Log In

I have ADHD and I get easily distracted. I always end up doing something else than I am supposed to, specially when the computers on.
Then when I turn the computer off I have music on, and I'll space out into my imagination and start imagining things.
The only problem is that I can't concentrate without music on THEREFORE I HAVE TO HAVE IT ON

OMG ITS SO HARD TO STUDY! AGHHHH D:
And I end up drawing on the side of my notes too ARGHHHHH

SO HOW DO YOU STUDY SO I CAN LEARN A BETTER WAYYYY FFFFFF!!! *explode dies stabs self impllodes dies*

What are you studying for? If it's anything besides math, I'd suggest buying a shit load of flashcards. I have an issue with focus as well, but with flashcards it's not such a bad thing. Anyway, seriously, buy a lot of notecards and more or less re-write any vocab words/important points/whatever onto the cards to make some flash cards. That's half your studying right there. After that it's just sort of repeat repeat repeat. It's boring but it's effective, at least for me. And talk to yourself while you do it, come up with ways to remember whatever your studying. It's even better if you can relate it back to ANOTHER thing you're supposed to be studying. But if you can relate the points/vocab to something you do know, make a joke, or anything like that from it, it really helps.

My answer to the topic: Badly. To the point that my counselors actually think i might have ADD.

Could you incorporate your notes into your drawings, or draw what is written in your notes?

Oh I didn't quite mention. It's not bad with flash cards even if you zone out or whatever for a minute or two, you can go right back to where you were.

I also found, personally, that it helps me to focus if I'm having a hard time sort of drawing a circle with my finger around the word/phrase or whatever that I'm trying to remember. (Like, if I'm studying kanji, I move my finger in circles around the kanji with my finger while I try to recall the readings). It kind of focuses me in on what I'm supposes to be paying attention to.

Thanks guys, I will try to try that when I study >W<

When I want to study first I pay attention in class. I know its boring and sometimes you may not feel like it but it helps. When you know it in class it gets easier to study it because you'll be all "Oh that sounds familiar I know that already". Then take notes in class so you dont forget anything later. And finally when you get home just read it over.:p Dont put any pressure on yourself or you'll forget everything alot easier. Relaxing is the key or at least for me it is. Hopefully these simple steps will help you too. :)

I study when I'm stoned. I know it sounds weird, but when I smoke weed and study, I somehow seem to make jokes about the material I'm reading. Then, when I take the test, I remember the jokes, and they make me remember what I read about the subject. I ace my test every time. Obviously I'm sober for the test though. OTL

I'm ADHD as well. And like you, I focus best when I can have music playing, because that helps filter out any other stimuli that might impinge on my concentration. I find caffeine helps, too. But as for how to keep focused when I CAN'T have either of those... it can be hard sometimes.

Thats silly. But I am not a smoker so thats out for me.

@Booga- my teacher is a good teacher. He makes things funny so I did pay attention in class and took good notes so I understood things better :>

@Coda- Trust me, caffeine doesn't help (depending on the amounts)) I once drank a shit ton of green tea (with real green tea leaves, I stuffed it with like..half the glass of real big ol leaves) It made me so jitterish rushes of ideas came to me and I could do nothing but draw out ideas for a MMORPG that I wanted to make.
I never go to studying...but after the caffeine rush left I crashed so hard My head pounded and just smelling green tea made me feel sick and I could do nothing but sleep.
I still can't drink green tea to this day because of it. I get sick from the smell
XD

Also, despite what my psych teacher said, listening to music -for me at least- isn't always too bad as long as it is quiet. If it's quiet, sometimes I notice the song while I'm studying and it helps me recall the information during the test if I remember the song. Not often or always but it doesn't /hurt/ at least.

And depending on what you need to study for, browse online a little bit to see if there's any games involving the information you need to study. That's a great way to remember.

@princeofrose: Ah, hmm... That's interesting. Most ADHD sufferers experience a benefit from stimulants. Either that or maybe you just overdid it that time, or perhaps you need to build up a tolerance to the side effects.

Still, music helps me because it's predictable (meaning it's not new stimuli that attracts my attention) and it helps block out other sounds so that those sounds can't attract my attention either.

The association effect is a convenient bonus.

@Princeofrose: I absolutley love teachers like that XD They make lessons much easier to learn without a teacher frowning at you all day.

You probably can't learn much from me about studying.
When i do study, if flash cards can be made, I use them, but for things like math, I just stare at the papers and hope it magically jumps into my brain, but after a while, I give up. I can't study with anything on, because I get really distracted, especially if I really don't want to do it. >.<

I don't remember how I studied. all I knew was that as long as I read the reviews then I take the test or most of the time I don't study and then I somehow pass the test better than when I studied XD

I was the queen of flash cards, heck I still have a loooooooot of mine. If I couldn't put it on a card I would make up silly sayings to remember long lists of information(thank you science classes). If I couldn't do either I would set myself down and reread the information until it felt like it was spilling out of my ears. And I used to do it all with music on, so it's not like you can't have sound in the background. As you've found out it can help you focus even better. AND it's been proven that if you listen to that same song while applying the information you'll remember it better! Obviously you can't take music into tests, but you can hum it or recite some of the lyrics to yourself and it really does help.

When I ACTUALLY study...I put on my headphones and blast my music pretty loud. It doesn't matter what I do, my mind will drift and I will totally forget what the hell was I doing. But, with music only in a quiet place it is much easier to get my mind back on my work after I'm done spacing out. :X

It also helps that I really only cram. I don't do the drawn-out study sessions that deprive me of my sleep...that's just a recipe for disaster and I'm guaranteed to remember even less than I would cramming. I do it right before class usually, unless I have shit loads of reading...like today. I need to read a whole book before tomorrow >.>;;;;