Self-study
I am taking the August LSAT and despite beginning my studying half a year ago I am still stuck in the 150s and fluctuating between 150-156ish. The biggest problem I have is that I cannot sit still and focus for long periods of time. Has anyone else with ADHD found a way to deal with this?
Would greatly appreciate any advice!
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7 comments
pomodoro method might help! theres an app thats called focustown that is essentially a pomodoro studying timer except you have a character and your character is sitting down and studying with people all over the world. I saw this on tiktok and it did help with the pomodoro method. also its good to have something to fidget with. im not sure if you applied for accomodations, but you should definitely get that figured out if you want to take the test again in september or october. studious environments definitely work too; another commenter mentioned the library and a coffee shop but i feel like a coffee shop can be kind of loud at times so a library or maybe even if you're still in school to study at school too (if possible). you can also try to chew gum with flavor to fidget as well; tasty drinks like soda to give your brain dopamine; or maybe even different colored pens. there's an AuDHD activist on instagram who also gives tips and tricks for people with adhd for studying as well. her name is alora young @aloraofficielle on instagram. you might want to check some her content out. good luck! i understand the struggle too well.
I just load up on espresso right before I study. Usually makes me do really well. I score really poorly without caffein (I cannot focus at all). As soon as that caffeine hits, I get like -2 and -0.
-my biggest tip is study in a new environment. if im just in my room I can barely bring myself to do it, even though I want to. go to a coffee shop. sit outside if the weather is nice. go to your local library!! that's been a staple for me.
-adderall
-fun drinks that I only allow myself to have when studying: its a built in reward !
-setting timers on my phone: count downs particularly, because sometimes I think i've been studying for a while and then I look and see its been barely time at all lol (gotta love time blindness/distortion)
@SusanLeifker I second this! I also find that I need to do a bit of a warm-up before I start a practice section/test. Taking a class before I start a section helps me get into the mode.
incorporate time for those distractions you know are going to hit. If you need 45 mins of studying, give yourself an hour. Set a 25 min timer and try to stick with it, then go crazy on a 5 min break!
Personally I take my meds and I get timing accommodations in school which I plan to use for LSAT as well. Good luck
Something that was recommended in The Loophole that I think helped me was essentially a practice in meditation. It involves trying to focus on an object or a point in a room. Whenever you catch yourself focusing away form it, notice it, and then recenter yourself back on the object/point you were focusing on. You don't have to do this in a quiet room and it's almost better to work in doing it beyond just a quiet space.
Over time, try to push the length of time of you doing this. What starts at 15 - 30 seconds can work into minutes. The extra "nice" thing about this exercise is that it's something you can work in almost anywhere you are. Likewise, you can use it as a warm up and/or cool down for studying.
Note: Yes, you might look a little weird staring at a thing intently but who cares? I've forced myself to almost exclusively study in environments where it is distracting so that when I'm actually doing it for real on test day, I'm implicitly in a less disruptive space and it means I'm less prone to get thrown off by noise from someone coughing, tapping, testers coming in and out of the test room, etc.