Students with ADHD frequently report they have a hard time figuring out what pieces of information are important to write down during a lecture, and they describe their notes as unhelpful for later studying. Here are some basic tips:

1. Try to choose classes during a time of day when you know you are most often alert and less distractable, and (since you often will not have this choice) organize your day (waking time, medication use, etc.) so that you maximize your performance during lectures.

2. The voice of the lecturer, his or her pace of speaking, the classroom surroundings, the content of a lecture, and your inner world (interest, motivation, alertness, etc.), and familiarity with the content, will all contribute to the quality of your notes. Attend a Student Learning Services workshop on note taking, work with a learning strategist, talk to a counsellor at Student Counselling Services to explore how to manage distractions.

3. Ask for permission to audio record the lectures and listen to them again to review and/or edit notes.

4. If you have sought accommodation and applied for support, you may be able to have a note-taker in the classroom.

5. Ask classmates if they are willing to exchange copies of lecture notes.

6. Leave wide margins on the page so that you have room to sketch in images that help you to understand the concept or remember the bits that make up the general idea. This will also allow you to jot down additional notes or pictures later when you review your notes.

7. Use different coloured ink to distinguish one idea from the next, and this can add the kind of stimulation that will help you to stay engaged. This will also be helpful later when you work at processing the information more deeply in preparation for an exam (yup, studying).