Hey all,
I have been trying to find a way to keep my notes organized all through school. Having a locker was great in high school, but in university it's annoying to carry around everything for some reason.

I have tried having one master binder which was OK, but then it got to be too big with the textbook and all.

I tried the clipboard - the notes never made it to their respective binders until the end of the term, or until the clipboard was jammed full of notes.

I finally just bought a spiral bound notebook that looks really cool with pockets in it... and just use the one notebook to take lecture notes. They pages are perforated so I can rip them out to put them in their respsective binders IF I WANT TO LATER ON.
So far, this works the best.
I thought that having all the subjects out of order would be annoying and confusing, but I really find that having them "secured" in place and in chronological order to be really nice.
I think as well, that I had this idea that lecture notes were "the final draft" when in fact, they aren't really. With that realization, I at first felt that it was a waste to get a nice notebook to take the "rough" notes in, but now that I did it, I realized several things:
1) having things LOOK nice makes me FEEL better, and actually makes me want to take it out to study more. It's like saying "Hey, I'm worth it"

2) things don't need to be organized by subject to be organized. I guess my mind works in organizing things chronologically rather than categorically

3)or it could be that the feeling of having the pages really rooted in place by the spiral binding reassures me that I won't lose all my notes, and that I'll always have all my notes with me if I ever feel like reading them -whenever I want, wherever I want

4) there is no "right" way to do it.

So, my challenge now is that figure out a way that I will make it appealing to recopy those lecture notes (organize the info) into better copies.
So, as a test run, I bought the "main" notebook (bright yellow! yay!) and two other coloured notebooks. I have matching plastic folders to go with them.
My friend suggested that I think of it like I'm going to make a course study notes book from the lecture notes. So I recopy everything into one main book and just use that to study from.
I'm sure other people have been doing this all along, but I guess having someone say it like that helps it seem less daunting.

I think everyone else can agree that the word Studying makes us nervous, or makes us feel like we have to get ready to fight to achieve what we want to...

Other neat stuff I got...
-ruled stick note pad, larger in size.
*I use these to write out lecture outlines as we go along in class, and then stick it to the first page for that day later.
*they're also really good for taking notes in a textbook

-plain sticky note pad, larger size
*for diagrams (the ruled ones are annoying for when I want to draw)

*coloured and shaped sticky notes
these are just cooooool.

the cooler stuff is, the more likely I am to use it, which means that I will be more likely to use it to organize and learn.

silly things that also help:
*scented jel pens to underline text in textbooks
-I switch colours when the subject/topic changes (eg. if it's listing two contrasting ideas, I use different colours)

*a cool pencil case

* a cool mechanical pencil (that is comfy to hold... the Rx ones are nice and fat so my hand doesn't cramp up)

So this whole thing has made me realize that I have a lot of psychological issues about feeling guilty about using nice things to make learning easier or feel more fun.

but I figure that if I'm paying $10Gs a year to study here and I'm not doing so well, I might as well just use any means there is to help me do better...

Can anyone else relate to this philosophy of mine?
I feel a little weird...but it does seem to take the anxiety off.

Wow! I'm the same way about school supplies! For example, I prefer to use nicer mechanical pencils and cooler pens of all colors.

Actually, thank you for the ideas. It's been 7 yrs since I was in school last (high school) and I was trying to figure out how I was going to keep all my notes straight. Your way sounds like something i could do. LOL right now Im feeling a lil overwhelmed with everything, but I'm hangin in there!!


Tina

I have discovered that it is all quite psychological...
up to now, I have thought of myself as a crappy student, and so I was skimping on school stuff, feeling that I didn`t `deserve` the nice stuff.

I let go of the guilt, and started buying the nicer pens that are easier to write with, bought nice notebooks, and colour coded stuff. It all makes school easier to handle, and it`s helped me have a better attitude about it.

A minor step, but whatever makes me feel more confident and comfortable about my investment in my educational pursuits, right?

After years of simply piling up handouts, rendering them useless, I've found the one thing that keeps me organized-ish throughout a semester. It is shaped like a businessperson's portfolio, except that it closes shut with velcro. On the right side there is a legal pad (where I write notes for each class; the old "chronological filing system" ;)), and on the left there are five accordian-style folders. So, when the handout deluge comes, I have my filing system literally right in front of me.

Nice pens are a must, too. Justify the cost like this: if you hold onto a pen for three months, use it one hour a day, and spend an extra $10 for a good disposable, you're paying $0.09/hr for a more comfortable way to write, which can have a tremendously positive impact on your grades, therefore also on your post-graduation earning potential. ROI on that pen is in the stratosphere! :D

I really like the ideas here. There is one thing and that is I have always been sort of attracted to stationary in a way like I've always liked bright color coded files, notebooks, cool pens wid good grips and stuff..I've always loved that stuff but I've always been berating myself and feeling guilty when I spend on my wants.
But now after reading this, I'm feeling that hey it's better for me to spend on myself, make myself feel good and this way I'll study a lot more!!!

hee hee - i thought it was just because I had a love for all things "office supply".

Every year before I get recalled to duty, I have to hit the office supply store to get my colored pens and mechanical pencils and I even have a pencil case to keep everything in. And I made a stamp that has all the information we have to put on batch labels at work and I carry a multi-colored inkpad with me.

I bought my own dividers for the work manual we are issued every season, and keep all the other stuff that I need (notes, and various tables) in clear plastic sheets, so I can put them in the ringbinder with the manual. I thought I was being over the top, until I noticed that after that first year, a lot of other people have started doing the same thing.....

I guess ADDers can be trendsetters.

I love office supply stuff too... anything cool and colorful and clean... but I always tell myself that those are just surface things... what I really should be focusing on is the WORK ITSELF... but you know what? Since learning more about ADD I really do think this kind of stuff is worth it. THey say ADDers are very affected by their environment, and of course we seek anything stimulating or novel like bright colors and cool sticky notes!
I guess I just always thought I didn't deserve that kinda stuff becuase I wasn't good enough for it. I wasn't organized enough to deserve an organizer... LOL how's that for logic????

wow...I wish I had read this thread years ago! Maybe I should go buy some nice colourful office supplies. Before I bought the spiral bound notebooks my stuff was a disaster...now it's only disasterous by organized people's standards.

I had a teacher in high school who would do notebook checks - she would collect all our notebooks and grade them on how organized they were. I remember I would photocopy all the handouts that I lost and match the order with my friend's book, and date all the pages and underline the titles and still managed to fail.
One time in high school I actually lost an assignment in my notebook...my teacher said that if we didnt hand it in before class started it would be late. I told her that I had it done but couldnt find it - I pointed out my notebook which was on my desk in the back of the room...even from that distance, she was pretty shocked.

In my first year of university, I used a clipboard and paper to take notes in lectures. I ended up with a drawer full of notes with all my classes mixed together and some mostly empty binders lying around somewhere. I really shocked someone when they asked to borrow my notes for a lecture they missed. I tried to fish through it and find the notes but it was pretty impossible since I didnt write the date on anything. Oh well, I think my illegible writing and the doodling all over the margins scared them off anyways.

Now my notes are under control (with the spiral bound books) but handouts are still a problem...this semester I intended to keep them all in the pockets inside my binders - that worked untill I stoped bringing the binders to class - then the handouts piled up and disapeared into my room. What I need is a spiral bound notebook that has pockets that I can put handouts in.....does that exist? Hmmm...I guess I can make pockets out of duct tape...but it wont be very pretty.

made a note book out of 20 gauge sheet stainless and print my own paper
a complex graph paper, on legal sized sheets.
and i use nice mech pencils.
some of which i frankinsteined by putting different bits together from different penils

write notes on this paper with date page and subject on top
it makes it easy and i have actually gotten people notes when they missed them.

Hey,
Yes, there are spiral bound notebooks with pockets in them.
I've seen a cool accordian file with a clipboard on the inside of it.
I thought I had the system under control (I have/had the same issues as you... clipboard thing... ending up with 3 months of notes on my clipboard not in order...) started typing my notes on my laptop, since I type really fast and it's easier to take the stuff down.

I ended up losing the whole month's worth of notes b/c I formatted my harddrive and my friend erased the notes that I backed up on his hard drive... so it's really WASN'T an ADD moment... isn't that ironic???

My laptop also started to have an issue with heating up and spontaneiously combusting... ok ok, not combusting but getting really hot and shutting off. Not ideal. I've had to be careful with the computer thing, making sure it's not being used before my lectures and turing the screen down and stuff like that.

The best notebooks I have found are called "wired"
here's what I like about them:

* nice sturdy plastic cover

* have pocket dividers

* heavy paper (gel pen inks won't bleed through... it's distracting to read for me)

* spiral bound

* perforated

------

about the two sides thing... I have figured out that it's actually MY BRAIN so I should let myself learn the way I learn best... meaning I am entitled to just using one side of the paper so I can use the backs to brainstorm and doodle if I need to later on.

I've always been a keener on recycling paper... and felt guilty about not using the back side, but considering it's more comfortable to use one side, I've decided to do just that from now on.

As for the losing notes thing, I just submitted to having one spiral notebook, it lives in my knapsack (READ: if I take it out, it MUST go back in there when I'm done), I take all my notes in that binder, so they're all in chronological order.

It's also an incentive to go to every class.

When I take notes for ANYTHING now, I like to use the spiral... even for things like essays and library research. I just have a notebook, take the notes, and then rip them out later to organize them. But until I'm ready to organize the info, they stay in the spiral notebook.

Good luck with stuff!
I'm still working on 3 essays, which has forced me to withdraw from term 2 courses, but it works out all right, since I can grad this semester with a major/minor... I was going for double major and Bachelor of Education, but I don't want to do the public education system training for 2 years... I'm actually kind of relieved.

ANYWAY, gotta go study for a final exam...

I guess I just always thought I didn't deserve that kinda stuff becuase I wasn't good enough for it. I wasn't organized enough to deserve an organizer... LOL how's that for logic????
If not you, then who? The linear thinking "organized" don't need stimulation to help them organize, so they won't buy that stuff. You need to do your capitalist duty and get all the pretty stuff to help you stay organized, because ADDers deserve all that stuff just because we have to function in this world! So, how's that for logic?

I know what you are talking about, but I don't think these things work just because they are pretty and stimulating etc, I think they work cause it is a system you can relate to, and I know what you mean about caring a lot of stuff. I try dividers too and tabs, but the best thing is the lap top, you put the notes in the lap top, and use the table of content to organize the prinicples, and once you understand the principles the other things fall in place, and then it does not take so much concentration to see the value. I had the best calculator in my class it was a ti 86, but in the states lots of students have ti 89, anyway you can put notes in there too from the wordprocessor to the program editor and they are organized in programs, the thing is ti 86 has a window menu and the ti 83 is more command driven, so the visual system works much better, cause you don't have to figure out how to sequence which is always hard, the system does it for you. I think you don't have to apologize for your existence.

I also find this works, go to the used gw or some similar store, buy used brief cases, and Put each subject in one, put them all in a box, they are cheaper than new new binders, but I get used binders there too, so I put the notes and assignments done in the big binder, and just take the current stuff with me, but I keep the little note book just for principles and formulas, even though I take one course at a time, I have done 17 of them, and they are prerequisites, so you need to have it all well organized to cue yourself, which I think cueing is everything, the color or the prinicple or whatever, otherwise you have no structure, and it is the box I think is what we are trying to build. Outsider shows what happens if you don't have a system. The handouts I found I just made holes and put them in the binder, but in the classroom it took longer to organize it you had all your notes, so you just bring the assignment and the current notes to class, leave the binder at home, the brief case is good cause you put your text book when the class is over and handouts or what ever in different pockets and the system itself grows, and you dont spend time looking for stuff. I buy as much as I can used. The point is everything is in parts, so you don't lose a tree in the forest.

this year i have a zipped up binder which i TAKE to uni with me. in there i keep some post-it notes, my pencil case (with a variety of pens and pencils and highlithers) a bendy flexy ruler, and file paper.

i found sheet protectors which come in sets of 4 different colours - good becasue i have 4 units. so i keep 1 of each colour in the 'transporting' binder, and keep my unit outlines and lecturer/tutor contact details in there.

behind all that, just 'placed' but somewhat 'secure' in the back, i keep personal notes, including a poem called something like "the add children's bill of rights", which i wrote handwritten notes on the side about how each child thing translates to how i can help myself.

i title each piece of file paper with UNIT NAME, WEEK, TUTOR/LECTURE, DATE, PAGE NUMBER. when the class / day is over, i either put these things into the slips in the transporting folder or...

i have a folder which stays at home always, with the same colour coded page sleeves (those plastic slevs you stick in binders) and each unit has one for each week. i put each week's notes direct from what i wrote during class into the slip. later in the week, or whenever i get around to it, i do a 1 - 3 page summary (of 10 pages written in class) of that week, and put it in the ring binder, (written on file paper with the holes in it) behind that week's sleeve. i also type out stuff i need to, eg. when there's lists or tables or diagrams that need to be redrawn.

as far as GETTING STUFF DONE, i've tried so many things all thoguh school, and all through last year. last week i invented a revolutionary, yes REVOLUTIONARY!!! way of using POST IT NOTES, in an UNCONVENTIONAL and CREATIVE way.

i have a large sheet of paper, on the wall, blue tacked. i have litle post it notes (the 3x4cm ones) with TASKS written on them, stuck to the sheet. these are TASKS , and NOT REMINDERS (i hate post-it reminders, though they do have their place, more then 1 or 2 is distressing and confusing).
these TASKS are designed to be soemthing i can just SIT DOWN AND DO,
eg. summarise the lecture, or, read pages 1 - 15, or, whatever else...
and they are between 20 mins and one hour each. so its not too much to do.

my system so far has been that i take 3 or 4 off, depending on what i can cope with (oh and i only put them up for the week...), (and theyre written in pencil for reusability!), and i do them. when i've done one, i put a \ through it (in pencil) stick it to the pile of otehrs ive done, and write the date and the task done, so that i know what i've done.

this is good because i can see exactly what i have to do. there's no confusion or question. it's all very clear for me.

ify oure having trouble getting work done, maybe you should have a go at this idea or something similar?

be creative, and you dont have to organize yourself in a way that normal people do.

remember to break everything down into its smallest parts until it can be broken down no further. then do one of those. when it's done, do the next one.

and remember, hyperfocus can be a disadvantage (we should all know this by now!).

and also, don't getangry at yourself for "zoning out" or as i read it refered to the other day , having a "blink". we all know what i mean, right?
because, we CAN'T stop it, prevent it, tel when its coming or about to happen, and we don't know when we're doing it - only when its over do we realize.

don't stress over what you CANNOT CONTROL!

=)

and i think some keys to a good workspace, is:

lots of space around you
stimulating but not to stimulating
don't let paper or folders crowd you in
lots of places to keep stuff (pencils, folders, spare paper)

My classes are mostly lab sciences. I use a 4-subject notebook for each class. The first section is for lecture notes, the second is for lab notes, the third is for working problems, and the fourth is for lab.

Works pretty well for me. The notebooks also have lots of pockets.

When I was in college I always had a good lookin girl take my notes for me, then when I woke up, I went to the disability office and obtained assistance for notetaking, most major universities with a really good disability office will hook a student up with almost anything they need to succeed in a class.

As for the supplies I've done everything that was mentioned since about 5th grade, different colored notebooks for each glass (pretty logical) nice wide space to work, I had a private dorm so no major distractions in working. I also highly recommend tape recorders, these usually need permission from the professor or the department itself but for ADD students, I think it's vital as to not miss information that we miss while "zoning out".

It seems I have the opposite problems. I think I've got the wierd office supply fetish, too, but brightly colored things distract me. I bought colored flash cards this semester to help organize my studying, but when the brighter colors come up I just stare blankly at the paper.
And I like to start off with a clean sheet of paper, but if I worry about organizing what goes on that paper I become overwhelmed, blink a few times, and spend the next hour trying to get the perfect outline for one page of notes. This quickly moves into organizing all my school stuff, and then to the entire house.
6 hours later I haven't finished any cleaning and none of my studying happens either (although my piles have been moved several times)

Hey everyone,
A lot has happened since I started this thread... I've learned a lot about my learnind style.

So the brightly coloured thing... I prefer to use them for binders to help identify diff courses - basically, colour coding.

Nice looking things works when the stuff is coordinated, which to me makes everything look nicer to my brain. More visually harmonious.

Nice looking things meaning getting higher quality things so that I will use them more carefully. This actually works for me. I buy a nice desk and I tend to keep it looking somewhat organized (more than if I had a crappy second hand one)

If something like a nice looking pen is bought, I am more likely to want to keep tabs on it.

Visually pleasant items, meaning things that don't make my brain go crazy with patterns and colours... so probably means zebra print in black and hot pink is not the best choice for wall paper... hehe

even before i knew i had ADHD...haha...i knew something wasn't right...and i have tried my best to get organized to make my life easier...

for losing thing, my psychologist said that ADHD ppl tend to not look before they put things down...so without looking and note the place...there's zero chance of remember and retrieve the object back...i found that out...if i dun remember...the object is gone...so i make sure i put certain things, especially valuables in a particular place...

color coded notebks help...i just use different bright color notebks for different subjects...that way...i can just recognize the stuff i need that day..look for those colors...grab and go

is losing pen a problem? it's still my problem...i lose pens...cheap pens i'm cool...get the cheapest pen out there...and just put some in the car...i often forget to bring the pencil case...having pens handy in the car help

and invest a Ph.D pencil/pen...it helps too...it's really comfortable to write with...6 bucks a piece and i feel bad losing it...kinda expensive to replace...

getting angry and impatient r my issues...i used to get frustrated with computer being slow...i threw the mouse to the wall...the cheap ones i could get them replaced and not felt bad...then that didn't help to control my bad temper...my solution was to buy 100 bucks wireless keyboard and mouse combo...i haven't thrown my mouse ever since...i still have bad temper but a little bit better self control...

my psychologist said that ADHD ppl tend to not look before they put things down...so without looking and note the place...there's zero chance of remember and retrieve the object back...
Wow! I think that's best advice I've ever heard!
I'm serious. This is really a life-changing revelation you've helped me with...(now the trick is to remember it!).

It makes so much sense to me now...

In the past, I've always looked at it the other way around:
Problem: I've lost article X.
Solution: Look really hard, retrace steps, pray, ask someone for help looking, and often....declare it MIA (missing in action) and buy a new one.

However, I've just now realized that the better way to look at it is:
Problem: I'm always loosing articles A,B,C......Z.
Solution: PREVENTION!!!!!!!!!! Look BEFORE I just randomly leave something lying around, and note where I've put it. Or better yet, always put item A in item A's spot, item B in item B's spot, etc. What could be more simple?!!!

Thanks again for the idea. I'll let you know how it goes...

I'm learnding, Prinskibble Skinner!

However, I've just now realized that the better way to look at it is:
Problem: I'm always loosing articles A,B,C......Z.
Solution: PREVENTION!!!!!!!!!! Look BEFORE I just randomly leave something lying around, and note where I've put it. Or better yet, always put item A in item A's spot, item B in item B's spot, etc. What could be more simple?!!!

Thanks again for the idea. I'll let you know how it goes...

I'm learnding, Prinskibble Skinner! haha...that's the way of me finding things...that's what my psychology adviced...and that's how my mom teaches me...she's so strict with putting things where it's supposed to put...or else it's gone and have to spend time looking for it...

my mom doesn't have a clue that she has ADHD...until i got diagnosed and looking back to family history...she has all the signs...but the way of organizing things..i guess it's her wisdom to design a system that works...

on the other hand...my dad also assigns a specific place to put his key and wallet...but items essential for him to go out, i.e. glasses, hat and jacket...he just left it randomly and forgot...the next time he has to go out...he spends time looking and gets frustrated and risks being late to work...

my brother...he's even worse...never assigns a place for keys and wallet...has to look for it everytime...losts his keys and wallet so many times...

but dad and brother don't seem to have ADHD at all...

it's so funny in my household that the 2 women with ADHD manage their personal belongings better than the normal guys...LOL:D

I've always been a fan of school/office supplies, even during the times I did crappy in school. LOL.

But yeah, I was in Target this morning and bought this blue binder that I thought was really cool. It also comes in red, green and teal, so I plan to go back there and buy the other 3 colors. Then I"ll have one for each class next semester!

Yet it always seems that no matter how early I start planning, I always end up forgetting all this other stuff I have to do, and it'll all be in one big pile in my mind at the very last minute. Go figure.

All of my folders are in bright neon colours that I relate to the subjects. lol. Like purple, my favorite color, World Civ, my fav subject. Math, red. why? i dont know.

purple floppy binder, big white and fuchsia binder for my portfolios lol. Always use color pens and colorful pencils. the wooden ones and the ones u click. i forgot what theyre called. but theyre all colorful.

rulers and other math stuff are purple plastic.

i dunno, bright colours put me in a brighter mood. if i had plain stuff, then id really hate school. I'd be bored.

my recent notebooks had pictures of kittens in teacups in bright colours. lol. when i finshed with the notebook, i tore the cover off and kept it. it was too cute.

its really fun shopping for school stuff, too. bright colors really work for me.

HAHAH i have to use nice pens that make me feel like writting, decorate my binders, and my room i decorate up sooo much i just like it all to look nice.

wow I needed to hear alot of advice on how to keep things organised for college. I am starting Aug 29th and excited about it, I need to learn some strategies because i was just diagnosed with Mild Neurological Disorder. I have the same symptoms of ADHD and Dyslexia so it makes things rough for me and my verbal skill are not up to par for my age group. I know i learn hands on and have a high score in nonverbal activities. Also , my comprehension is terrible but I have dealt with it for so long. Where is Mel when I need her. Draga, show your face....I need help in staying organise for school
any suggestions welcome.

Check the new post!!

I, too, love office supplies! Office Depot is GREAT... haha... I found that I had a lot of trouble with loose-leaf paper everywhere, losing hand-outs, and organizing homework & assignments. So, I bought one of those cheap $0.10 folders for each of my classes, each being a different color. Inside the folder, the left pocket is designated for the syllabus, handouts, and graded tests. The right pocket is for scratch paper, study sheets, and graded homework. Along with these folders, I bought small notebooks in corresponding colors. The notebooks are for lecture notes. For each test, I gather all the homework, notes and tests together and make a packet and add that to the folder. I also just bought a great planner from Barnes and Noble that has perforated corners, so you don't lose your spot.

I have a main note book with a folder for each class' hand outs. I use sheet protectors in the front to place the syllabi so it's always right there, no surprises when I go to class and see that something is due that day. When I take notes, I have my textbook open to the right chapter and put * next to things in the lecture and what isn't in the text book, I write down. I forget to date things a lot, so keeping it all in its place helps with the chronological order. I also use bright stickies to put on notes or pages in my book that I need to go over again so that I don't forget. Good luck in school everyone! I go back August 22nd :)

Cyndi

I'm so glad I came across this forum.
There are so many good ideas here to help our grand-daughter through difficult schooling period.

hey all

update...

I finished my BA Psych (minor human geography) after 6 years...

I started a certification program at a college to become a Sp Ed Assistant, and b/c I have lots of background experience working with kids with special needs, I got hired before I was done the program.

College was SOOOOOOOOO MMMMMMMMMMMMMMUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHH
easier than uniersity.

it was also b/c of the program of course... everything is easily applicable to real life.
multimodal teaching. hands on.

I ended up getting really good grades, even on papers where I did it LAST MINUTE, I got better grades than most others - probably b/c most of the other ppl in the courses hadn't been in post-secondary school for many years.

My notes are a mess now... I've been done the courses since xmas, and they're in piles in the den. *sigh*
Since the "notes" actually end up being RESOURCES for my job now, I have to take the notes and REORGANIZE them into a system. No easy task... but it's not too bad.

I'm still on the NICE LOOKING THINGS kick... but I've applied it to my life.

I've started to "allow" myself to buy nicer clothes, b/c I needed to be more grown up.

I buy the stuff that works for ME:
I realized that I can't process notes very well if I can see writing on the back of it, so now I just write on one side of the paper.
is it a waste? NO. b/c that's how I learn best!

also, with note taking...
I've realized that it's much easier for me to use thicker pens that have high contrast.
I was using blue ink that was almost the same shade as the lines on the page and it was hard to read...
so I switched to gel pens in bolder blue, or black and it's much easier to read now.
they cost more, but again, it's MY LEARNING

Sticky notes:
get the post-it super sticky ones.
the store brand name ones suck and the regular post its lose sticky after a while

the super sticky ones are awesome b/c I can use them for my wall, or in my planner, on stuff and I don't have to worry about it falling off

I use them in books to write notes for papers/assignments. I write notes on them and then page, and have a reference letter code in the corner. when I'm done, i can take the notes out and paste them on a bigger piece of chart paper, or my wall and rearrange the notes in the order I'm going to use them.


bright colours:
essential. I know what colour to scan the environment for.

as for whoever said that their favourite subject was their favourite colour when coding...

ME TOO!

yellow is happy colour, so I had that as my fave or fun class
bright pink was funky so that was another one for a class
green was for my physical environmental geog class
math was blue - b/c it made me "blue" to do math

etc.

whatever helps, right?

i also used high lighters to block off my agenda for classes - colours corresponded to the binder colours.

I have now discovered that FIDGET TOYS are REALLLLLY good for thinking/focusing.
I originally got them for the kids I do autism therapy for (sensory reward) but found that I likes fiddling/squeezing them during lectures - less disruptive than tapping pen, clicking pen really fast

I even ended up giving one to a good friend when I noticed he liked fiddling with one while we had a discussion.

you can get them at dollar stores...

just be CAREFUL of the ones that have the neon goo inside... I squished one, uh, too hard and it burst.... I had neon yellow slime dripping down my face all of a sudden, it got on my boyfriend who was sitting in the office chair, it got on the chair and it's also still on the ceiling.

It was worth it for the comedic value, but it wouldn't go over so well in lecture.
hehehe


other stuff:

write big. use crayloa markers.
use crayons: with sparkles, smelly, the twistables are good too

I use the above when I used to study for exams... one sheet of paper had one idea on it
for math - it was one formula in BOLD FONT
then stuck on my wall

it was fun, it made reading the stuff easier.

I used the back of paper I fished out of the recycling bins by the photocopiers...
they're really deep, and sometimes I ended up almost falling in...
I'm only 4' 10 1/2" so it was pretty funny. my boyfriend would be standing by, watching it all go down and not even help me when I had trouble getting back up. I think at one point he tried to shove me all the way in.


So the cool markers and stuff are good to use for note taking.
use mind mapping, draw pictures and symbols, connect the ideas
-on chart paper, and then put it on your wall.

it made it fun, it looked great and I had stuff I could look at and absorb during the year.

Omg Pens and Paper is a huge thing for me. If it's not the way I like it I get frustrated and upset, like those cheap pens that like to stop writing when ever they feel like. I bought a pack of those and let's say I wound up throwing a few...literally...against a wall.

I love the spiral bound notebooks with preferated pages. I use one (or two depending on the number of notes taken, if I have two ones is my MWF notebook and the other is my TTr notebook) that I have for all my classes so I don't have to carry around so much.

I thought I was the only one who loved the bright colors , the more expensive pens , the bright colored binder, spiral binders and folders.

Love the plasic folders with one pocket, I use it to divide the binder and then for the syllabus that everyone looses, so this way I dont lose it.

I use gel pens, colored pens, and stickies too. You should see my edcation book, it looks like it is growing pink hair... I am glad to hear I am not the only one who spends money on the good stuff.

Congrats on finishing slowpoke!! I love all of the tips in this thread, I too am a fan of neat looking things - it's extra motivation to keep them neat.

I thought I'd add my new little strategy for copying out notes. My University has gotten itself a "wiki" which is sort of like a forum, but everyone can edit every post (if you're even a little net savvy you'll know wikipedia).

Anyway, I started a wiki for the class I am taking this summer. It's provided a place online that I can access my notes from anywhere. And it's provided another reason to go to class and bring back all sorts of notes - it's useless unless it's complete! Another plus is that anyone else in my class can edit it and add what they know. And even if they don't, maybe they'll benefit from it too. So far it's a great tool!

thanks for the congrats...

ironically, I'm far from "finishing". I have professional development program or my masters in psych to get still, and eventually a PhD in psych I think.

I was doubting my potential for a while, but had a recent med consult with an expert in the field, and when they saw my LD assessment (gifted LD ADHD) they were totally surprised at my IQ being 132... and my verbal being 99th%tile. Apparently that's the indicator that matters the most for predicting how successful someone will be. So they said that it's the ADHD that's making stuff challenging for me. But the meds are on track.

Being in school is cool... I get to hang out with kids and partly be a kid myself. I've fully accepted that Miss Maki is my title, instead of the first name only thing.

As for nice looking things...

I'm into getting things that are COMPARTMENTALIZED for my "home office"/den/computer room. I need a filing cabinet, and shelving unit thing with clear rubbermaid type boxes.
I'm also going to get the stackable containers that have a flap you can access the contents through.

It's actually really nice to think about having an organized work area for my career.

For those still struggling through school, let me assure you that finding something you're passionate about definitely makes a big difference. You WANT to learn how to be better at your job...

Don't be fooled into thinking that a desk job is the only "real" job out there...

:)

"don't stress over what you CANNOT CONTROL!"
-ADDitives (member.php?u=5201)

good advice....i've been trying to get my mother, father, and girlfriend to do just that, it hasnt worked.....i never got why till freshman year of cooper union, the college where social lives die and you realise that food and sleep are actualy expendable luxuries, lol......now i wish i could take my own damned advice....if only.....

as for back to school supplies, i've found two perticulars that have revolutionized my life. *disclaimer* i'm an enginnering studant who takes a lot of math and a lot of science classes, so a lot of vectors and graphs and stuff like that to draw. with that in mind, the only thing i can say is GOD BLESS THE STAPLES BRAND SINGLE SUBJECT GRAPH PAPER!!!!! if you're going into a math/science profession, this is more then a must....i've never listened to the profesors who told me to use graph paper notebooks before, fearing that it'd be too wierd, too hard to get used to, and not that benificial......i was wrong, its been a week and homework is easier, note-taking is easier, and so on....it makes a lot of little things easier to do, so it makes a BIG difference!

and the universal supply: a nice, cross pen. a wise man once said "I bought a seven-dollar pen because I always lose pens and I got sick of not caring." yes, thats right, mitch hedberg.....point is, i know it sounds extravagent, i know it sounds rediculous, but do yourself a favor and drop $10-$20 on a nice cross pen. ($10 at tjmax, $20 at staples). i dont know how i could possibly tell you how awesome it is to write with without sounding insane, so i wont, just take my word for it....its woth every cent, especialy when you're sitting in a lecture and the profesor's going a mile a minute and you're trying to keep up.....and you're hand cramps up and you fail the final cuz you coulndt take notes......kidding.....kind of.....but seriously, a good pen makes it easier to write, makes it easier on your hand, and gives you a classy-bussinessy aura.......no one has to know that you got your fancy, high-end pen at tjmax for about 1/5th of the price on line..........

HI!

To the previous poster (I forget your name.. hahaha...)

You don't sound odd at all for liking the graph paper notebooks. Actually those are a GREAT tool for all subjects, as it helps organize indenting and categorizing notes during lectures or from textbooks. Each sub-heading/supporting idea/detail can be indented one square (or whatever you find works best) and the notes stay MUCH easier to read!
I actually figured this out later on in my university career... sheesh.

I also work as a Sp Ed Assistant (on-call, not getting called in as everyone's still keen on working... fingers crossed please that I get a contract soon! ) and during the courses I took for certification the instructors recommended using graph paper for doing math problems for kids who have grapho-motor issues.
That is, if you have trouble hand-eye/writing skills (you find it hard to keep your numbers in neat columns when doing problems, or you find it hard to write numbers the same size) then graph paper will help.

I also want to say AWESOME for being in engineering! I have had such a hard time with the ADHD related difficulties commonly associated with science and math subjects that I couldn't handle the subject matter. I'm interested in a lot of that kind of stuff when I can see the application in real life, so it's a shame that I wasn't able to find ways to develop coping skills earlier in life.

---
THE PEN!

I realllllllllllly agree with you on spending a little more for things. This falls in line with my "nice looking things" idea, huh? :)

It's cool that you realize the reasoning, b/c I really think that us "ADHDers" do treat things we care about or know are valuable better. Wellll, most of us. there are some people who have a VERY hard time keeping track of expensive things.
But for myself, I VERY RARELY misplace my cell phone b/c it has all my phone numbers in it. I also am good at keeping high tech things, as they're expensive to replace. (PDAs, laptops, iPod, etc) As for being able to not be clumsy... that's another matter. I actually have my approval rating of "Maki-proof" when something is sturdy. :p
My cell phone is "Maki-proof": I've dropped it dozens of times; it fell out of my purse LCD-side DOWN and then I proceeded to RUN OVER it with my OFF ROAD tires; a friend has the same phone and he's actually dropped it in a creek that was 2 feet deep and it still works fine. (It's the Samsung flip phone if anyone's interested.)

Anyhoo, this thread is turning out awesome!
I'm realizing cool ways that I think about things from people who post their own reasons :)

Keep them coming.