27Yrs Old. ADHD. Never Been To COLLEGE Until Now. IDEAS?

Atheos · Jul 3, 2008

Welcome to allnurses. :)

I would just take it one class at a time. Math and English are just skills like throwing a football. With enough practice you'll get very good at them. Make it a point to meet and build a relationship with your professors and see the counselor at the school. They will have or will implement a program to help people with ADHD stay on track.

I definitely suggest getting a support group. Maybe family or other people with ADHD. Also, if you aren't seeing a psychiatrist see them as some can be very good with helping people develop strategies for success.

You can definitely do this.

05doylje · Dec 2, 2008

I also have ADD/ADHD. I have struggled with it all my life. I am taking adderall. I have to work ten times harder than the next person. I just had to come to grips with thats the way it is going to be for me. When I first started community college I knew I wanted to be a nurse right out of high school but I thought that I was to stupid to do the sciences. I got so down and depressed that I just said to myself onday I am going to do whatever it takes to become a nurse and will not let anything stand in my way. Just use all your resources to the best of you ability. I belive the brain is a big muscle and when we dont use it like any other muscle is does not work as good, but once you start back into classes and get into a study routene you will notice how smart you really are. Just dont ever tell yourself that you are to stupid. If this is what you really want dedicate yourself and you will achieve your dreams!!! Best of Luck!!!! :yeah:

lidleanjel · Dec 29, 2008

I went back to school because I am from a family of nurses: mother, step mother-in-law, grandma, best friend, brother has almosted completed. I have also become extremely bored with my desk job. I started college in May 2007. I really officially decided nursing not only because of the family in the field, but my love for helping others. My big problem when starting was having the problems that I had through high school.....anxiety, easily distracted, unable to stay on task. My mother actually has learning disabilities, so I went to the college and talked to the disability counselor FIRST. I wanted to know what I need to know about getting in to college and how to find out what my problem was. This is how I found out that not only did I have some disabilities, I also have ADHD.

I wont lie, working full time and going to classes at night part time has been a REAL challenge but adderall works wonders. The best tips I can give is know what you have available to you through the school (ex. testing in a quite room, recording class lectures), tutoring, and take a class that gives you hints and suggestions to studying, note taking, etc. The class I took was Master Student. This was a very helpful class for me.

Other tips I can give because I use them myself:

1. read everything before class and take notes.

2. if you can record the lecture and take notes.

3. take notes through class, then rewrite and reread numerous times.

4. listen the to recorded lecture to see if you missed anything that might stick out for exams.

5. during exams, use ear plugs if possible, and complete the test back to front. the anxiety will subside a little. Just double check to make sure your answers are on the right area on the scantran tests.

6. when studying ONLY study in 45 minute periods. if you study longer, take a least 5 minute breaks.

with ADHD, you are going to feel that everything takes forever but so far i have 2 semesters left of preq's and I have a 3.8 gpa so far.

Good luck. Dont let your weaknesses get in your way. if your dream is to be a nurse, make it happen and dont listen to the gossip about the horrors of nursing school. I have watched many students dropout because of their fears.

BE POSITIVE. STAY POSITIVE. and everything will be great

FA to CRNA2b · Dec 29, 2008

Why CRNA, specifically?

edit: I just realized that this thread goes back to July...

So how goes it?