struggling & overthinking

[Oatmealove]

I just failed my first quarter at UCSB as a transfer and worried that I won't be able to graduate in time. I am also trying to pursue medicine but it took a toll on me physically & mentally. My body is constantly draining and can't sleep. I need advice.

[BLC89]

Hello Oatmealove,There is no "on time" that fits everyone. So it takes you and extra quarter or two or 5 to graduate, that's OK. Your health - physical and mental- are your most precious of assets, protect them fiercely.

ADHDers that fit the school system can fly through. If school isn't, and hasn't been, a good fit then it will likely take longer and you'll need supports in place to help work within the school system (that wasn't designed for how you think or operate).

Be kind to yourself, take a breath, you have time. Your journey won't look like everyone else's because you don't see the world like everyone else.

If you are officially diagnosed there are accommodations available at most schools like: being able to record lectures, having someone take notes for you, different testing rooms, longer time to take tests, etc. Student services should be able to direct you.

If you are not officially diagnosed then you need to put supports in place yourself - like taking a lighter course load and graduating later.

Take care of yourself. I know right now school is your whole world and every bit of it like schedules and courses feels like there is a right and wrong way to do it. Speaking from experience, enjoying classes, less stress, actually learning not just cramming, and making friends, is a far superior experience. Enjoy your friends, hang out, talk about everything and nothing, learn about yourself along the way. This is the last time you will be young, free and single (?) enjoy the ride! Take a light class load and excel in your classes not just pass.

You've got this, have fun!

BLC89

[Tigger4me]

Hi Oatmeallove, Great advice from BLC89, especially about being open to adapting your planned graduation schedule given the ups and downs of getting a college degree.

I'm a recently retired university faculty (with ADHD) and I have had many ADHD students in class so I hope you don't mind if I ask you a few questions in order to get a clearer picture of your situation. First and most important, do you have an official medical diagnosis of ADHD? If not I strongly advise that you get one. UCSB's Student Wellbeing home page has information (under Mental Health) that will help you get a diagnosis if you do not have one. You will need a medical diagnosis in order to set up any accommodations for improving your academic success. Get and use any and all that you feel you may need. If like other institutions, these accommodations will need to be set up at the start of any academic term and there will most likely be deadlines for getting these established.

Second related question, if diagnosed, are you taking stimulant medication? If not, you should seriously consider taking these meds. The Student Wellbeing website will have information about getting and using these meds.

Third, you said you transferred to UCSB, can it be assumed that you transferred, in part, to attend a better/larger university? I mention this because transferring into a university like UCSB can be quite challenging for anyone, but the new, and maybe higher, level of academic complexity can be especially challenging for students with ADHD. UCSB should have a lot of study and learning resources available for students to improve their chances for academic success. Check these out.

What "year" are you in your studies? Seek out pre-med counseling if you think med school is in your future. Especially useful for getting a clear understanding as to what would be an appropriate time line for you to enter med school. I say this, in part, because my son (who has ADHD, went to med school and is now a successful and happy MD) took 2 years after getting his BS to take additional coursework, to volunteer at a local children's hospital and to get a job doing bio-medical research before entering med school. The extra time was essential for him to get into and be successful in med school.

Finally, even if you are not interested in going to med school, you might want to read the book ADHD 2.0 written by Hallowell and Ratey which is wonderful for understanding your ADHD. You might also like this book because both Halloway and Ratey have ADHD and both were MD's and both were on the Harvard Medical School Faculty.

Best to you.