Hi Everyone,
Looking for information/resources/tools specifically pertaining to Science Students with ADHD. Finding some of the systems of representation inaccessible as I move further on in my studies. Seems like there the needs to be a fundamental retooling that opens access to neurodiverse students. Out on a limb here since my institutions want to explore nothing except extended time on test and notecards 😓, please share anything you know of or common experiences.
What is your problem? what level are you at? How's your grasp on latin?
For me, concepts were pretty easy - blood goes in the L atrium, out to the lungs, back to the R atrium, out to the body. If you can break down words to their latin roots they are generally pretty easy to understand. My problem was remembering nomenclature. Anatomy and physiology was the only time I really tried to straight memorize stuff for school with flash cards and it was painful. for example - 1st quarter we memorized bones. there's like 215. hard but do-able. 2nd quarter you got muscles. Some have their own name, many are named after the bones they attach to. Getting harder. 3rd quarter you got vasculature. they're named after the bones and muscles. F me! I didn't even try 3rd quarter. still managed a B though.
if you're in college there must be a tutoring center. Even if your too advanced for the available tutors it may help to study with someone who's comfortable with science and can help with the latin - IDK what funding is like today but they may even be willing to put up a job offer for your specific needs. If I was in school today I would use YouTube. Nerds make videos on EVERYTHING. I use it for nursing questions all the time and the comment section can be helpful too.
Thanks for the reply, I'm currently undergrad headed toward conservation botany focus. my Latin isn't terrible as i was exposed as a child to binomial nomenclature. I still think hierarchal taxonomy is antiquated... but thats another conversation.
For biology I do pretty well. Specifically when it comes to notation in physics, stats and calculus I'm at a loss. I was memorizing paths for solution in calc... but that doesn't work for physics past a certain point. One of the issues is that the formats and alphabetic variable system lack consistency both within a subject and across the disciplines. At the core of STEM subjects there is a beautiful universality... but each subject is treated as a monolith full of extraneous nonsense and nomenclature. I'm desperate to find something that makes use of the commonality and does away with the marginal minutia.
hmm. I gave up at Trig when math started requiring memorization. I wanted to do calc for a personal interest in physics and astronomy but I was working toward nursing at that point so i gave up after getting a C in trig. I honestly don't understand the middle of your 2nd paragraph so... I can tell you that ADHD tutoring seems perfect for math subjects - they have all sorts of tricks for us.
Do you know how necessary the math will be for your graduate classes? once you start doing research (this comes from my experimental psych class) they have stat software - you don't really need to remember how it works, just what the output means. How many classes are giving you trouble? The way I got through anatomy and physiology was to only take one class for a year. It was rough but I knew at the time that it was the one real hump left to get over so I just suffered through it. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. BUT it wasn't all that foundational to my nursing school - the concepts were what really mattered and I could google the details as needed.
Youtube is way more comprehensive today than when I was in school. Calc is THE class everyone is scared of so I'm sure you could find helpful stuff. Start with Sean Carroll. He did a great intro to physics series at the beggining of Covid - I'm sure the comments and algorithm would help you find what you're looking for from there.
I am taking Calc 2 this semester, but will be doing quite a lot with stats career wise. For me it's not just being able to pass, it is truth having equal access to a subject that is designed for a narrow scope of path ways. I would like to have mastery, because I find some of the implications of this narrow approach partially responsible for many contemporary issues in climate and science communication.
I'm interested in how specialized the tutoring is when I see an obvious opportunity to retool these subject in line with universal learning practices.
My experience has been that medication helps to dramatically improve focus, but not the executive function component.
I worked with a great adhd coach with 1:1 weekly sessions to address my organization and time management issues. That was helping but my coach switched to a group model and doubled her rate for 1:1 clients. Group sessions were not at all helpful.
Daily 10’ Meditation session have also been helpful, especially when I find myself stressing about multiple deadlines and feeling overwhelmed. HIGHLY RECOMMEND Sam Harris’s Waking up app.
Thnaks I'll try that app.
When it comes to rote memorization, flash cards are king. I like to use a free program called Anki. It has has text editing tools for math and science, too.
You might try asking for accommodations like extensions on in-class assignments and group work, since working in a noisy classroom can be super distracting. Structure and extra accountability systems also go a long way.
The thing that’s helped me the most is simply teaching myself as much as possible about a topic before starting it in the classroom. Going solo can be a lot more work, but I find it to be way more engaging and rewarding.
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