Quick Skills: Study Tips for ADHD (and everyone else)

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PsychBytes with CCS is a weekly podcast hosted by Student Life's Counseling and Consultation Service.
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What is up everyone and welcome bacy to PsychBytes with CCS. My name is Josh and I am back today with another Quick Skills episode, and today's episode is going to be on study tips with ADHD. So good study skills are important for everyone, particularly when we are in college, but good study skills are particularly important when we don't have as much structure as maybe we were used to when we were in grade school.
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So, what's the benefit of having a good study skill?
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Well, that's going to, you know, reduce test anxiety because I feel more prepared and ready for an exam.
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My focus is going to be sharper and I will have increased motivation as a consequence.
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So again, while this is true for everyone, this is especially true for those of us who struggle with ADHD.
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So let's talk about what some of these tips are.
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And the first thing is keeping a routine.
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And to keep a routine, I am studying at the same time every day.
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It allows me to be consistent.
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Experiment with what time works best and then build it into your day.
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So try it out at X time on Monday, X time on Tuesday, X time on Wednesday.
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Go back and review which one felt the most productive, which one was easier to tap into, and then turn that into your daily study time.
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Make sure you set reminders for yourself on your phone so that you don't forget that, oh, I need to be doing this right now.
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Another thing you can do is create a dedicated study space.
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Choose an area that is free of distractions, right?
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So if I'm studying in my room where I have my gaming console, my TV, my comfortable bed, a bunch of other creature comforts that are going to pull me away from wanting to sit down and focus on the thing that's in front of me.
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That's probably not the best space for me.
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So creating a dedicated space for yourself could help your brain more quickly shift into study mode and get it away from that distractable place.
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Study in short, focused sessions.
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Many people learn best in short sessions.
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So it's it's you're making it more palatable, right?
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If you have an entire plate of food in front of you, how are you gonna eat that?
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One bite at a time.
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You can't take on the entire thing at once, it just won't work.
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So if you approach studying in the same way that you eat a meal, one bite at a time, it's gonna make it far easier to get through the content.
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So make sure that you are trying to work from 25 to 45 minutes and taking a brief break before the next course.
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Next up, let's set clear and doable goals.
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Before you begin, decide on exactly what you'd like to accomplish for that study session.
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Break big tasks into small parts, keeping it manageable.
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For example, if you have to write a paper, use one session to find your sources.
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The next one is going to be writing an outline.
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After that, the next session is going to be writing up your draft, so on and so on.
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The big thing is here is making sure you know what you're doing going into it.
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If you just have a vague idea of I'm going to study for an hour, what are you actually going to study in that hour?
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The more specific you are, the more successful you will be.
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Another thing you can do is quiz yourself frequently.
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Instead of just rereading your notes, check and see if you've actually understood what you wrote down.
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So to do this, use flashcards, um, write down the facts, summarize a chapter in a few sentences, teach it back to your roommate or a friend, tell them what you learned.
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This will help set it in your brain more effectively.
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And finally, the last skill that I want to throw your way is move your body during the breaks that you take in between study sessions.
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When you take a study break, try stretching, walking, getting up, and getting some fresh air.
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Even just a few minutes of movement can really help reset your attention, improve your focus when you return to studying.
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What you don't want to do is get on your phone, turn on the TV, you know, start a phone call with a friend, because that is going to serve to distract and detract from what I'm actually trying to do, which is get back into my study session.
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So that's all I have for you today.
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Keep your eyes peeled for future episodes.
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And until the next one, I'm Josh, and this has been PsychBytes with CCS.