ADD/ADHD and Finishing School | ADHD Information
I was curious When I was in 10th grade I was changing schools, My mother and my counselor talked me out of going into the tenth grade. They said I wouldn't make it, That I would be better off working. Looking back I wish I wouldn't have quit. At that time I knew I didn't learn like everyone else but I didn't know there was a name for it till my mid-twenties.I managed to make it through college with undiagnosed ADD but I definitely didn't do as well as I could have. My grades could have been a lot better. Halfway through the semester I would still be trying to catch up on work that was assigned during the first WEEK of class. While my friends were doing internships, research, writing honors thesises, learning all these new things, and studying abroad, I was struggling just to read a few pages each day. It took me like an hour to read one lousy page. I don't know how I made it. I guess it was a combination of nice profs, will-power, and luck. I know I'm lucky to have graduated from college with undiagnosed ADD but I'm still very bitter and depressed. I always think about what COULD have been. Knowing you can do better but not being able to use your brain is very painful. scarygreengiant39346.8269675926Kicked out of school aged 15, me. 'Lazy, bad attitude & disruptive' they said.
That attitude got a whole lot worse over the next few years.
I voted that I quit HS, but I went back later and got my GED then went on to a trade school. Trade school was something I was interested in and held my attention, so ended up doing as good as I did bad in HS. I wasn't diagnosed with ADD until almost 12 yrs after I went to trade school.I made it through HS w/o being diagnosed (so no meds). I was always in Honors classes, but my senior year I opted for "easy" ones....I hid my ADD because I didn't have to do much. My papers/projects were always done the night before they were due, when I was late, my teachers let me slide because of my grades... I guess I always did great by most people's standards, but when compared to what I was capable of, it was no where close.
College was a different story. I actually had a full scholarship. But I had several classes where we had "pop quizzes" or roll call, which counted towards our grade, so I didn't do well. No one was making me go and lectures were sooo boring, I never went to class. I always thought ADD was an excuse, and that it was just me...even when I was diagnosed, but I was already working at a great paying job (which was my final reason for quitting school)...and it wasn't until later I accepted that ADD was real.
[QUOTE=bcgirl1978]Now I know. I'd be curious to try school again once I'm on meds. But now I don't have the money.
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Me too! I would love to do that if I had enough money. And I know I would have loved school if I had been able to manage the ADD. I'm interested in a lot of things and I like learning. I managed to get my Bachelor's degree but I don't feel good about it because I basically fluked my way through college. It feels like a half-as**ed Bachelors degree. I could have done a LOT better. I can't look at my degree and tell myself, "I did the best I could." So as soon as I got the degree I shoved the piece of paper in the bottom of one of the messy piles of my closet. I get pissed off when I look at that thing.
scarygreengiant39346.8277083333Made it through HS. Graduated in early 80's. Am currently attending my 6th college, 3rd with meds.
ghead
< =""> Heh. I spent most of my high-school years trying to fit in somewhere. I was the kid that would get A's on all the tests, but would never do homework. For some reason, God made me smart enough to get by via that in high-school. College was a different story. Homework and papers were done the night before or the hours before they were do and done 1/2 @ssed. I did manage to get a 4 year engineering degree, but I almost got kicked out of my major. My grades stunk and I was too busy drinking and smoking pot for the first couple of years. I'm now 29 and I self-diagnosed about 3 years ago and went to see my doctor. My high-stress manufacturing job had me to the point where I couldn't figure out what to do first, but I knew I had 3000 things to do and I would come home every night feeling totally exhausted. I went and saw my doctor and told him about all this and we started with some Adderall and it's definitely changed my life. I'm finally paying off the credit card debt and am in a stable relationship with a woman I really love and most of my social phobias are out the window. Still have good and bad brain days, but doesn't everyone?I was lucky enough that my innate intelligence allowed me to fluke my way through high school by barely doing my homework, and rarely studying (unless you count cramming the night before, and/or the last few minutes in the hallway before the test). I managed to graduate high school with an 84% average, which I believe is an A-.
I went to university, but soon discovered I wasn't able to coast nearly as easily as I did through high school. My averages plummeted to the 60s, and I KNOW that I could have done better. In my third year, I opted for early graduation (I had enough credits for a general degree), rather than continuing on to the fourth year to complete a full-blown major. My diploma says "Bachelor of Arts, Social Sciences, Area of Specialization (not major) in Geography". And wouldn't you know it, in typical ADD fashion, I misplaced that damn piece of paper and haven't seen it in years. Rather ironic, if you ask me.
I'm with scarygreengiant - I knew people who worked their butts off on semesters abroad, thesises, co-op work terms, you name it. I never understood why I was so.... lazy.
Now I know. I'd be curious to try school again once I'm on meds. But now I don't have the money.
"Doesn't listen and doesn't follow directions" is what I heard quite a few times even if it was a project I wanted to be proud of. I was a wallflower and anti-social mostly. I got hyper on special days like senior day, pep rallys, etc
In total with my master's degree I have gone to school for 10 years. That includes all elementary, middle school, high school, college, and grad school. So, to say in the least I had an unconventional education. I never finished high school instead I got a GED at 17. Always moving but finally went to college. Luckily, I graduated with very high grades. Now at 40 something I'm about to finish my master's degree this year. However, because of the huge holes in my education I felt that I had to study or work in certain fields that wouldn't highlight my inadequacies.
Somehow, I'm going to graduate even though writing nearly kills me as do tests. In order for me to have gotten as far as I have in my education, I have had to pull 3-4 all nighters a week.
Some say it's due to my not having a foundation. Others say that it's because I just don't focus. I don't know what it is. I do know, however, that it takes me a long time to write. I am always rewriting. I can't seem do what other student do, you know write an outline, use the outline to write a draft and then polish that into a finished product. I have such a hard time with the organizational aspect of the whole thing. Just thinking about makes me frustrated.
theoptimizer38442.6583912037On meds for Concentration/Epilepsy. Can't say meds really helped at all. I just didn't get and still don't with some things. Alexander school- Richardson Texas.daniel's mom38442.7090509259Oh' I forgot to talk about the H.S. thing. I didn't take "meds" through high school because I was too busy self-medicating or getting high. Funny enough the only time that I felt "normal" as a kid was when I was taking speed, but, I it was hard to find, and I really didn't fit in with the kids that did drugs.
Anyway, school always presented a big enigma for me. I never felt as if I knew what was going on. I always felt like I was looking in on everyone, and that I didn't belong. I never felt a part of the group. I was always out of sink. Comes to find out years later I couldn't hear them because my brain shuts off without my permission.
Becuase I was diagnosed last spring with ADHD the inattentive type and given Adderall XR I was able to make to the point I am now (almost done with grad school). This is not to say that I don't struggle, becuase I do, terribly. Right now this is my break from writing another paper (ugh). I needed to connect with people who are struggling as well. But, I have a lot of faith that I can make it even if at times it doesn't feel like it, which means that you can make it as well even though it doesn't feel like it sometimes.
Although I was never diagnosed I made it through high school. BARELY!!! Parents never even gave college a thought for me and I really had no interest in more schooling.
Son has already said he doesn't want to go to college. He says no need to pay money to fail. Although his father and I want him to succeed educationally, follow a career path and learn further academically thru college, we are supporting him in any decision he makes for his future. We are hoping he will decide the college route, but if that comes some years down the road then so be it.
I was able to finish highschool without failing any grades allong the way.
I was definately not a model student, I rarely took notes in classes even though alot of classes graded notebooks (easy grade my @$$
). I slept through a few classes as well. Fortunately I have a good memory and it was able to get me through without too much grief. But was repeatedly informed as many of you probably were as well, I "did not work up to my full potential" and "Is capable of better work" (there were a few more but I'm sure you get the idea).
I did attend college, which was an utter waste of time and money. I attended because I was expected to, not because I really wanted to be there. I despise being lectured to and can rarely learn very well in that manner. If I'm being taught in a hands on environment I'm able to succeed much easier, faster,and retain more information than other methods. Also I resented being forced to take courses unrelated to my chosen curriculum, in order to justify some over paid, pompus, stuffed shirt, professor's salary.
Hello Tam
How wild. My parents too, pulled me out of school when we went to register for my senior year of highschool. They took me in the counciling office, and gave me the choice. Of course I was struggling, and had switched schools several times,, highschool was extremely painful for me,,, so what would a 17 year old say ?
So I moved out and got a job. But I did finish my GED, and went on to college. I finished an AA degree, but never finished my BS degree in Biology. I was stuggling terribly with school and work (went back to school later), and it took me five times as long to get decent grades . I was married, and finally had a baby. I found it virtually impossible at that point to work, go to classes, study , take care of the new baby, and husband.
Then living with the faiure of not finishing , and having a carreer, has caused huge amounts of depressioin. I seem to never finish what I start.
I am finally diagnosed with ADHD, and on meds. Not working too well yet. But I wonder about finishing school someday if they do work. I am almost 34 years young though. 
Marks were too bad to get into college but was given exemption and allowed to study some distance education while in the army. Allowed me to get a couple of degrees (distance study allowed me to work in short spurts right before exams, rather than attend classes and have to work consistently).
Having forgotten the pain of trying to study I recently suffered the extraordinarily painful event of doing a part time business degree through the local university. Two years of sheer hell. Everyone else in the course had a blast. Worst mistake I have made in years. Classes were only on alternate weekends but I think I managed to skip more than I attended. Cold shivers just thinking about it. NEVER AGAIN!
Thinking back I realize how all my studying was awful. Just pure suffering. Guess what doesnt kill you makes you stronger Eh?
I didn't really know how to answer this because I did go on to a Vocational Technical college in my late 20's and got my diploma (no meds), but they aren't real colleges are they?? I did well but only because I learned hands on, not much reading. If I went to a University, I would never stand a chance I'm sure.
I think back on high school and can't help but wonder if I had my meds, and didn't smoke so much pot and drink, what I would have done. I'm sure it would have been a lot better than the C's and D's I consistently got! I wish I could do it over again.
trail-seeker,
AT 19 i started to work on my G.E.D. I met my husband (Love stepped in and he was more important) so I put it off. Kids came along they are now 14 & 12. I'm now wondering if it's important to me now. I have a job I'm very happy with, in a supervisor position.
My mom always said "If it isn't broke don't fix it" (of coarse she is also the person that said I wouldn't make it thru High School)
Thank You all For your experiences, 
the GED. went on to college. could'nt finish that either. went to about 5
colleges. still struggling to finish. really really want to finish. not finishing
is depressing for me.
did meds help anyone to stay focused long enough to finish.
I made it through highschool with no meds. I was an average student. My report cards all through elementary and highschool always had comments like " she is a very smart girl, could do much better if she applied herself." I always wondered just how hard I was suppose to "apply" myself. I had to bust my butt to get B's and I always got "that's good, but we know you can get an A." My best subjects were english and social studies/hystory. I was horrible at math and science.
When I got to college it was totally different. I went through college without meds too and graduated on the Dean's list. College was a breeze for me, while many of my friends who didn't have to open a book to get straight A's were failing. I guess all that studying sooo hard just to get a B helped to pay of in college. Also I think that college is taught alot differently than highschool. Many of my classes would give you a schedule of all assignments due that semester. I would do many of them ahead of time and so was never late handing them in. And aside from taking notes in class it seemed to me that you pretty much taught yourself through independant research etc. I worked two part time jobs and commuted 45 each way to school everyday and still did better than I did in highschool.
I was also a very last minute type person for projects and such in highschool. But I always felt that I worked better under preassure rather than starting ahead of time.
Bn Quit school
Rn graduated from Private LD schools
I didn't open a single book during the first nine years of school. Those are compulsory nine years. I graduated with almost highest score in every subject.Went on to "gymnasiet" for three years. Not required years but you don't get any job without them. Here came the problem. I had hated the first nine years and been ganged up on in class during these years and now suddenly ppl wanted me to attend their partys and I got my first bf, wich lasted almost all three years. So ofcourse, I hardly study at all but made it with average grades but my teachers always told me I could do more and that I was more intelligente than my grades said.
Now University.... uuuummmm... really hard party for two years, like 6days a week, sleept throu classes if I ever were there. Realized it couldn't go on and started to work. After two years went back to a different univeristy and did nothing but study for a year and manage two of the four exams.
And that's where I'm today and I was undiagnosis until soon two years ago and it was 6years since I left the last university. I wounder if I ever can go back and actually take all the exams... Well it's at least a dream to work against :-)
/Kaks
i was the worst high school student ever. multiple suspensions, disruptive, had teachers tell my friends to stay away from me. ETC>>>>> we all know this process.
Dropped out of school and went back and finished high school, went to university and forced myself to study, painstaking, hours of time wasting in quiet libraries, anything to study.
No meds, now a doctor, self-employed, making great money and in control of my own life. It is still a struggle to stay on top of everything at work. Luckily i am able to hyperfocus, this helped with school, sucks in the real world though.
Started taking SAM e, b-vitamins, colostrum and passion flower at night..... UNBELIEVALBLE results.... Tried Wellbutrin, SSRI's and they were too strong and horrible side effects.
I HAVE NO SIDE EFFECTS WITH THE CURRENT set of meds..... AMAZING.
SAM e increases dopamine, and the b vitamins cause it to be recycled in your system. 200mg a day does the trick. Passion flower also is synergistic with SAM e and helps with anxiety. Valerian root is also a possibility for you as is 5-htp. Try to avoid the presciption meds due to worse side effects
NOW i got the job, got the meds, got the girl, so happy i would make you puke.
cheers