Living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a lot more challenging than one may think it would be, and it is especially challenging for college students. These challenges and struggles are rarely talked about, but this is a big issue for these certain students and the people close to them. Only 5% of college students with ADHD will graduate, versus a 41% graduation rate for their non-disabled peers.
Here are 10 examples of what its like to be a college student living with ADHD.
1. You start out the semester strong
Actually, very strong. You completely surprise yourself by going to all of your classes and getting all of your homework done and turned in on time...But that usually all changes after you're a week or two into the semester.
2. Life gets harder and harder as the semester goes on
Work starts to pile up, and you find that you don't have enough time or patience to complete it all on time. You find yourself often missing class, and there just isn't enough time in the day to get everything done. Properly studying with ADHD is next to impossible. How can you study when you can't even get yourself to focus?
3. You have absolutely zero time management skills
Those living with ADHD regularly experience "time blindness", and it usually happens almost every day. Time blindness is the experience of the day just slipping away from you, and taking ADHD medications can worsen your perception of time. You wake up, eat breakfast, and it's 3 p.m. before you know it. You often find yourself wondering where the day went. You literally just can't finish anything on time, and you're always late to everything.
4. Dropping classes is something you're familiar with
College students often bite off more than they can chew when it comes to their class schedule. A full 15 credit schedule doesn't not affect an ADHD student the same way as it affects a regular student. The stress from a full schedule can be unbearable for a student with a learning disability, and sometimes a full schedule is just undoable. Focusing throughout all of the classes in a full schedule is just not gonna happen for you. Drop those classes like they're hot!
5. Constant. Stress.
People living with ADHD are usually unable to multitask, or are just extremely inefficient in doing so. With time blindness, and piles of homework, college students with ADHD are often forced to multitask in order to get things done on time, which leads to copious amounts of stress - and when you're stressed out, you get fewer things done, and then you stress more about it. It's a never-ending circle of stress, which is really hard on your physical and mental health.
6. Thank you college for at least pretending to care
On paper, most colleges and universities seem extremely helpful and understanding to students with learning disabilities, but that couldn't be further from the truth. In order to use the resources (i.e. extra testing time, special silent testing facilities, etc) that you qualify for and deserve, you have to jump through a million hoops. Students with learning disabilities have to get approval and signatures from their professor and the testing center. Meeting with the professor in the first place can be tough due to inconvenient office hours, but students also have to constantly remind the professor to send the test over to the testing center once they finish writing it, and bugging a professor is not a great way to get on their good side.
Sometimes the professor just forgets to end up sending it, and at that point, you're just SOL. And let's not forget all the other work and stress ADHD students have on top of all of that, while also trying to balance a full schedule. If colleges really cared about their students with learning disabilities, they would completely redo this system.
7. Everyone thinks you're automatically a drug dealer
Sharing with a classmate that you have ADHD can be a very personal thing, and it can take some courage to talk about your disability. That strong personal connection that you make with somebody by sharing your struggles is meaningful... until they hit you with a text saying: "Heyy dude! I have a HUGE exam tomorrow and I need to pull an all-nighter... Could I buy some of your meds from you?" Sometimes it's best to keep your disability hidden, which is not a very fun way to go through life.
8. Stressed and... depressed
Its a little known fact, but ADHD and depression go side-by-side. 70% of those with ADHD will be treated for depression at some point in their lives. Its easy to see how people with ADHD could fall into depression with all of the stress, discouragement, and disappointment that they face. Having depression just adds to the never ending circle of stress and trying to get things done, it just makes everything so much harder.
9. Working twice as hard to get half the results
This is an ADHD classic. It doesn't matter how much you study, you'll never do as well as the ~normal~ kids, and it feels like they barely have to study at all! So just buckle up, and try your hardest! No matter the outcome, at least you can know that you did you're very best.
10. Life is taken one day at a time
"One day at a time" is the mantra of a college student with ADHD. Tomorrow is a new day with new struggles and hardships, but you can face it! Its important to tell yourself to click the reset button every morning and just do your best that day, and be your very best self. Keep Kris Jenner's important, wise words in mind: "You're doing amazing sweetie!"
