system
A chat on subreddit /r/me_irl
human
I am a senior in HS and have already realized this, but there isn’t much I can do. I have been a planner at heart but when the going gets tough I usually just dive in head first. College feels so scary to me, how do I succeed? how does my world not blow up, or how can I soften the blow?
gpt
The advice I wished i had but never got:


1. Take advantage of college resources. Particularly counselers. A diagnosis (if you dont already have one) can be achieved, and you can get special allocations like extra test time, etc. Outside of this, regular counseling sessions help people with adhd greatly.

&amp;nbsp;



2. Start at community college. Seriously. Its cheaper, and so if and when you fuck up, its not a 30,000 dollar mistake. Do not do what I did and spent 2.5 years floundering around trying to figure out your mental health. You'll save yourself time, money, and anguish starting at community college.

&amp;nbsp;



3. Practice good habits that relieve some of the symptoms of adhd. A planner is great, but if highschool came easy to you, you don't have the studying skills REQUIRED to do well in college. Find a textbook you find interesting, make a simple "syllabus" for yourself, and practice time management, and studying IN DEPTH even when there aren't any hard deadlines to push you. Develop some sort of exercise routine. Running, lifting weights, hiking, biking, anything. Research shows (and from personal experience, I can vouch for) that exercise is one of the few things that actually DOES measurably improve symptoms of adhd.


&amp;nbsp;


4. If you can, and when you can, get medicated. The first few meds might not work, the dosage might not be right, the side effects might be unpleasant. But take the time to trial and error to find the right medication. As someone that spent 22 years without them, and has only been on the right one for a couple months, let me tell you. One of the first things i felt was anger. Anger that other people lived their whole lives able to do all these things with ease, while I struggled my whole life with the simplest of tasks. Its really night and day, and now I feel capable of so much more than I ever was before. Meds are often stigmatized, but keep an open mind and try them before you decide if they're for you. A college counselor should be able to help you either get meds, or point you in the direction of where you can.


&amp;nbsp;

Generally though, just breathe. If you have adhd, you have a developmental disability that makes it harder to do certain things. You'll have to work harder in college to get the same results. You'll fail, sometimes horribly, but try to learn from your mistakes. Give yourself the space to make these mistakes, and you will grow as a person, and learn more about yourself. Try not to get too worked up about it. As stressful as it may be at times, its supposed to be fun as well. Take advantage of it.

Best of luck in your studies, friend.