This section offers suggestions for how you can increase the likelihood of doing what you need to do with less “trying so hard” and “shoulda, woulda, coulda” regret.

Although students can be significantly helped with medication, skills and strategies are also important (and maybe the only option for some). There are resources and supports to develop these skills and strategies.

Although many students know the strategies they need to use, the hard part is doing what you need to do when you need to do it, and bringing forth what you know when you need to know it. That requires some unique work arounds. Rather than telling yourself you need to try harder, remember better, and pay attention more (ADHD is not a problem of not trying hard enough) the idea is to  design your life and engineer your spaces so that you don’t have to rely on better memory and more attention. You likely have done many of these things already: do you have one place where you routinely keep your wallet and phone? Do you have a conspicuous hook by the door for your keys? Do you do school work in a place where you’ve noticed your productivity is better? The next few pages just carry this kind of thinking into the post-secondary context.

A podcast by Ari Tuckman explains it best: “The strategies that work for people with ADHD are just good strategies that work for most people. Rather than feel self-conscious about the strategies that help you be successful, do what works and enjoy your success.”