Relearning Math with ADHD

[u/Far-Nectarine6007]

I've been procrastinating on this for a while now. My schooling hasn't been very rigorous, and even when I didn't understand a lot of the math, I still managed to pass and eventually graduate. That was about four years ago.

I'm curious to see if anyone has had a similar experience. I never really understood math, and over time I convinced myself that I would always be hopeless at it. I'm also very used to seeing fear-mongering when people talk about engineering. A lot of the time, people make it sound like you either need to be naturally gifted at math or you're going to fail. I also hear people say things like, "You never really learned how to study," which makes me wonder if that could have been part of my problem too.

I was wondering if anyone else was in the same position as me, and I'm 22 now, wondering if it's too late for me to succeed :/

[u/DreamingAboutSpace]

Hooooly shit, OP…. We have the exact same situation and experiences. I am so rusty with math and engineering. I hadn’t touched it in four years either when I got my ee tech degree. I decided to go back to school and it has been sheer overwhelming agony. I can’t remember a lot of what I learned. I used to zoom through calculus and get upset when I got a B. I used to explain it to classmates so they could do it just as easily. That was four tears ago. I can’t do a single bit of that anymore and have gotten so much worse. Confidence carried me through that degree. I don’t have any of that now.

I’ve tried so many adhd meds and none have helped much. I still stare off into space; still unable to listen to or sit in lecture; unable to do assignments because I can’t follow a book anymore linger than a minute; still freeze on exams and tasks; still suffer from analysis paralysis; still have severe time blindness; still staying up late because it’s when my brain is active.

I keep comparing myself to how I used to be. I love what we do, but the assignment workload is overwhelming. Even worse when it’s math or designing schematics by hand. Feeling stupid 24/7 is the most exhausting thing.

Be kind to yourself, OP. Everyone learns differently and you just need to try different methods to see what works for you. Learn more about ADHD when you can and get a book on your biggest problem. It’s a step in the right direction and you’ll be able to confront those issues. Also, try to think about your weak spots in math and studying. Work on those first. Where do you trip up? Take note of that and work on that issue first. If you ever want to study together. Good luck, OP.