23 April 2026

Lock in with me. Studying for my commercial law paper (first 1.5 hours) then pivoting to governance (1.5 hours), then law again for 1.5 hours before 30 minutes of IT note taking.

Total study time goal: 5 hours.

so much writing

Thursday • April 30, 2026

Watch me fail to study for an hour in this timelapse taken literally right now! It may look productive, but I spent that whole hour failing to absorb info that ended up not even being on the study guide for the controls midterm tomorrow, which pissed me off so badly I had to get up right now and take a food break before I snapped at someone for no reason.

I feel like this is one of the most annoying parts of ADHD that no one really mentions because it doesn’t fit the general perception of ADHD— overstimulation from cognitive/task overload leading to insane frustration seemingly out of nowhere.

For me personally, this ends up presenting itself as extreme responses to sensory stimuli and overreactions to my tasks being interrupted (I almost started yelling in the beginning when the pen I was writing with got ink on my fingers LMAO).

1. leave your intro and conclusion for the end, I mean it don’t try to write your intro until the end, just trust me.

2. figure out your main point and get at least three defensible (credible) reasons to argue that point.

3. start your body like this:

introduce what you’re gonna say. Provide evidence (citation). Connect it to the bigger picture. Show your understanding. [add in transitions for fluff]

-> sentences for each if you need your paper short, paragraphs for each of you need your paper long

4. then rinse and repeat

5. need to add in other sections like a rebuttal or gaps in the literature? do the same paragraph format :

intro sentence. main discussion (citations as needed). connection to bigger picture. show your understanding.

6. now write your intro :

first get the readers attention, idc how just hook em. what the hell are you talking about? why does it matter beyond your main point? what do you want the reader to be thinking about as they read your paper? what is your main point? summarize your evidence.

-> again sentences = short, paragraphs = long & transition statements for fluff.

7. the conclusion is basically the introduction but ordered differently and use different wording - you can literally just copy and paste what you wrote in the intro, use a thesaurus and rewrite it.

1. Small Notebook

I use this notebook to write down my list of things to do each day. I use one side of the paper for an expansive list, and I use the other side to write only 3 tasks at a time to do. It is called the Triage Method and I found it through this video. Writing only 3 tasks at a time helps make tasks less overwhelming, which makes it easier to complete.

I also sometimes write out the hours of the day to fill in after I finish doing something. It helps me be more aware of what I'm doing throughout the day.

2. Weekly Planner

I use my physical weekly planner to plan out my week. I will write down events and appointments and when they happen. I make sure my planner is open, so I can see what is happening. I make sure to update it immediately if I am able, or I will forget. I do not like timeblocking, so I stick with horizontal planners.

3. Monthly Wall Calendar

I have a wall calendar that is in a place I can see it at all times. I write down events and appointments and their times. It helps to have lots of visuals to know what is happening and when.

4. Digital Wristwatch

This was a gamechanger for me. I bought cheap digital watches that have the month and date. I actually know the time and date. It helps me stay aware of time passing without my phone distracting me.

5. Visual Timer

I've been a bit sad because I'm taking way more time than neurotipical people to finish my degree, between my adhd and mental health struggles my uni career has been quite slow which tends to demotivate me.

To counteract this I've been watching millie lao's yt videos, she's a student at Yale and makes uni life seem so fun and light. I put her videos in the background and it feels like studying with a friend which keeps me in check 🌀

Rn I'm studying linguistics which is one of the most difficult exams I still have to do, so on one side I truly want to lock in to get it off my checklist!

adhd tips of the day:

✮ if it doesn't distract you, put on a studying video on yt for background noise and to keep that part of the brain that wants to wander around focused on the academic vibe

✮ use a nice scented candle, this might sound stupid but smells keep the mind interested and soothed (in the pic you can see the chocolate scented one I love)

sept 11, 2025 // thursday morning

its finally getting a little bit cooler in the mornings, i can have hot drinks and open my window now <3

compiling the best tips I've seen for studying with ADHD bc they helped me so they might help someone else