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I think it’s worth sharing some of the compensatory strategies I have as a successful #DisabledinSTEM grad student with ADHD so other grad students with the same disability can learn.
Here is a thread.
Here is a thread.
1. My ADHD is predominantly of the inattentive type, and my short term memory is terrible.
Whenever I’m carrying out a lab procedure, I write down the protocol myself, print it, and put it in plastic sleeves. I have dry-erase markers and check steps off as I do them.
Whenever I’m carrying out a lab procedure, I write down the protocol myself, print it, and put it in plastic sleeves. I have dry-erase markers and check steps off as I do them.
2. Computational work is really well suited to ADHD - it’s much easier to debug a program than troubleshoot an experiment where you’re usually pipetting clear liquids into other clear liquids. Also, coding is a skill that every scientist should learn.
3. Your scientific notebook should not be your only document of what you’ve done; write down what you did every day. If your advisor, like mine, likes written updates every couple of weeks, this is to your advantage.
4. If you are anything like me, you will come up with weird side projects. This is an ability you should use to your advantage. Write these ideas down. They may be useful if you have to switch gears or if your project doesn’t work out.
5. Take notes at your meetings and ask people if you can record your meeting as much as you need to.
6. It is okay to do work in bursts. Especially right now, I find myself being able to concentrate for about half an hour, then zoning out. I give myself about five minutes to be distracted and then bring myself back to work.
7. As with many other kinds of neurodivergence, we have to mask to pass as much as possible for neurotypical to get by. Find a line of research that works well for you and minimizes your need to mask; you’ll do better work.
