[Alexandria04]

I am 24 and have never suffered from ADD or ADHD as a child. I have heard that there is an adult side to this disorder, can you develop ADD later in life? When I was younger I could sit and read books for hours at a time and I never had a problem paying attention in class or anything like that. Now as I am getting older it seems like I am having more problems focusing. I am trying to study for my finals this week and I will read a paragraph and then realize I have been staring into space for a few minutes. I will read a paragraph or so and then get up and go do something else. I am not purposely procrastinating, it's just like I can stay focused on anything for too long. I have noticed that my attention span is pretty short, I usually can't pay attention to anything longer than an hour or so. Most of my classes are either 50 minutes or an hour and fifteen minutes so usually I am good with my classes for the most part. However, I hardly ever watch movies I have seen before because I can't stay focused on them and I do not play board games typically either because I just can't stay focused/interested for long enough to finish the game. Those of you out there that know anything about adult ADD, are these possible symptoms I am experiencing, or am I just experiencing a lack of focus or disinterest or being paranoid or something? Thanks.

[Perna]

ADD/ADHD is a developmental disease so you would have it as a developing child and it wouldn't have gotten better as you grew up. The adult aspect is that things are different for an adult than for a child, one doesn't have/do the same tasks and as an adult, one may have gotten use to coping with the symptoms in a way that could mask them.

It doesn't sound like, with your class-length focusing skills that you have a problem, sounds like just a lack of general interest. Focusing requires desire and practice and not liking to play board games or go to movies is mostly just an interest thing; I don't do those either.

Good luck with all your finals. I would try to shift how you study, instead of just reading the dry text, outline it or take notes, write about it, get your other senses involved or study the material online from other sites that are more interesting than the textbook?

[Alexandria04]

Thanks for the reply. I have been taking notes on the textbook because I have found it helps me to pay attention and absorb the material. The final exam is over the sections in the textbook so I can't really study anything else. I am interested in some of the subject matter, which is why I was wondering about the ADD thing. As I said, I want to study and I think some of it is interesting, I just can't seem to focus for some reason. I hope I get more done today than I did yesterday otherwise I will be in trouble. Thanks for the reply though, it makes me feel a little better. I was probably just being paranoid. Though I still don't really know what to do about my total lack of focus.

[Perna]

It's hard to "concentrate on demand" like studying for finals require. By study other material, I meant look at what subject the textbook covers and think of questions or further study you could do on that section and then do MORE thank just the textbook :-) Studying about something from multiple points of view and perspectives makes it more "whole" in your mind/thinking so it's not as hard to "remember" stuff. When you get to more advanced levels you won't have just one textbook or point of view but be expected to know multiple.

If the subject includes any individuals; I love reading their biographies and imagining how they got to whatever they discovered and what it was like in the world of their day. Compare and contrast different theories; see which one's you prefer but just looking at them "together," across from each other will make their similarities and differences more pronounced so you remember their points better.

[chaotic13]

Does your instructor provide you with a copy of their presentations (i.e power points slides) or a lecture outline. If so this is a great tool to used to integrate your textbook, class notes, and other sources into one study guide. Chances are the way your instructor organizes his/her lecture will be similar to the way the want you to connect/organize/ and apply the concepts taught. One technique that might help is to create a document that includes content from all your sources merged into one. BUT...you can't just copy and paste... you need to add the content your self by either writing or typing it in your own word.

The last major lecture course I took I was lucky enough to have the professor provide me with their lecture presentation. As the lecture was given I sat and typed my personal notes into the speaker notes in power point. Then I had the lecture open when I read the textbook and added addition key concepts from this source-often editing and refining my personal notes.If another reading source is provided (like an article) again as you read the article add it's content to the instructor's presentation. In the end you have all of your sources compiled into one file that is structured in a simlar way that your instructor presented it. THIS makes a great study guide to review an exam.

Also, although I HATE doing it....those critical thinking/essay questions often found at the end of textbook chapters are good study aid. Often they TOTALLY suck to do, but... when you can answer them you usually "know" the content presented.