyone not familiar, that's a perfect score). i'm not trying to brag, but just trying to demonstrate how big the barrier is between my potential and my achievement. i can barely manage to pass anything. it's like in high school there was at least some structure and now it is pretty much all removed. i try to keep organized but nothing at all is working. they remove all the structure because we are adults now. which is why i'm starting to think i should just quit if i can't handle the responsibility that comes with the adult world. i really don't want to though. everyone is thinking that people should be able to manage their lives by the time they're 18 but i pretty much suck at it for one reason or another. i'm always forgetting (or whatever you wanna call it) to call in refills for my prescriptions too. i don't think i've done one on time yet. it's crazy. it seems i can't do anything how it's supposed to be done. i was so excited about college, thinking about how i would succeed, i never thought it would be this big of a nightmare. i swear i need more structure more than any 18 year old i know. any advice, even if you just wanna tell me to get over it and grow up because my only problem is laziness, just tell me. i need to figure out what's going on. if it's laziness and i just can't handle the responsibility, then i'll leave school. but i just need to know because it seems like i have good motives and stuff and am not trying to screw my life up.
Thanks!

For me, the solution was to hyperorganize and stick with it. If you like television or video games or IRC a lot, forget it, because you won't pass anything with those kinds of distractnos in your life.
If you like to party several nights a week you probably need to rethink that and adopt a saner strategy for your social life.

Now if ytou are having troubles prioritizing you can do things like write a daily schedule and stick to it. Establish routines that revolve around classes and exams and that embed good study habits.

I found that doing things like avoiding scheduling classes too close together gave me enough time to gather wool and to study a bit right before the next class. If I could I would schedule my classes an hour or two apart.

Get a backpack and keep an office in it so you can study or do homework anywhere you go, whenever you wish. Keep your textbooks and notebooks in the backpack and carry it wherever you go. Get some 1 inch 3 ring binders .. one for each subject you are taking. Get a 3 hole punch and punch sylabus and handouts for each class and put them in the binder with your notes.

Next, actually SHOW UP FOR CLASSES and TAKE NOTES. Also, actually read the book, and do the homework. Do those things and you ought to do okay.

If you are on a quarter basis at school, talk to your doc and get a prescription for the whole quarter and fill the whole thing. Make sure you don't run out during exams week because you won't want to be distracted by things like that at that time.

You don't want to be messing with running around and filling in details when you are trying to be focused on college. Get tha tstuff handeld and pre-organized before the quarter starts.

good luck

ME :D

I got a 31 on the Math portion of the ACT (I really should have studied, hehe). However I have taken EVERY math class twice. Yes, Calc 1,2,3, and Differential Equations. For various reasons and various failures. I've reversed that trend as you can read in the below linked post. I kindof get into the rest of my life but the education part at least should interest you.

It's not easy but don't quit. The above advice and probably all the advice you have heard 100,000 times is great advice. It's a matter of forcing yourself to do some things and stumbling upon other things that help you the most. I don't know how you feel about math but I found that as I moved to more applied things I became more interested. I started out in Physics, moved to Mechanical Engineering, and have ended up in Motorsports Engineering. That's a personal choice of course but something to think about. Being good at math is just as important in one of the applied sciences (chemistry, engineering, finance... etc,etc.)

I just posted this: http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=237547#post237547

Good luck!
Chris

Have you tried disabled student services at your school? If they're any good, they will probably be able to help you get yourself organized and stay that way.

Hi USMC,

Your post just shows a lot of frustration you are having to deal with. Well, guess what? YOU'RE 18!!! i'm 20 and I started college at 19 and if I had to post about my life on here I couldn't have said it better than you.
When you're ADD and you start college for the first time and let's not forget your 18, THERE are lots of pressures and HIGH expectations that we set for ourselves.

Your statement "...which is why i'm starting to think i should just quit if i can't handle the responsibility that comes with the adult world...." to me shows how determined you are in getting things right just the first time and not keeping room for mistakes. I was very much like you and your statement hit "HOME" with me.

Well, after being in therapy for about 1 year and on medication, I clearly see the old me in you....I came into college when I was turning 19, had one year off from high school, and first THREE SEMESTERS(not even quarters) turned out to be LEARNING LESSONS. First sem GPA:3.0 (one course in the summer)
Fall Sem: GPA : 1.91 Aaaaaarghhh!!!Spring Sem gpa : 2.7
I got screwed bad USMC, I was messed up.
And, guess what I don't do parties, no drugs and no alcohol, you really wonder how a brilliant kid gets such a low GPA???....

Life has to have mistakes if it didn't then how would you know what to do right????
No1s telling you to stop being lazy because guess what you're prolly day dreaming and thinking of new inventions or something at the daydreaming moments, that's ADD.
{BTW, I haven't refilled my prescription this weekend and I'm getting screwed since I have two test back to back on MONDAY!!! and I had kept the weekend for studying!!!!...It's messed up}

ADD people tend to make more bad choices than normal(that's what I feel) and I know I've practiced a lot of insanity (insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome)
Here's how: I've been stressed out by exams and then boom I'll stress myself out even more by telling myself that I NEEEEEEED to buckle up and prepare, I need to get that A or B...well guess what?? being stressed out isn't working for ANY1 at all and setting a A or a B as a standard when you don't have the tools to work better is practically telling yourself that hey I'm going to go in front of a car and raise my body up before it can hit me....the toools that are being forgotten are the fact that you're doing acting for a movie scene and you have a harness to raise u up when the car comes close by, to think that you''re going to do it on your own is not a very bright idea...(btw extreme and weird example but that's my ADD)

Well, that's my version and things will work out, go the counseling center at the university and just come to the terms with the fact that YOUR BEING TOO HARD ON URSELF!!!

Thanks for the organization tips Speedo. There's some good stuff in that message. I just seem to have trouble sticking with the stuff sometimes. I should probably work at that. Thanks for the ideas though!

Thanks for the personal stories Chris. I liked the link to your other post. There's some good stuff in there. I feel like that a lot. Like I can do more things when I have more things to do (this doesn't make much sense, but I don't know of any other way to explain). I am almost working full time and it's great! Thanks!

Barb-
Yeah. I've thought about that. It could just be me, but they don't seem to want to help that much. It's pretty much a "who can push harder" contest with getting help. I've seen other colleges with great programs for this stuff though. Landmark College in Vermont looks really great, but I can't afford 47,000/year. Thanks for the idea!

Thanks Bowlerkid. It's so cool to see that someone has gone through the same stuff. I do seem to be really hard on myself! I guess that's just the way I am. I think it's kind of like I wanna be hard and critical of myself before anyone else gets a chance. I'd rather call myself lazy than hear others call me lazy and say I'm making up excuses. Kinda stupid, but that's the way it is. I know what you're saying about the bad choices thing. It seems like I make bad choices about everything all the time. It's cool to know same thing happens to someone else. I saw this one cool quote: "I haven't failed. I've just found a thousand ways that WON'T work" I loved it! Thanks for all the insights and personal stories.

Glad you liked it, it was good to get it out there too.

I actually partied my first semester, smoking and drinking, and then when I quit after that first semester, my grades actually got worse! This kindof complicated my excuse for not going out with my friends any more, which was that I was trying to do better in my classes. doh! The partying definitely wasn't helping though, just another distraction in a world of distractions, and I'm glad I stayed away from it. I don't think you've mentioned this, but bowlerkid mentioned it and it was relevant to my particular story.

You're trying, and you'll never find a successful person who did not start out with that first step!

-Chris

What motivates me to remember to get refills (besides my wife...lol) is the (emotional) pain created by the impairments associated with ADHD.

I try and remember how it felt to miss a deadline, forget something important or make a particular mistake.

I have always competed with myself. That's what drives me.

As far as college students are concerned, I try and recommend that they find different ways of organizing their schedule(s).

For many of the kids I treat in my practice, a PDA or something along those lines, seems to be helpful.

In addition, bringing in as much help as possible from "outside" sources, whether it be the school, friends and/or possibly family,can sometimes make a difference.

Academic accomodations are available for students with ADHD and can sometimes be a "safety net" against the impairments negative impact on grades.

Good luck.

mctavish23 (Robert)

Im a Lance Corporal and since ur name is USMC you should eather become one and get some dicipline or change your name because thats a title that you have to earn. Im not trying to offend you or put you down just speeking up for the rest of us. I was in the same boat as you and I Joined up and it gave me more than i thought it ever could think about it, i think it could help you. Go reserve you can still go to college and not miss a single day. Think about it. Good Luck