Starting College

[Anonymous]

I’m starting school tomorrow and I’m not sure whether I should go back on medication. I’ve been off it for over 2 years now. Suggestions anyone?

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[Patte Rosebank]

First, you need to consider why you went off the medication, and how you’ve been doing since then. And then, you need to discuss it with your doctor.

Did you go off medication because it seemed like you’ d outgrown your ADD? (We now know that you don’t outgrow ADD, but the symptoms change, because you internalize things more.) Or was it because you found the side effects outweighed any benefits?

How have you been managing since going off the medication?

Compare how you felt and functioned before starting school, with how you feel and function when you’re back in school. Keep a journal for the first couple of weeks. Just make short notes on how you’re feeling throughout the day and evening. Things that you find easy. Things that you find hard. Anything that could contribute to these feelings (a fight with your roommate, discovering you have a great prof, the chaos of buying books, a late night out at the pub…)

This will give you an idea of whether you need to go back on medication or not. If you and your doctor feel it’s best if you go back on medication, you should continue keeping that journal, also noting the med(s), dose(s) and what time(s) you took it each day. This will help you and your doctor determine if the meds are working for you, or if you need to make adjustments. (Always consult your doctor before making any adjustments.)

Whether you’re on meds or not, if you find it very difficult to function properly in school, don’t hesitate to go to Student Services to ask for help. ADD is quite common now, so they’ll have supports and strategies available to help you. And it’s way better to get help before you get really overwhelmed, than after you have a freak-out!

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[Anonymous]

I in university and have ADHD too. I went for about a year and a half without any medication before I noticed my grades starting to slip because I couldn’t pay attention in class, focus on studying or get assignments done on time. I talked to a counsellor at my school and my doctor that diagnosed me with ADHD when I was in middle school and they both agreed that I should start medication and be given extra time on exams.

If you find yourself struggling because of your ADHD, go see the counsellor at school. They’re very understanding now because many students to have ADHD and struggle to keep up.

My doctor also gave me some study tips which help a great deal. He recommended studying a little bit throughout the day, like reading the notes I just wrote after a class or skimming the next chapter of a textbook before a class. I started breaking my studying down into 10-20 minute chunks, and just study continually throughout the day. I found I remembered more and understood more than when I was trying to do all my homework and studying in a solid few hour chunk in the evenings. My marks went up noticeably when I started medication and studying in a much more effective way.

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[Anonymous]

I would talk with a professional to evaluate if the need is there. If you have routines and the skills in place to function to the best of your ability then you may not need meds. That being said College can be unforgiving and something quite different then you’re used to.

Allot to weigh out for sure.

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[Anonymous]

Shane,

I too am in college and yes the enviroment can be rigorous and unforgiving you can use all the help you can get; my suggestion is go back onto your medications and seek out accomedations that may help you to suceed. That has made all the difference in the world to me.

K

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[Anonymous]

Ah yes post secondary. I’ve been doing my undergrad for about 5 years now. I’ve got 7 classes left, so about a year depending on course offerings etc. I was diagnosed just this past April and at the time decided I wanted to try some lifestyle management along with my school accommodations. I then found I’d failed all four classes. Revisited meds.

Accommodations as well as making sure your instructors/profs know your particular challenges makes a world of difference. I’m not loosing things as much, can let go of a question I’m stuck on and keep better track of time. I have an easier time getting started in the morning as well as switching tasks. We’re going to be increasing the does at least once more to get full effect I think but for me, meds gave me the help I needed beyond a desire to change.

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