karalm23
11-22-2003, 12:39 AM
Hi, I'm 17 and a senior in high school. I was just wondering if anyone has experience with being prescribed medication in college. I am currently taking Concerta. I will be attending college several hours away from home next year. I was diagnosed with ADD two years ago. In order to continue receiving treatment, will I need to be retested by a doctor there, or will my report from my diagnosis two years ago be suffiicient? Also, how should I go about finding a doctor to prescribe medication? If anyone has any other experiences or tips to share about ADD and college it would be really helpful, also- I'm kind of nervous. Any input is greatly appreciated.
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GrouchyOne
11-23-2003, 04:14 AM
Your report from two years ago should be sufficient for your new doctor or, if not, have your current doctor reprint it but with today's date to indicate that it requires ongoing treatment. Otherwise, you could always go to your on*campus psychiatrist. Most colleges and universities today have, as part of their student wellness programs, medical, dental and psychiatric services available to students as part of their student fees. These people are usually well informed about ADHD and don't make a fuss about writing prescriptions after an initial assessment.
Good luck over there with college; I wish I was diagnosed before I got there because my ADHD played havoc with my grades and eventually affected my career path; college was hard enough without being handicapped by my inability to focus and my habit to procratinate. Good luck! :)
Good luck over there with college; I wish I was diagnosed before I got there because my ADHD played havoc with my grades and eventually affected my career path; college was hard enough without being handicapped by my inability to focus and my habit to procratinate. Good luck! :)
le shok
11-23-2003, 11:35 PM
Your report from two years ago should be sufficient for your new doctor or, if not, have your current doctor reprint it but with today's date to indicate that it requires ongoing treatment. Otherwise, you could always go to your on*campus psychiatrist.
It really varies from school to school, from what i've seen. My college did allow me to start seeing an on-campus psychiatrist for med management with no problem. However, in order to procure accommodations for add (ie a writing tutor, extended time on tests, etc), I had to get a neuropsychocological evaluation. So the diagnostic questionnaire my doctor at home used was insufficient in the eyes of the college to grant accommodations.
As for the doctors themselves, they seem to be fine with each other's word. I wouldn't stress too hard about it, especially since it's months away :)
I wish I could give you tons of tips about being ADD in college but even though I'm a junior, I've been puzzling it out just this semester (I was diagnosed this summer). The only things I've figured out so far are to devote some wall space to your lists and schedules and make sure they're in a place where you look at them every day. i have a month on a page and all four pages of the semester taped side by side so I see which weeks are gonna be hectic and which weeks I can use to catch up on things. OH and the expanding file portfolio is MY BESTEST FRIEND EVERRRR. I take it with me everywhere I go, and each division is devoted for each class, with additional divisions for non-academic documents, scheduling materials, etc. What with readings, the file can get full, so every few weeks I move old readings into their own back files in my room.
Oh, and something i wish i do is have a timer. i would set it for 20 minutes from the time i start checking my email. so then i wouldnt waste oh, 5 hours without noticing. dammit.
hope i've helped a little. college life will be so distracting at first... it is a fact, so count on it and know that you will not be able to do all the work. pick and choose what you deem important.
xo
It really varies from school to school, from what i've seen. My college did allow me to start seeing an on-campus psychiatrist for med management with no problem. However, in order to procure accommodations for add (ie a writing tutor, extended time on tests, etc), I had to get a neuropsychocological evaluation. So the diagnostic questionnaire my doctor at home used was insufficient in the eyes of the college to grant accommodations.
As for the doctors themselves, they seem to be fine with each other's word. I wouldn't stress too hard about it, especially since it's months away :)
I wish I could give you tons of tips about being ADD in college but even though I'm a junior, I've been puzzling it out just this semester (I was diagnosed this summer). The only things I've figured out so far are to devote some wall space to your lists and schedules and make sure they're in a place where you look at them every day. i have a month on a page and all four pages of the semester taped side by side so I see which weeks are gonna be hectic and which weeks I can use to catch up on things. OH and the expanding file portfolio is MY BESTEST FRIEND EVERRRR. I take it with me everywhere I go, and each division is devoted for each class, with additional divisions for non-academic documents, scheduling materials, etc. What with readings, the file can get full, so every few weeks I move old readings into their own back files in my room.
Oh, and something i wish i do is have a timer. i would set it for 20 minutes from the time i start checking my email. so then i wouldnt waste oh, 5 hours without noticing. dammit.
hope i've helped a little. college life will be so distracting at first... it is a fact, so count on it and know that you will not be able to do all the work. pick and choose what you deem important.
xo
abigailsmom
11-27-2003, 05:34 AM
Hi :wave: I am new to the board an dwanted to reply and share my experience. I was dx with ADD (inattentive) with co-occuring Anxiety Disorder 10 years ago when I was going to college - for my undergrad degree. I was failing tests and could not take notes and pay attention at the same time. This particular college I went to had a great disabilities department and I was able to get assistance for tuturing and study skills. Since then, I have moved from the arcieved my undergrad and went to grad school (a miracle to think I could even get through, which I graduated in 2001 with a MSW). I did not have to be retested they just wanted a copy of my psycho-educational Evaluation. The grad school that I went to did not have a very good disability department, not much help, only to make sure I recieved accomidations (extra time for tests/papers, able to use a tape recorder, took tests in a seperate area, but with a monitor. I still look back and can not believe that I made it. School was always sooo difficult and I had to spend so much more time on homework than anyone else. But, I really wanted a better job and was interested in the field and I had gone through so much in my life that I wanted to help others. I do recommend looking into what type of Disability department and what assistance they would be able to help with. I have developed different statagies while going to school. Some transfer over to work, but I do have some issues in this area. I am finally asking for accomidations, which has been a real issie for me. I wanted to be treated the same and try everything I could to get by. I didn't have problems asking for accomidations for school but I have for work. Not sure why? Fear I guess. Anyway, I hope this helps. ;) Hi, I'm 17 and a senior in high school. I was just wondering if anyone has experience with being prescribed medication in college. I am currently taking Concerta. I will be attending college several hours away from home next year. I was diagnosed with ADD two years ago. In order to continue receiving treatment, will I need to be retested by a doctor there, or will my report from my diagnosis two years ago be suffiicient? Also, how should I go about finding a doctor to prescribe medication? If anyone has any other experiences or tips to share about ADD and college it would be really helpful, also- I'm kind of nervous. Any input is greatly appreciated.
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Kells2hyper
11-30-2003, 04:55 AM
Alright girl,
I'm in college right now. I also take concerta and second semester of my freshman year I got onto Paxil as well. I went through a ton of junk when I went away to college..allow me to give you some "what not to do" type tips...hehe. Don't take double doses b/c you think it should REALLY help you concentrate. Also, don't drink coffee late to study, it doesn't make you focus, it only makes you lie awake forever with hw waiting for the next day.
At a four year university you might have to have another diagnoses, contact the disability department BEFORE you go to school and find out what it takes. You might also try to stick with the same doc in your town unless you really find it necessary to change, cause changing doctors gets old quick.
Also, start now preparing yourself for reading text books, going to every class, and making yourself stay on task. Last year I was at a four year university and now i'm at a junior college back at home...but I made my own decisions not to do my work and to not get the help I needed in the beginning.
GET TUTORS and get to the disability department before school starts, cause you aren't gonna want to deal with it when you get there cause your gonna be havin too much fun!
Good luck, have a blast and my words of wisdom....every decision has a consequence good or bad.
Good luck my ADD friend
I'm in college right now. I also take concerta and second semester of my freshman year I got onto Paxil as well. I went through a ton of junk when I went away to college..allow me to give you some "what not to do" type tips...hehe. Don't take double doses b/c you think it should REALLY help you concentrate. Also, don't drink coffee late to study, it doesn't make you focus, it only makes you lie awake forever with hw waiting for the next day.
At a four year university you might have to have another diagnoses, contact the disability department BEFORE you go to school and find out what it takes. You might also try to stick with the same doc in your town unless you really find it necessary to change, cause changing doctors gets old quick.
Also, start now preparing yourself for reading text books, going to every class, and making yourself stay on task. Last year I was at a four year university and now i'm at a junior college back at home...but I made my own decisions not to do my work and to not get the help I needed in the beginning.
GET TUTORS and get to the disability department before school starts, cause you aren't gonna want to deal with it when you get there cause your gonna be havin too much fun!
Good luck, have a blast and my words of wisdom....every decision has a consequence good or bad.
Good luck my ADD friend
strattercaster
11-30-2003, 09:59 AM
Good for you for having both the insight and the strength to deal with your problem! I didn't until I was well into my 40s - I wish I could do college over again (but of course, ADD wasn't really discussed much 20 or so years ago, and the new meds were unheard of).
Let me refer you to a great book - Learning Outside The Lines by Jonathan Mooney and David Cole. Self-described as "two Ivy League students with learning disabilities and ADHD give you the tools for academic success and education revolution". A little bit of exageration, and to be certain some of the tips are common sense stuff - but overall, I have found it an invaluable resource. Not only for myself - but also for my own students now that (irony of ironies) I have grown up to be a teacher myself! Good Luck!
Let me refer you to a great book - Learning Outside The Lines by Jonathan Mooney and David Cole. Self-described as "two Ivy League students with learning disabilities and ADHD give you the tools for academic success and education revolution". A little bit of exageration, and to be certain some of the tips are common sense stuff - but overall, I have found it an invaluable resource. Not only for myself - but also for my own students now that (irony of ironies) I have grown up to be a teacher myself! Good Luck!