Any ADD academics out there? | ADHD Information

Everything above describes me, too... perfectly. I'm in my senior year now, and will be graduating soon. I have been fortunate enough to get good grades so far.

I've also recently found out that I have ADD (earlier this semester)... the inattentive type I think. Ever since, I've been occassionally thinking how I've gotten by so far with a 3.6 GPA!

Of course, like you said, there are a lot of things that I either have to write off for a day, or that I spend hours on, that others could do in an hour. I know exactly what you're talking about, and you're not alone.

If I were to draw conclusions for possible reasons now, I would think that my success has been due to my ability to hyperfocus. Somehow, my subconcious has learned that college is important enough to pay attention to (when it's absolutely needed). Of course, my university isn't exactly Harvard-level difficulty either.

I think it's interesting that, personally, I can crank out a one page essay on art history in about 5 minutes... and it sounds GREAT. I have people read them and they think a PhD had written it... I don't even write drafts. For some reason, my writing skill has definitely been a blessing for my collegiate success I think. Cramming never hurts either, for exams.

Maybe I've been lucky with easiness so far... I don't really know just yet.

This is a really good post, and I'm still trying to figure out a lot of what you're probably trying to figure out el_lobo.

By the way, if you know of any ways to temporarilly make yourself really focus, concentrate, and memorize (for studying for exam, for example), I'd be interested to hear about it!

I look forward to hear what others say, in this thread!Thought of a few things just now, that might account for my so far lucky success... (leave it to an ADDer to think of this stuff after he's already made a post )

- I can B.S. with the best of them, especially on essays and on essay exams.

- My logic and deduction/induction skills are other-worldly, I've been told.

- Multiple choice exams are my enemy (especially the "best answer" types, where every choice COULD be the right one under certain circumstances).

- True/False exams are my WORST enemy. I loathe the day those were created.

- My major is in my area of interest (computers), so maybe that helps me be interested enough to focus just enough to get by.

Hope that offers some amount of insight, perhaps!

I used to write 4000 word essays in one day all through uni, after doing nothing for the whole semester. I can spend days and days surfing the net, emailing and having coffee breaks or doing basically anything instead of the task. 

I only do things straight away if someone says ASAP, otherwise it goes in the inbox and never gets done. Next job I have I should tell them to say that EVERYTHING is ASAP

What time wasting things do other people do when you are supposed to be working? Do you surf the net, or just sit there and daydream? Some days I just have to write off doing anything productive for the rest of the day like and hope I feel like it tomorrow.

I was already stereotyped as the "absent-minded professor" when I was a student in high school.  In college I sometimes devote half an hour of my day to looking for books and stuff that I forgot about.

I have a ridiculously hard time finishing papers and I still I can't get myself to write an outline.  I am sucessful in school because I spend 5 times as much time on papers than anyone else, but it means I have to sacrifice everything else.  For every 4 hours I spend in front of a computer I probably do 1 hour of work.

What tricks have people found to get themselves to finish papers/ projects? 

All in all I find school to be a safer place then most.  Original ideas and good communication skills can help compensate for lack of "results".  And I can always come up with another clever excuse to get an extension.  Unfortunately I am graduating soon and will no longer be able to get by in the world by sassing people with my wit.

I usually finish my papers when I have to. Like when the principal thows a paper of "You will be thrown out, if you havent made them to monday...".

There is no more stimulating thing than a knife at your throat, and I usually work 1000% quicker than normal people when I am hyperfocused. I used to make 2 month of papers on one weekend hehe...

I have tried to compensate for this lack of focus my entire life. I am sure it not psychologically, but physiologically... so get a higher dosage of your stimulant, or perhaps another stimulant...