Participation is very important in my classes. Participating in classes is a big problem for me. First I learned to really mistrust my instincts as a child becasue of mistreatment in my home and because of unidentified, neglected ADD. So I am insecure. When I think of things to say I start questioning if they are appropriate and related to the topic at hand. This is because I have tendencies to change the subject and make questions related to something else if I'm tired of the same topic or if it's just boring. I get locked questioning myself. I never get to the point where I feel ok about participating. I continue never endingly rumminating in my mind about what causes me anxiety. I can't think, I can even less participate. I can barely take notes in class becasue the professor talks too fast. I get frustrated and angry at her. The more I start rumminating around my worries and getting frustrated, the more I keep doing it, until I end up fatigued from holding all this tension. I wonder what I get from it, it's so unecessary. I am taking 375 mg of effexor. I wonder if I should take more or try something different. I know I have a fear of speaking in public and social phobia. I know in my mind there is nothing really to be afraid of. I look around at students and the professor and I know I won't be hurt. I know my biggest fear is of feeling inadequate because I can't organize my thoughts very well, and I'm afraid to say something someone else already said when I was somewhere else in my head or writing notes or trying to understand something the professor said five minujtes ago when I stopped paying attention and taking notes and didn't realize it. Do any of you experience anything like this. Have you found anything helpful for this?

Do any of you get locked into not doing what you really should do? Like getting a note taker since one IS provided by the university disability center and like dropping a class because honestly you are a great procrestinator, you have to read everything twice, and you have to take a lot of breaks? Do any of you get compulsively angry every time you make a mistake and are not able to stop it?

Celia, I have a lot of the same problems - my professors almost always go too fast for me to keep up and I end up just copying things down without being able to listen to what they say. (then it's not even useful later when i look back at it)

I'm afraid to ask questions in class becuase i KNOW the professor already said it... and also i am afraid that it's stuff i should know before hand but don't becusae I haven't read the book yet. so often i will catch most of what the professor says but just miss a few sentances or a few words, i've actually asked the professor before "I'm sorry - I think I missed what you said - can you just please repeat it?" lol

What I have found is that 90% of the other students aren't listening either, but also are only copying down off the board. I can tell becuase of all how far behind in the notes the people around me are... and often they ask each other questions about what a symbol means, etc.

I've tried to ask more and more questions (mostly so that I stay alert and active in the lecture - it REALLY helps...) I dont' know if the other kids think it's annoying... but actually it's possible that they appreciate it beucase a lot of teachers doon't explain things clearly. Also hearing a different voice in the room breaks the monatony and wakes everyone up ;)

I'm not sure how to tackle the fear thing though. All I know is that I'm a million times more likely to participate if I'm prepared for the lecture (read the chapter) beucase I already know what to expect, and then I don't have to take notes as carefully. plus you are more confident in yourself becuase you know which things were covered in the book.

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about not doing things you know are good for you... lol - i'm the worst. just check out my thread about always being late for class.

good luck!! I hope that helps!!

I've been through this too...

-afraid to ask a question that is "stupid" to a non-ADDer
-afraid to ask a question that is TOO smart - either for my peers or for the teacher (happened very often)
-tuning out because the pace of the class is too slow... they want to review stuff I already have mastered
-tuning out because the pace of the class is too fast... I know I will have to go and learn it from the book instead

Then when you run into a prof who INSISTS that you sit up straight, pay attention, not fidget, and you CAN'T do anything else... that is misery to me. :( :( :(

If I absorbed nothing else, I made SURE I had the profs office hours. They give them out for a reason. Although why are they always like; "between 4 and 5 am every third thursday in months that end with q"? Jerks.

you know.... my professors are all really good about office hours, but I'm always afraid to go becuase I'm never caught up!! So if i went to ask a question i'm afraid they would say "well actually that's in section 3. you DID read the book, didn't you?" I know they won't actually say that (except one teacher i had... lol how terrible!!) but its' enough to stop me anyway.

I always figure that there's more I can do on my own, so why should I waste their time asking for help? it's very self-defeating behavior...

I was like that. If I even thought about speaking in class I'd literally start sweating. In my endless self-editing, by the time I felt prepared to say something the time for it had passed. Prozac helped a lot with this. It's good for social anxiety. Are you feeling good on Effexor? I hated it.

Slowpoke

Whoa; all of you have very well described a huge problem I have in school.

I'm a studio art student, and that (especially as i start to go up in class levels) starts getting really heavy in CLASS PARTICIPATION I.E. having several well worded anylitical things to say about others works (that I often have not seen until the critique!).

I always wonder how the other students are getting their cues to chime in when they do; these discussions are not on a raise-your-hand basis. I never know when another student is through commenting. Never. I really wish people would give closeur like, "ok, I'm done". Because on the rare occasions that I can actually formulate a response in my head during the window of discussion for a particular work, I can't find a chance to say it! Participation in these critiques is a crucial part of the grade- and so is having something rational and legitimate AND ARTICULATE to say. I often won't even be ABLE to explain why I think something or what I think until I've slept on it because I'm so darn slow.

I've had several proffesors who actually get irritated when students don't ask questions though; or who at least openly encourage ANY AND ALL questions. That is excellant, and really helps me overcome my class speaking inhibition and anxiety.

Other professors don't regularly encourage questions, even though they mention on the first day of class that questions are welcomed- so no one asks because such is not repeated or reinforced continually.

I'm observing that it's a majority of my classmates with question asking problem in most of my classes (or they just don't have any questions...:( ). I think professors can very easily get students to ask questions a bit more easily; by making a point to ASK US, "Any questions...? No??? So I guess I can give you all the exam right now and you'll ace it?" I've witnessed this work wonders on a silent class. The hands go up slowly, and then questions are asked regularily. I think that helps a little to relieve some anxiety... sometimes, but at least that helps- but that's something we have no control over as students.

In my last math class, I always wrote a list of questions to ask while I was doing my homework, and would force myself to the embarrasment of asking in class, and asking the prof in their office. It was a matter of, if I didn't get an answer, I would fail- so I asked. I was shocked to find that other students actually came to depend on me that semester to clarify things by asking what seemed like the lamest, most dull witted math questions ever. So what seems and sounds like a 'dumb' question can also help others, whether one knows it or not. But I know it's tough. That math prof always told us that no question is stupid because it IS a question, which made it easier for me to ask. I don't know if I'd be able to be like that in another math class with another math prof.

I'm having trouble asking questions in my art history lecture class because I can never find a pause in the lecture to ask!

Wish I had a solution :(

Thank you all for making me feel more normal. (Within what is ADD normal). It's scary to feel I'm the only one who does not feel there is enough space to talk when all the other students are finding their space! I'm so busy with anxiety and everything else I just can't seem to perform as I'm expected. I feel so discouraged at the end of class when I've thought of what to say three times, I haven't found space to say it, others say what I was going to say or at the end the professor ends up saying the brilliant answer I had. I evern wondered if that was some sort of conspiracy against me. When I come to the conclusion it's just me . I just end up feeling worse. I like the idea of writing down my questions and comments. I just hate the idea of competing with classmates for space. I'm also afraid that if I start participating I'm going to want to keep participating as if there was only the professor and I. WIth me there is this all or nothing. If they want me to stay in my mind fine, I can. If they want me to be out there I can too, but then they will have to put up with all the questions and clariffications I ask for. I too wonder how other students what questions to ask and what comments to make out of the 100 that I often have about everything. I may questions that have very simple, common sense answers. AS I have had and after the answer I feel like such a fool, and the professor just looks confused, or I may have questions that are legitimate good. Now to make sure I don't ask something that will embarrass me I have to double check with myself. I feel it's sooooo unfair that other students don't have to double check. I wonder why I do. Some times I push out the ADD out of my mind and I think nad think trying to figure out what is wrong with me. I get lost on that and as often, distracted. It's quite interesting and complicated. I love to read how you are all like me and how I am like many others. I would be soooooo happy in a class with you all. I wonder if I should talk to my professor about this. I will definitely try to write questions down and comments I think are interesting. I just hope I have the courage to trust my intuition faster. Have a good one you all.

I'm sorry to hear about your insecurity. Just remember that the teacher is not going to remember what you said an hour after class ends, unless of course you insult him/her. I myself have had insecurity stemming from being made fun of by my peers. Another good idea is to perhaps write down a question and ask it in class Or, perhaps ask questions via email and/or talk about your shyness via email. Sometimes I find it unfair, given how professors grade participation, that the shy could be penalized. Hope this helps.

I have the same trouble even now...Growing up my parent's didn't know anything about ADD and neither did my teacher's. I have had my parent's call me stupid and have actually had a teacher ask if I were retarded (much to the other students delight); but, one thing stood out. I KNEW that I was NOT stupid or retarded. And I kept asking anyway's until I found that one person who believed in me and clung to them with all I had. Even now 16 years later we are still keep close ties on each other. My advice is to remember everyone of your classmates and teachers has had a dumb *** moment. Whether they realize it or not they ARE HUMAN TOO. Many hugs to you; because, I know this is one of the scarriest roads we have to travel.

Hi guys, new here....

I'm also afraid to ask questions in class, the teacher talks too damn fast for me. If I had to ask her to repeat what she had said every time, she'd get frustrated with me. As everyone does. I am stubborn, I don't like people "showing" me how to do things, they assume because I *freeze* that I don't know what I'm doing, it's just that I need my space, and can't concentrate while people are breathing down my neck.

Since I can't keep up with this lady... I turn to reading the books, but the books have errors, and if theres one thing I can't stand, it's flawed books. When I buy a book, I buy the author's trust. So I've been finding other resources on the internet, and they all seem to contradict one another. GRRR. I am going nuts, and can never get an objective answer about anything.

I am studying for A+ Certification, it's part of my bachelor plan, for CIS.

You don't need to know how a lot of things work for this exam, just trouble shoot, and memorize certain things. This bothers me though, I feel like a fluke not knowing how everything works in harmony.

Ahh, well, I'll save some rants for another day, don't want to use them up all at once! : )

You all should ask your Dr to write you a note about your condition, ADD. See if you are able to bring a tape recorder, get the notes from the professor. The best thing you can do is listen. If you cant write and pay attention, then dont write!! This is what i do. Make sure you read a chapter ahead before the lecture, if there is a book for the class.

I have similar anxieties about asking questions in class. Which is why unless I know that it is pertenent I will save it untill after class. Im not that great at social cue's and plus i also find that once i raise my hand asking a question my mind has a tendency to go blank.

(I am taking a degree in CS and Bio so class participation doesnt have any effect on your grade, thank goodness)

What i have found really helps is writing the question down on paper. In a way you can understand later. Then when you go to ask the Prof(i usually do this after class ends), you know exacally what you are unsure about. So even if you freeze up you have that piece of paper to tell you what you were unsure about.

Another thing is using the resources that are avaliable. Find out if there are general areas to get help. Like if you need math help alot of the time there will be a Math Lab open with people there to answer questions you have. Even if they are general or below the level that the course is teaching. Reading sometimes only gets you so far, having someone expain something to you can make all the difference in the world.

Also... if you really hate the way your professor teaches, or goes to fast. Or even if you ask him questions and you dont understand the answer. Go to another professor. Go to the secretary of your school dept and ask to setup a meeting with someone else who would know the material.

I have a class where i rarely understand what the professor is saying because he uses material that will be taught in the FUTURE in his examples of what is being taught NOW. Talk about teaching *** backward, so i just talked to a couple Prof's in the dept and they gave me a great reference book as well as answering my questions.