What ADHD Looks like in College

By William Schroeder, LPC and clinically reviewed by Teri Schroeder, LCSW

I want to tell a personal story about what ADHD looks like in college. I frequently hear variations of this story, and I know it all too well because it happened to me. College introduces a whole new level of complexity for many students as they try to manage what often feels like chaos. Some kids with attention deficits have parents who learn to overfunction for them, trying to help them with something that doesn’t come naturally to them (Note to parents: This doesn’t help your kids in the long term). My mom was this way as she was a teacher and worked with kids with learning disabilities and I STILL struggled. Some kids don’t have as much support and are forced to try and figure things out on their own, and thus, they struggle earlier. Or maybe they have a parent with the same difficulties and blind spots. The experience of college will test all kids, and for kids with attention deficits, this can sometimes be a tough challenge as it can also easily give rise to stress, anxiety, and depression. (Tips at the bottom)

What ADHD Looks Like in College: A Rough Start

For me, my first two years in college were very challenging. I didn’t know how to prioritize things. Organizing myself seemed like an idea more than a reality. I figured I was smart enough to find a shortcut on doing things, which would buy me time. In college, I was most concerned with having freedom, pursuing my interests, and the blossoming social world around me. Sure, I saw people studying, but I figured they were probably the most diligent students, and I didn’t have to be one of them. Besides, I got through high school with last-minute cramming.

A typical day in college for me started with an alarm clock going off an obnoxious amount of times. I would throw on clothes and a hat to disguise my bedhead and run to class, almost always late. I have to imagine to a passerby, it must have looked odd to see the same kid running across campus, half awake to a class he was late for… every day. I was tired in lectures. I rarely caught up on my readings. I felt I could always spend time on weekends or vacations to get caught up on that… right before the tests. There was a lot of magical thinking without ever penciling in that dedicated study time. When I came late to class, I always felt bad about it. The shame was even worse when the teacher would ask questions about the readings, which I was behind on. I would talk with the teachers following class to show my interest and hope they would give me the benefit of the doubt when grading. Tests and papers were often the results of an all-night study binge. I promised I wouldn’t keep doing this to myself. I felt awful, and my brain felt broken while it was supposed to be performing optimally.

Stimulants were not the answer for me. I was prescribed stimulants, but that created a whole other issue. Since I would often wake up late, I would forget to take them till later. I would take them in the afternoon, and they would keep me up late at night. If I had a test, I would take stimulants and caffeine together to try and knock out everything in front of me. Looking back, this created a scenario where I was like an astronaut tumbling in outer space. I had nothing grounding my sleep schedule, and the stimulants made it worse. My psychiatrist was out of town and saw me for an hour every six months or so, and thus, he missed the issues. He didn’t know that my bedtime varied between 1 A.M. and 4 A.M. regularly. When I would sleep, I would crash for a long time, and this would cause me to miss classes as I would sleep through my alarm clock. All of this made me feel worse about myself.

What I indeed lacked in college was a sound accountability system and a firm blueprint for success that I had implemented, tested, and learned from. This blueprint is what helps to determine your trajectory. Growing up with ADHD, I always felt like focusing on my ADHD made me feel more stuck, as it affected my self-esteem. My self-esteem has suffered for many years in school, and I was self-critical for doing things late, getting off task, and not following instructions. All this made me worry about what else I might do poorly on. It can improve if you reach out for help, slow down, and try to learn one thing from each week. You can do it differently and work on implementing it.

Tips for Dealing With ADHD in College: What Helped Me

1. I couldn’t study like other kids. My friends would study in their rooms or the halls of our dorm. I couldn’t do this to save my life. If there were anything that could distract me, it would. When I started reading, I often had to re-read the same page multiple times as my mind was preoccupied. To help with this, I had to go to the library and be in a secluded area or a study room. This seclusion was imperative for my success. I also had to battle plan for the library. I would pack snacks and Red Bull and prepare to wage war against my desire to distract myself. Usually, this meant giving myself 30 minutes to an hour to be distracted and then pushing myself to start with something minor, such as reading one paragraph or doing one math problem. Also, breaking study sessions into shorter chunks (like the Pomodoro Technique) can be an effective way to stay focused.
2. Music without words helps. I found that studying became easier if I listened to certain bands that had music without words. My brain would tune out from the passage of time and help me to hyper-focus on my work. Today, things like Focus at Will make that process easier (more about apps later).
3. I am bad at estimating time. I never knew how much time I needed for homework or studying. The thing that helped me most here was twofold. I always tried to estimate it would take more time… but I still lacked time management. I got a good roommate who was a good friend; he was diligent about studying and helped me stay on track. When I saw him studying for classes we took together (I tried to match up our schedules as best I could), I knew it was time to hit the books myself. When I saw him preparing for class, I knew I had to prepare.
4. Exercise makes a huge difference. Running and lifting were two things that helped my busy brain slow down. When I started working out four days a week, my grades and ability to focus climbed. I also felt really good about myself for doing this consistently. I had workout buddies in the beginning who met me at the gym, which helped me feel more comfortable, but after that, I got a good workout regime that I continued on my own. Nowadays, there are also plenty of apps, from Beachbody to The Pump, that can help guide your training. That said, a gym buddy helps to build accountability.
5. Eating healthy and having breakfast helps. There is a lot of research on this but I didn’t believe it till I started noticing the pattern within myself. I could focus more easily when I ate a healthy breakfast that was high in protein.
6. Caffeine is good but in moderation. In college I viewed caffeine as the hack that would help me focus all night. Boy was I wrong. I later began to use it to help me get over the afternoon hump at 3 P.M. or if I felt a little tired in a class. That worked better, and I didn’t use it after 5 P.M. very often unless it was an emergency.
7. Sleep is your friend. In college my sleep schedule was terrible. I had no idea how important listening to my body was and getting 8-9 hours. When I did start to get the hang of this, I noticed my test-taking anxiety went down, and my focus increased.
8. Talk to your teachers. Getting my teachers to know I cared was helpful. By talking with them, they would offer to read papers before they were due to give feedback. This always helped with grades. I would also let them know about my ADHD and that I might need extra time on tests.
9. Join a study group. Some classes are well suited to study groups. For me this was true for all of my math classes. I would scan the room for the person who was excited about their test grades, who the teacher called on, and who seemed to know what was going on. I befriended them, and we became study partners. In retrospect, the social connection also helped build positive momentum. I was excited to go to class and see my new friends; we supported each other. I would never have gotten through statistics and quantitative methods one and two without the support of my friends.
10. Use every on-campus resource you can for help. Many schools have writing labs, math labs, and tutoring resources for a wide array of needs. You have to make the first step and reach out. I found that just asking for help and going there made the most significant difference. I was pro-actively working on things and this helped me to struggle less.
11. Dropping a class may be a smart move. I dropped a couple of courses in college due to the teacher being a bad fit or my class schedule feeling too overwhelming. This proved to be a wise move each time and reminded me of the importance of carefully planning my classes. I began to utilize the disability support resources on campus to help me pick the right teachers and class load. Disability services can help students advocate for accommodations like extended test times or reduced-distraction environments.
12. Good notes are essential. My notes were always a mess. I had a hard time keeping up with the lecture and my notes looked like a Jackson Pollock painting more than anything legible. I decided to find someone who took excellent notes, and I would get a copy and then re-write it. I would also create tests for myself based on them. This also helped me to keep my backpack and binders more organized as I would model what I noticed and what the other person did.
13. The ADHD brain is like a Ferrari with bicycle brakes. Focus on the things that help you slow your brain down. Things like Headspace, Waking Up, or a meditation class can help with this.
14. Don’t beat yourself up. Life is a process of analyzing problems and learning better strategies for success from them. This isn’t a catastrophe if you struggle in high school, college, the working world, or even your marriage. These are all opportunities to grow, and we have to scan for what is the one thing we can do differently.
15. Consider therapy or coaching for ADHD. Many colleges offer ADHD-specific coaching or support programs, which can be invaluable in helping students with executive functioning skills like time management, prioritization, and organization.
16. Apps might help. There are apps and tools specifically designed to help manage ADHD, such as time-blocking apps (e.g., Todoist or Forest), note-taking apps (like Notion or Evernote), and distraction-limiting software (e.g., StayFocusd or Freedom).
17. The Impact of Structure: Admittedly, this last part of college is hard in your 20s, but setting consistent routines, especially around sleep and eating, is critical. ADHD brains thrive on structure so think about what routines you could commit to.

Choosing a College When You Have ADHD

ADHD in college students is far more common than most families expect. A large international study published in the Journal of Attention Disorders found that roughly 16% of first-year college students surveyed across nine countries screened positive for ADHD.

Just Mind therapist Scott Allen, PsyD and I hear questions about this often, so here is what we tell families.

Start with the student, not the school. Finding an environment that will support their growth and inspire them matters more than any ranking. If they needed a lot of structure in high school, then it makes sense they might also need that in college.

Look for Schools With Real Support Programs

Loyola University in New Orleans has a program called the Student Success Center, which provides various levels of coaching, tutoring, and career support. Other schools have programs more focused on disability services, like the SALT Center (Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques) at the University of Arizona, which is even more intensive for those who need it.

Questions Worth Asking About Every School on the List

• What is the size and layout of the campus? First-year classes at larger universities tend to be massive and can be overwhelming for students with ADHD, as it is harder to reach the layers of support they had in high school. Would they benefit from smaller classes and more direct teacher time?
• Would a gap year help? A year to work, mature, and take community college classes can improve readiness. Fill it with work experience, an internship, or volunteering at the least. Doing nothing can turn into avoidance.
• How is the academic calendar set up? Some students like a quarter system with short but intense classes. Others prefer a semester. We have even had students opt for Colorado College’s Block Plan, which allows them to take one class at a time.
• How will they balance work and play? If you’re worried about dividing work and social time, be wary of party schools.
• How far from home is it? Has your young adult had prior experience separating from family for trips or sleepovers? If not, it might be worth considering a college close to home and working up to moving away in gradual steps.

A personal disclosure here: I went to Millsaps College, and it was just the small school environment my parents thought would help me. Having grown up in New Orleans, I was bored out of my mind, as most students went home on the weekends, and the school had minimal support services. I transferred to Loyola in New Orleans and found the exact balance I needed between fun and a supportive environment.

Should Students Disclose ADHD on a College Application?

There’s no single right answer, and we’ve seen it done both ways. Our vote is for disclosing any disability and making it an open part of the criteria for evaluation, because it helps you see the full spectrum of services a school offers. As long as you have your evaluations and documentation ready, you can also disclose after being accepted.

Scott Allen, PsyD: We’ve had a parent describe disability disclosure as an “insurance policy.” It is unlawful for a school or program to reject a prospective student on the basis of a disability. Status cannot be made public to other students, and even if accommodations are approved, the student is never required to use them.

What to Ask the Disability Office

Scott Allen, PsyD: Nearly every school has a disability office. The differences that matter are in the types of support offered and how easy they are to reach. Find out:

• Does the school have disability advisors who will help get accommodations in place with professors, and can your student schedule with them early?
• Does that advisor understand time management, organization, and scheduling difficulties, not just testing logistics?
• Are there additional fees for tutoring and coaching?
• Which ADHD accommodations are available? Extended time, testing in a distraction-reduced room, assistive technology that reads text aloud, note-taking support, is coaching included?

When I went to Loyola, they had a class on how to organize and structure yourself for learning, and I met once a week with a coach. She was a bit of a blind spot detector for me, and it helped me see what worked, what was a challenge, and what I could do differently. She was instrumental in my success.

For more, CHADD’s guide to selecting and applying to colleges is a useful companion.

The last thing I will say is overcoming ADHD challenges is a long-term process, with each failure being an opportunity for learning. If you need counseling or help with an attention deficit, please don’t hesitate to contact us to make a counseling appointment now so we can connect you with resources in the area. We also offer ADHD counseling.