Oh god its so hard to focus on text books epecially when its math and I have ADD, I gotta try ADD meds again
I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was in college. I went from a C average to deans list by learning some study skills. Are you is high school or college? Do you own the books, or are they the school's? Can you mark them up with a highlighter or underlining? A common mistake people make highlighting is to try to highlight everything, or whole passages. You only need to highlight the important words in the key sentences that contain the essential meaning of the passage. You can write key words summarizing the passage in the margin of the page, to help you remember or find important concepts when studying. There is a method for reading texts called the SQ3R method. Here is a good dscription of it: http://www.studygs.net/texred2.htmkey Another thing that might help you in class is the Cornell notetaking system. Here's Wikipedia on the Cornell method: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_Notes If you have trouble with audio processing (understanding what you're hearing, as opposed to learning by doing or seeing) then ask if you can record your lectures to listen to later, so that you can fill in any notes you've missed. Where you study is important too. It's easy to get distracted even if you don't have ADD. Having your desk facing your wall is not going to help, because a wall is like a blank canvas to a bored imagination. If you can, move your desk so it faces the open space, the middle of the room if possible, or have your back against the wall, your desk facing out. When you study, turn off all the lights in the room except your desk lamp - creating and island of light at your workspace. Distractions "disappear" into the darkness, letting you study in peace. It really works, try it! Studying with earplugs in helps. Do not ever try to study with the TV or radio on! If "white noise" is a problem, use a sound machine, or one of those cheap CD's of nature sounds. Lyrics or strong rhythms will be very distracting. Listen to music you like when you can give it the attention it deserves, not while trying to study. I got cheap CD's of tinkly-plunk new age music and nature sounds at the supermarkeet or dollar store, to study to. Now I have a sound machine that plays digitized rain, thunder, or ocean sounds. Set a timer for 45 minute study intervals. Take frequent, short breaks. Progressive muscle relaxation exercises before studying can help you concentrate better. Lastly, if you have any control over what you study, try to take lots of hands-on, kinesthetic classes like studio, lab, or field classes. I majored in studio art, where the kinesthetic (active, "do-er") learning style was an advantage, not a disability. Hope that helps. Good luck!
