Learning can be an exciting time full of opportunities and growth, but it can also be a time of anxiety and overwhelm, particularly for students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
College students are always confronted with increased responsibilities, less structured time, numerous distractions, and new social situations. At the same time, they may miss many of the support systems they had in high school.
In this article, we’ll be showing you the best college majors for ADHD students, as well as the college challenges that ADHD students will likely face.
How ADHD Affects College Students
Poor executive function can lead to a variety of academic issues for students, including:
- Students with ADHD frequently express dissatisfaction with their academic performance and achievement. Difficulties starting and finishing tasks, disorganization, difficulty remembering assignments, difficulty memorizing facts, and difficulty working on papers or complex math problems frequently caused these problems.
- Time management issues: Students with ADHD frequently have irregular lifestyles as a result of poor time management. As a result, they may struggle with staying on time, preparing and planning for the future, and prioritizing tasks.
- Difficulty regulating and managing emotions: ADHD students frequently struggle with social issues, negative thoughts, and low self-esteem.
- Disruptive symptoms can make it difficult to maintain friendships and other relationships. Worrying about these issues can also contribute to a negative self-image.
The good news is that these executive function areas can get improved. The problem for most college students with ADHD isn’t knowing what to do; it’s getting it done.
Avoiding distractions and staying focused and on track with the plan can all be difficult tasks that can quickly derail you from completing what you’ve set out to do.
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Are There Benefits of Having ADHD
Having ADHD in college isn’t always a bad thing. According to research, ADHD has some advantages despite the difficulties it presents. The following are some of the scientifically proven advantages of having ADHD:
#1. Creativity
A 2011 study (White & Shaw) at The University of Memphis discovered a strong positive correlation between people with ADHD and creativity. Three studies were conducted on a group of 1000 college students in The Netherlands a few years later, in 2017. (Boot, Nevicka, and Baas).
They once again demonstrated that people with ADHD are more creative. While ADHD does not appear to cause increased levels of creativity, it appears that ADHD brains are able to connect pieces of information in the world around them in more unique ways, making them more creative and innovative in college.
#2. Energy
Who wouldn’t want more energy? People with ADHD can benefit greatly from being energetic. A full day of errands, writing a term paper, going to class, working out, and meeting up with friends would exhaust most people.
Moving around and jumping from one thing to the next, on the other hand, is exciting for those with ADHD. They get to expend energy, which allows them to focus better and achieve their goals.
#3. Athleticism
Running, turning, throwing, kicking, jumping, and swimming are all part of an athlete’s day. This is where hyperactivity and impulsiveness shine.
Athletes must be able to react to stimuli quickly, whether they are high schooler who enjoys shooting hoops with friends on weekends or an Olympic swimmer like Michael Phelps (who has ADHD, by the way).
They must be able to stay active for extended periods of time. ADHD athleticism is another example of a positive feedback loop. Because of their hyperactivity and quick reaction times, people with ADHD may be better athletes.
Physical activity, in turn, aids in the regulation of ADHD symptoms. Athletics provides many students with ADHD with valuable scholarship opportunities to study at prestigious colleges and universities.
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How to Handle ADHD in College
#1. Begin the Day on Time
Getting up late, getting sidetracked, and getting disorganized are the three main causes of being late in the morning. If certain activities, such as checking email or reading the news, tend to derail you, make it a rule that they must get done later in the day.
Determine how much time you need to dress, eat, and get organized, and then set alarms or other reminders to remind you that you need to complete that task. Three ways to remind yourself to stay on track:
As a timer, play a familiar music mix. For example, if you only have 30 minutes to get ready, your schedule might look like this: wash and dress to songs 1–3, eat breakfast to songs 4–6, gather your belongings during song 7, and leave by song 8. It is best if you use the same mixture every morning.
Use your phone or purchase a programmable reminder watch to keep your alarms close at hand. Place a large wall clock in your room where you can see it.
If your room is part of a suite that includes a common room and a bathroom, include wall clocks in those areas as well.
#2. Work with Your Procrastination Drive
Though it may appear to be counterproductive if you have the urge to procrastinate, give in to it. When you have ADHD, the only time something gets done is right before the deadline.
Nothing has higher priority at that point, increasing the urgency and consequences of not doing it now. These characteristics are what will allow the task to get completed. So deal with it.
Plan to procrastinate, but stack the deck in your favor. For example, if you’re required to write a paper, make sure you’ve already done the reading or research and have a general idea of what you’re going to write.
#3. Time Management: Assess and Prioritize
It may seem strange, but it is critical to actively plan from time to plan. If you don’t cultivate this habit, you’ll always be reactive rather than proactive. On Monday morning, make a high-level plan for the week, and on Friday, make a plan for the weekend.
Then, over breakfast, go over that plan again, possibly adding relevant details, to ensure you know what’s coming your way that day.
When you can assess what you need to do versus what you could do, you can prioritize and complete what needs to get done first.
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15 Best College Majors For ADHD Students
Here are the 15 best college majors for ADHD students
#1. Computer Science
For a variety of reasons, people with ADHD thrive in technologically based jobs. To begin, working with computers is a detail-oriented job that necessitates the ability to hyperfocus on the task at hand, which many people with ADHD possess.
Those with ADHD, for example, tend to excel in majors involving computer programming because they can hyperfocus on the task of writing and troubleshooting thousands of lines of code. Computer Science is one of the best college majors for ADHD students.
#2. Education
Children say (and do) the most bizarre things. And, as anyone who has worked with children knows, they keep you on your toes. While studying education as a major is typically done in a traditional university or college setting, teachers-in-training gets to use their creativity in developing fun and engaging activities after the theoretical foundations get covered.
Children can be difficult, but they are also amusing, energetic, and insatiably curious. This creates an ideal professional environment for teachers who have ADHD.
Spontaneity, energy, physicality, and even the ability to slow down and let one’s curiosity wander are valuable assets that an ADHD teacher can provide to their young students. Education is one of the best college majors for ADHD students.
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#3. Journalism
Many journalists cover a wide range of topics. They spend brief but intense periods of time immersed in the details and nuances of various topics.
Projects must get completed in a timely manner. They frequently interview and interact with new people, and they are frequently on the move responding to developing stories.
Although studying journalism necessitates extensive reading and writing, like the job itself, journalism majors get to choose new topics to investigate before moving on to the next story.
They must think creatively and delve deeply into the details of a story, which can be excellent (and quite enjoyable) training for people with ADHD. Journalism is one of the best college majors for ADHD students.
#4. Communications
Communications majors tend to be great storytellers with quick wits and fiery personalities. This makes it one of the best college majors for ADHD students.
You’ll spend a lot of time analyzing various types of presentations, such as speeches and scripts, as well as the strategies behind the messages that speakers and writers use to make their points.
You’ll learn about verbal and nonverbal messages, audience reactions, and the effects of various communication environments.
It will prepare you for a variety of careers, including those in business, advertising, human resources, public relations, government, education, media, and social services.
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#5. Government/Political Science
Because it often deals with current events and sophisticated statistical analysis, political science is timely, fascinating, and perpetually changing.
This makes it one of the best college majors for ADHD students. In a nutshell, it is the study of government politics, with popular concentrations including American government, public policy, foreign affairs, political philosophy, and comparative government.
Political science majors gain strong critical thinking and communication skills, as well as a broad understanding of history and culture. There will be a lot of reading, writing, and math involved. Career options range from lawyer to politician to journalist.
#6. Nursing
Nursing is one of the best college majors for ADHD students as it will always keep you on your feet. They are usually individuals who are compassionate and have a strong mind for the intricate—and sometimes heartbreaking—world of medicine that will be well-suited for a nursing career.
There is also the opportunity to work with ever-evolving and ultra-sophisticated technology while evaluating, diagnosing, and treating health problems.
As first-year students, nursing majors take traditional science and liberal arts courses before beginning clinical rotations at hospitals and other healthcare facilities during the second semester of their sophomore year.
Before you can be officially registered, you must pass certification exams after graduating from an accredited nursing program. Nursing jobs are not only plentiful, but also diverse, with opportunities available in fields such as geriatrics, neurology, oncology, obstetrics, and pediatrics.
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#7. Game Design Major
Game Design is a newer type of college major that is becoming increasingly popular as industry demand rises. A bachelor’s degree in this field will teach students the fundamentals of creating a video game or application, as well as sharpen their coding and general software development skills.
This is one of the best college majors for ADHD students as it has a lot to do with creativity. While working for a video game studio is the most obvious career path for a game design major, there are several other IT and technology-related jobs for graduates of this top college major. Other possible careers include software or app development and computer systems analysis.
#8. Medical Majors
Children with ADHD can thrive in a medical-related career. Those with ADHD perform best in high-pressure, fast-paced, hands-on environments. Many medical majors meet all three of these requirements.
While becoming a doctor is an option for those with ADHD, there are other medical fields to consider. Registered nurses, for example, work in high-stress, high-speed environments such as emergency rooms.
Some medical fields, such as radiology, have jobs for people with various levels of education. Radiology technologists, for example, can obtain licensure with an associate degree or an undergraduate certificate and work as x-ray technicians or cath lab assistants in hospitals.
Before they can practice, full radiologists must complete the education path of a medical doctor, including medical school and a residency.
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#9. Chef / Culinary Arts
The high-pressure and fast-paced world of executive chefs, restaurants, and food teams can make this one of the best careers for ADHD people.
The work is frequently physical; endurance and the ability to think about multiple things at once are always required. Chefs and their restaurant teams must react quickly and interact with a constantly changing group of people.
This level of excitement, combined with the technical and on-the-job training that many chefs receive in college or under the tutelage of other chefs, makes this one of the best college majors for ADHD students.
#10. Hospitality
The hotel and travel industries are constantly evolving. It can happen in a wide range of settings, including remote locations, tropical settings, adventure terrain, and cosmopolitan cities.
A naturally outgoing person with ADHD would be at ease managing a property or a travel agency. They may necessitate constant social interaction, conversations with people from all over the world, and the best perk: plenty of travel!
Because this is a truly global industry, serious hospitality careers provide professionals with the opportunity to live all over the world.
One of the best college majors for ADHD students is studying hospitality at a university. Although classroom time is usually required, students can quickly transition to real-world situations through internships and work-study programs.
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#11. Visual and performing arts
While this area encompasses a wide range of different worlds, such as music, acting, photography, painting, and sculpting, it’s centered on a strong creative component, which we’ve learned is a common aptitude for many people with ADHD.
Training in these fields also provides a lot of flexibility; some of the world’s most successful performers and artists never went to university.
Others, on the other hand, receive doctorates in art history or theater studies. Visual and performing arts are one of the best college majors for ADHD students.
#12. Emergency Services
One of the best college majors for ADHD students has to do with emergency services. E.R. nurses, medical first responders, and attending doctors in trauma units are all advantageous and fast-paced careers in emergency services.
They are also quite physical and necessitate quick reactions (a benefit of impulsivity!). These are good jobs for people with ADHD. Needless to say, they are so in demand that they are well worth considering, even if the schooling is somewhat tedious.
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#13. Entrepreneurship
Running a successful business is an exercise in distraction in and of itself. You’re thinking about marketing one minute, making important payments the next, and interviewing candidates for an open position at your company later this afternoon.
Because the person in charge of the company is ultimately responsible for everything, their responsibilities are diverse and ever-changing.
Because decisions are always made, this requires a certain amount of impulsiveness, and because entrepreneurial roles exist in all industries, this career path can be completely compatible with a variety of majors or training programs. The Entrepreneurial major is one of the best college majors for ADHD students.
#14. Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering majors will learn not only the fundamentals of mechanics, but also more advanced topics such as fluid mechanics, materials science, circuit dynamics, and thermodynamics.
This major is in high demand, and many graduates can expect to find work in the field. However, there are other options with this top major, with some pursuing product design and project management as an alternative path.
Programs for this major are frequently quite lengthy, and many courses will allow students to spend a year of their degree gaining hands-on experience. The high demand for this program makes it one of the best college majors for ADHD students.
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#15. Liberal Arts Major
Here’s a non-STEM, non-business option among the best college majors for ADHD students. A liberal arts major, also known as a humanities major, can serve a variety of purposes for a prospective student.
The liberal arts are a broad field that encompasses a wide range of subjects such as history, literature, writing, philosophy, sociology, psychology, and creative arts. A Liberal Arts bachelor’s degree’s versatility makes it a popular college major among students with diverse interests.
A Liberal Arts major is diverse and broad, allowing you to take courses from a wide range of disciplines. In general, you’ll take a number of introductory courses that will provide you with a broad knowledge of various subjects while also assisting you in deciding on a specific area for further study.
How to Choose a School if You Have ADHD
#1. Evaluate Your Needs
It is critical to begin by considering what you might require to succeed in college. Understanding what you intend to do and how you intend to do it can help you stay motivated to continue.
Some questions to consider include:
- Do you know what you want to major in?
- Do you need individual support from your teachers?
- Do you need a busy, vibrant environment?
- Do you need structure and support to stay on task?
#2. ADHD Support Services
Many colleges provide support services for students with ADHD or learning disabilities. However, the quality and scope of these services vary from school to school.
Make contact with the disability support office at each of the schools you’re considering to learn about the level of support they offer. Depending on the school, the support office may go by a variety of names.
#3. Talk to Other Students
You may also want to request a meeting with one or two students with ADHD who are currently receiving disability support services at the school. They are frequently the best source of practical information about the program’s strengths and weaknesses.
Online forums and discussion boards can also be good sources of information. Check the school’s Facebook page, as well as any pages or websites dedicated to the disability support offices.
You can get a better idea of what they have to offer and sometimes find comments written by current students at the school.
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How to Make the Most Out of Your College Experience
Students with ADHD can have as enjoyable a college experience as any other student. The key is to investigate academic and extracurricular options (without overcommitting, especially during freshman year) and to find tribes of peers who share similar interests.
Many long-term friendships are usually formed early on and can last for many years after college, if not a lifetime. Students, on the other hand, will form meaningful relationships throughout their college careers.”
Here are some tips to learn both outside and inside the classroom.
- Look for stress relievers. No matter how intelligent a person is, or how good their time management and organizational skills are, they will usually become stressed out about schoolwork and responsibilities. Finding a way to relieve this stress is critical for staying focused, avoiding overwhelm, and maintaining physical health.
- Early life skills education is essential. A parent may have done the laundry, paid the bills, and cooked the meals when you were in high school. A student will most likely be responsible for these things in college, so students should learn life skills before enrolling.
- Pay attention to time management and organization. The majority of college life is self-directed. Students should be able to manage their time effectively and keep track of current and future responsibilities, including developing a study routine that works for them, in order to stay on top of personal and academic responsibilities.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Adults with ADHD can be successful in their careers despite significant symptoms of inattention and executive dysfunction. They do so by employing appropriate compensatory strategies.
Living with ADHD can provide a person with a new perspective on life and encourage them to approach tasks and situations more thoughtfully. As a result, some ADHD patients may be creative thinkers. Other words used to describe them include original, artistic, and creative.
Some people advise you to “find your passion,” while others advise you to “develop your purpose.” ADHD symptoms such as inattention, impulsivity, and the desire to pursue novelty can assist you in discovering your passion or developing your purpose. Taming and working with those symptoms can help you design a life you enjoy.
“At the time of ADHD diagnosis, children’s sense of identity has not yet developed. Reframing the disorder as a gift allows them to define themselves based on what works rather than what doesn’t.”
Many children (perhaps half) will outgrow their symptoms, but others will not, so ADHD can persist into adulthood.
People with ADHD experience more passionate thoughts and emotions than the average person. Their highs and lows are higher and lower, respectively. This means you may be more sensitive to both happiness and criticism than your peers and love on
Conclusion
It is possible to succeed and thrive with ADHD in college and later in life. Therapy can help you learn effective strategies for staying on track and managing your symptoms.
Psychological testing can qualify you for accommodations (such as extra time, recording lectures, and so on) in college classes and on exams, as well as provide recommendations for a treatment plan in therapy.
References
- envisionwellness.co-Majors for ADHD students.
- quora.com -Good College Majors for ADHD students.
- study.com -Best Jobs For People With ADHD.
- college.org -Best schools for ADHD students.
- image link
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