ADD- Getting Through College With the Least Stress

If you have attention deficit, you may have trouble staying in school and finishing the studies required to get your degree. Of course, it's hard when there are 5 tests and one paper all due on the same day, and some subjects just bore you until you drool. This is true for all college students, but when you have ADD, college can be particularly difficult to get through.

How can that be helped?

Schools that understand how ADD works are the best for those of us with adult ADD. Though most colleges will require 15 credits to classify you as a full-time student, they will allow you to take fewer credits as a part-time student. (However, this could mess with your or your parents' taxes, so be sure to check out all the angles before making a decision.) Though you may not graduate at the same time as the people you matriculate with, you may be able to finish college with much less stress.

But if you find that part-time status isn't possible for you, maybe you can take one of the required classes that you hate, and three or four others that you do like. As an example, most people with ADD hate foreign languages because they require a lot of memorization, which is often a problem for people with ADD. Yet, they're often required. So, let's say you take Spanish I and then, take three classes you like--drawing, photography, and life sciences. OK, when you study, study Spanish for fifteen minutes or however long your attention span is. Then, study drawing for fifteen minutes, photography for fifteen minutes, and life sciences for fifteen minutes. At the top of the hour, start over, and use your study time this way every day. It will help you to get through Spanish and all your other classes without falling victim to distractions.

But you may be able to find a college that is more flexible. Some will allow you to choose your own major, so that you can study only classes that you enjoy. This is great for people with ADD and will have a tendency to keep them on track.

When you have ADD, finding a college that's right for you is the first priority. Then, worry about how to pay for it. There are tons of scholarships out there that you can pick up. But finding the right school could mean the difference between graduating with a degree and never finishing. It's up to you.