Ah, it’s finals week in America’s colleges and universities. Walk through any campus in the country and you’ll hear the sound of all the students typing papers, drinking copious amounts of coffee and working their way unhappily but dutifully through the pile of final exams and projects they have to prepare for.
Well, almost all the students. Do you remember that episode of "Mad Men" where the constant humming of the office computer causes Michael Ginsberg to stuff wax in his ears and collapse under his desk because the noise is driving him crazy? That’s essentially what happens to college kids with ADHD during finals week. Sensory overload is something that makes it almost impossible to do work, and also, unfortunately, something ADHD sufferers are no stranger to.
As someone who's attended school with ADHD since 2001, I’ve developed a few tricks to try to fight all those distractions and hopefully help you get your work done without lapsing into an ill-timed panic attack in which you start quoting "Bhagavad Gita" to a closeted homosexual named Bob who's got a lot going on himself and doesn’t have time for your sh*t.
I feel I may have overdone the "Mad Men" references here. Let’s get started!
Balance Your Noise Level
As I said, managing noise is a challenge for people with ADHD, as all stimuli comes at us at once and our brains very rudely make no attempt to prioritize what to pay attention too. That’s why working in the bustling student center or the deadly quiet fifth floor of the library are both ineffective ways to study. The noise - or complete lack thereof - is very distracting because it's noticeable. My method for finding a middle ground is using the website mynoise.net, which plays a variety of white noise, ocean, rainforest sounds and even a recording of gamma waves that help block out the noises of the outside world, while at the same time doesn’t add any new distractions with catchy lyrics.
Checklists, Checklists, Checklists!
Some people believe in Jesus or a great glass of wine. My mother believes in the power of checklists. (And also Jesus and wine. She contains multitudes.) For years she’s sung the praises of writing all your tasks down and crossing them off one by one as an organizational technique. And, truth be told, I find it helpful. Go old school, get a physical piece of paper and a pen and write down all the projects, papers and studying you need to get through. Breaking subjects or even individual assignments into chunks helps you feel less overwhelmed and allows you to manage your time more efficiently. It even gives you the ability to schedule my next tip, which is...
Take a Break
The Schuyler sisters said it best, because they said it in harmony, but it still remains true. ADHD kids and adults fidget and need to move around more. I set a timer for every 20-30 minutes and when it goes off, I stop working. I take a short walk or go buy a cookie or text someone a lengthy rant about the disintegration of the American school system and how it’s still structured to teach people how to work in factories which is why it’s so hard to get any homework done if your brain isn’t wired normally and this is why China is beating us in test scores. I always feel better after I do that.
If you have prescribed Ritalin or Adderall, take it.
Don’t sell it. Don’t be an idiot. Don’t see if you “can do it without it”. Technically, you can. But you can also technically breathe underwater. Just because you can do something the hard way doesn’t mean that you should. You’ll be fine for a short time, but you’ll just end up choking.
If all else fails, just give up on studying for your American Film final and write an article for the Odyssey lecturing other people on how to live their lives.
Take a deep breathe and hopefully one or all of these tips will help you feel less overwhelmed. Good luck on your finals and in a serious emergency, maybe just watch "Mad Men" for an hour or two. Sally Draper is a gift.
