All my life I have been convinced I am a total weirdo. I don't function the same way as my peers, and daily talks (considered basic by others) are HARD.
These day-to-day struggles in my 20s became super apparent when I first attempted to go to univesity. Whilst academically I did well, the social aspect of a red brick uni, plus pressures to go out a lot and party alongside time management, lead to complete burnout. I restarted, dropped out, restarted, dropped out. This cycle repeated FOUR TIMES before I finally agreed with myself uni wasn't for me.
Flash forward to the present day – I have recently been diagnosed with combine-type ADHD (I know, what a shock) and finally the past 30 years of struggle (particularly relating to university) made a lot more sense. Now, a fully-fledged member of the busy brain club, I have decided to try studying my undergrad again through OU.
Here are some tips I have for the neurosparkly gang:
1) Plan Plan Plan
Now this first one seems obvious, but for those that struggle with executive function, it is not so straightforward. I have a dedicated whiteboard planner on my fridge that I update with assessments dates, study time and other weekly engagements (such as my work schedule) to ensure I know what I am doing – without taking on too much and burning out.
2) Minimse sensory overload
When studying, I generally prefer doing this out of the house as with my job, I often work from home and like to keep these separate. Having my trusty loop earplugs or noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphones when studying from a busy coffee shop has been a great help to minimise the overwhelm.
3) Seeking support
This is probably the most important. Having someone that REALLY gets you and your busy brain makes all the difference. I have an ADHD coach who helps me manage my ADHD in all aspects of life. Friends and family are a great way to seek support from too.
4) Disclosing to OU
My final tip (so far) would be making the OU student support team aware of your needs – they can help provide reasonable adjustments for you to help with your studies. They can also help support you with a DSA application. Would highly recommend!
0 Comments