I didn't realize how ADD I was until I got to college. Unfortunately, I seriously damaged my GPA my freshman year and I've since been working with every ounce of me to undo the damage.

The first thing I did to help myself was go on medication. I think it is prescribed too often so I'm not trying to say it will solve all your problems - there are other strategies to help too that you may want to try first.

First, make sure you go to all your classes. We all get lazy and skip a few here and there - it happens, but try to keep it to a minimum. Proper sleep is helpful as well as an appropriate diet and even exercise - it just takes away additional stress.

When you're in class, I agree with everyone saying use a tape recorder - very helpful, don't sit with your friends for obvious reasons and definitely try to sit towards the front of the room. Aside from reducing distractions, sitting in the front always forced me to pay attention because I don't want my professor to see me being disrespectful or not paying attention so I tend to pay better attention the closer my physical distance is to my instructor. It's also helpful to compare notes with friends if you have any in the class. See if anyone picked up on something you missed.

When it comes to studying, organization and routines are key. At the beginning of the semester I mark all my readings in my textbooks so I don't have to look them up everyday as the semester goes on. I try to manage my time as best I can, I'll go to the library between or after classes sometimes or I'll wake up a little earlier in the morning and go before class. Just getting yourself into a schedule so you know what to expect and know what you have to get done makes it easier to find your focus because you're not as overwhelmed by everything - you just look at exactly what needs to be taken care of at that point - nothing else.

Studying strategies vary from person to person since we all learn differently. For me, it's all about repeated exposure. I always handwrite my notes in class, when I get home I type them and when I study I make outlines and fill them in. I find handwriting most effective because you have to actually think about what you're writing. Flashcards are always useful as well. Some textbooks will have vocabulary or questions at the end of teh chapters - those are of great assistance. Just use as many resources available as best you can. If you have friends in the class discussing the material outloud can be very helpful too.

For example, this past semester I took biopsychology with 2 of my roommates and a few of our friends. Each test I would create an outline of all the material and we would all fill it in. A day or so before the test we'd meet up at the library and just discuss concepts that were confusing us. For me, talking things out helped my comprehension. On the other hand, my roommate liked listening to me and our friend discuss the concepts because she found that if she was talking she just confused herself, but listening to someone other than the professor explain it seemed to help her.

Finally, using your instructors office hours can be very helpful. It's really about mastering the professor's teaching/testing style. If you can figure out what types of questions they like to ask and what points in the material they seem to focus on it will help you weed out extraneous information. This can be done by going over exams with them and talking with other students who have been successful with the particular professor.

Getting a firm grasp on what works for you is a daunting task when you're ADD that is for sure, but with time it will come to you. I finished my freshman year with about a 2.4 and the fall of my sophomore year I finished with a 3.76 for the semester. Once you find what works for you it will get easier and the success you will find becomes self-motivating. If you need any help or suggestions don't be afraid to ask! It's hard because when you're ADD you need to put in a little extra time since you miss out easier. I get comments sometimes about how hard I work, but you got to do what you got to do!