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Best study tips/schedule for ADHD

rs0427 · 2026-07-14T23:50:57Z

I was recently diagnosed with ADHD a few months ago, and I'm still figuring out what works best for me. For those of you who also have ADHD, what study strategies or schedules have helped you make progress without feeling cognitive overload or losing focus? I'd really appreciate any tips or routines that have worked for you.

I have ADHD (diagnosed since kindergarten…). I’m also a gen ed science teacher with a M.Ed. I know a thing or two because I’ve seen a thing or two… BUT THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE!

Unhinged ADHD Study Tips:

Pavlov yourself. Every section gets a treat. Or, you only get your favorite drink (mine is either iced matcha or hot green tea with honey - which also helps focus with l-threonine and caffeine) when you study.
While we’re talking about caffeine… DON’T OVERDO IT!!!! Caffeine withdrawal headaches, the diuretic effect, and so many other things make caffeine have a net negative impact on studying if you consume too much. Modulate your caffeine intake… seriously!
Talk to yourself like a crazy person so you stay focused and actually read every word of the stimulus and answer choices. Bonus, you can record yourself and have ai analyze your thought process.
Take movement breaks between sections, and in the same vein, do a little cardio before studying so the exercise hormones regulate your dopamine levels
Study somewhere other than your house - ideally somewhere enjoyable, but not overly distracting. Like a really pretty library. That way going to study is like going on a little adventure.
Treat studying for the LSAT like a wellness journey; you don’t just want your mind in the best condition, you want your whole body in the best condition possible for the test. Eating brain and body healthy foods, like fish (for the omega-3s) and whole grains, is a must. Critically, though, studying for the LSAT is NOT a time to be in a calorie deficit unless it’s absolutely medically necessary ordered by a doctor. Your brain will NOT operate well if you don’t give it enough fuel. ADHD, and especially ADHD meds, can make eating habits unpredictable, and you can sometimes forget to eat lunch for several days in a row (for example). So, especially when I’m on ADHD meds, I always have a bottled protein shake ready—that way I can at least have something, even if it’s not a full meal. This way, my focus doesn’t lapse because my brain is starved of energy.

Actually not unhinged tips that are still good:

Contrary to popular belief, ADHD actually thrives on predicable routines, but only if you’ve practiced them enough that they become default… soooo

Study at the same time every day
Study in relatively the same setting every day
Eat the same food before you study every time
Always do exactly the same procedure on every question - you don’t have to use this, but mine is: start with understanding the stimulus, then what’s wrong with it, then pre-phrase, then look at the question stem, then decide what you need to do for that question stem, then adjust your prephrase, then read every answer, then rate the answers out of 5, with 1 being “no way” and 5 being “instant yes,” then pick the best one and move on.
Always do exactly the same warmup, do the blocks in the same order, etc. for example, you could start with flashcards before moving on to reviewing your wrong answer journal, then dive into your study session.
I have a growing list of mantras I repeat to myself every time I open a section so that I can remember things like mistakes to avoid or routines I need to do.

By making things predictable, you’re also regulating your nervous system during the study session, which helps with focus.

Another thing that helps with regulating your nervous system is meditation. Researchers at UCSB actually found in 2012 that meditation increases reading comprehension on the GRE by a statistically significant amount, but more than that, meditation is a key tool for regulating attention in ADHD. Moreover, meditation is useful because it helps with resilience and mood regulation—both of which take a hit with ADHD in the form of rejection-sensitive-dysphoria… and guess what a low test score feels like? Rejection. You know what suffers when your mood is low? Your score… it can turn into a nasty cycle. While meditation isn’t a cure-all, it CAN smooth things out.

What kind is best and how do you start? researchers in the GRE study looked at Focused Attention Meditation—you can google it to see examples, descriptions of how to do it, and guided meditations. My recommendation is to start with 1 minute between each block of your study session, then grow this to 2,3,4,5,10, etc. every so often, meditating for even longer like 30m-1hr can be a good tool to really strengthen your focus muscles.

3 comments

AlexandraFriestman
2 days ago
I have ADHD (diagnosed since kindergarten…). I’m also a gen ed science teacher with a M.Ed. I know a thing or two because I’ve seen a thing or two… BUT THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE!
Unhinged ADHD Study Tips:
Pavlov yourself. Every section gets a treat. Or, you only get your favorite drink (mine is either iced matcha or hot green tea with honey - which also helps focus with l-threonine and caffeine) when you study.
While we’re talking about caffeine… DON’T OVERDO IT!!!! Caffeine withdrawal headaches, the diuretic effect, and so many other things make caffeine have a net negative impact on studying if you consume too much. Modulate your caffeine intake… seriously!
Talk to yourself like a crazy person so you stay focused and actually read every word of the stimulus and answer choices. Bonus, you can record yourself and have ai analyze your thought process.
Take movement breaks between sections, and in the same vein, do a little cardio before studying so the exercise hormones regulate your dopamine levels
Study somewhere other than your house - ideally somewhere enjoyable, but not overly distracting. Like a really pretty library. That way going to study is like going on a little adventure.
Treat studying for the LSAT like a wellness journey; you don’t just want your mind in the best condition, you want your whole body in the best condition possible for the test. Eating brain and body healthy foods, like fish (for the omega-3s) and whole grains, is a must. Critically, though, studying for the LSAT is NOT a time to be in a calorie deficit unless it’s absolutely medically necessary ordered by a doctor. Your brain will NOT operate well if you don’t give it enough fuel. ADHD, and especially ADHD meds, can make eating habits unpredictable, and you can sometimes forget to eat lunch for several days in a row (for example). So, especially when I’m on ADHD meds, I always have a bottled protein shake ready—that way I can at least have something, even if it’s not a full meal. This way, my focus doesn’t lapse because my brain is starved of energy.
Actually not unhinged tips that are still good:
Contrary to popular belief, ADHD actually thrives on predicable routines, but only if you’ve practiced them enough that they become default… soooo
Study at the same time every day
Study in relatively the same setting every day
Eat the same food before you study every time
Always do exactly the same procedure on every question - you don’t have to use this, but mine is: start with understanding the stimulus, then what’s wrong with it, then pre-phrase, then look at the question stem, then decide what you need to do for that question stem, then adjust your prephrase, then read every answer, then rate the answers out of 5, with 1 being “no way” and 5 being “instant yes,” then pick the best one and move on.
Always do exactly the same warmup, do the blocks in the same order, etc. for example, you could start with flashcards before moving on to reviewing your wrong answer journal, then dive into your study session.
I have a growing list of mantras I repeat to myself every time I open a section so that I can remember things like mistakes to avoid or routines I need to do.
By making things predictable, you’re also regulating your nervous system during the study session, which helps with focus.
Another thing that helps with regulating your nervous system is meditation. Researchers at UCSB actually found in 2012 that meditation increases reading comprehension on the GRE by a statistically significant amount, but more than that, meditation is a key tool for regulating attention in ADHD. Moreover, meditation is useful because it helps with resilience and mood regulation—both of which take a hit with ADHD in the form of rejection-sensitive-dysphoria… and guess what a low test score feels like? Rejection. You know what suffers when your mood is low? Your score… it can turn into a nasty cycle. While meditation isn’t a cure-all, it CAN smooth things out.
What kind is best and how do you start? researchers in the GRE study looked at Focused Attention Meditation—you can google it to see examples, descriptions of how to do it, and guided meditations. My recommendation is to start with 1 minute between each block of your study session, then grow this to 2,3,4,5,10, etc. every so often, meditating for even longer like 30m-1hr can be a good tool to really strengthen your focus muscles.
4
rs0427 OP
Yesterday

@AlexandraFriestman this is super helpful! thank you so much! i will definitely start meditating as a part of my study schedule! thank you for sharing all these tips!

1

nikki
Yesterday

@AlexandraFriestman These tips are fantastic! Thanks!

1

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