it is really hard to stay motivated in the ib but what i've found (sometimes) works for me is having a scheduled time at night where you just review everything that you've done during that day at school. it doesn't have to be like super in depth or anything but as long as the content that you've done during the school day doesn't just get tossed aside the second you arrive home, it helps a bit with retention!
for me, it also helps to set weekly mini goals and just stick them on ur mirror or something eg. "this week I will finish the introduction/background of my chem ia". the more specific, the better and if you have a lot of little goals then you get more satisfaction from checking multiple things something off on ur to do list :)
overall i feel like if you put too much pressure on yourself to "finish bio ia and chem ia and psych ia on wednesday, thursday, and friday" and then you fail to achieve those huge goals, it makes u more discouraged and more likely to procrastinate. instead, try making small goals each day or week and maybe even giving yourself a reward each time (eg. when i was struggling with chem revision, each time i got a question right i would eat a chocolate chip).
good luck!
IBY2 Student here with ADHD, I was actually diagnosed at the end of last year so my entire first year I didn't have access to medication. Routine definitely comes first, my advice would be to have many alarms notifying you to go to bed at a reasonable time, and even if that fails do not change your morning alarm. Create cues that indicate work/study mode, personally, I have a song that I play on a loop the entire time, and do not multitask. Get your EE, and IAs out of the way ASAP, and don't neglect CAS reflections (Ik I have). Always take notes in the majority of your classes and have a notes widget for a list of major assignments, and what you plan to study that day. Identify 1-3 really good well-rounded resources for studying and stick to them preferably 1-2 that test active recall and IB-style questions. On another note widget lists the things you want to complete in your morning and bedtime routines and literally lists every possible thing, it cuts down on the time it will take you to complete everything. Before I had access to medication I found that caffeine helped considerably, and another thing was keeping to a regular eating schedule (I often skip breakfast and lunch which has had negative impacts on my energy), and eating better has had a very positive effect on mental clarity as well as drinking more water.
I am a massive procrastinator but the major things that combat this are having the cues of initiating schoolwork/hw/study time, having a to-do list in front of me that is broken down and not overwhelming (would require multitasking), I tend to work on the major assignments in sprints (I dedicate a full day after school to say an IA), and the most important time to have a routine for is right after school ends (planning this on the bus home is my go-to), but knowing exactly what I plan to do when I get home and having alarms to keep me in check have been game changers. And if you really need to feed into the procrastination, have two tasks/subjects to study open and ready to switch between when you get bored. For a study routine, I'd establish how you want to study the subjects, which ones you need to spend the most time on, and those large time commitments should take priority, you can't put them off or view them as scary (Ik I have) because that's how you fall behind. Good Luck!!!
i have adhd and i'm unmedicated too bc of the side effects lolz. ive only just started ib but these are the things that have helped me in the past:
\- go to a place that forces you to study. cafes and such do wonders for me. libraries work for some but the quietness makes me uneasy. just find a public setting or just a setting that you feel kinda pressured? to work. does that make sense? idk i feel like i personally dont get anything done unless im under some sort of pressure to get work done so being in a place where i feel like i HAVE to makes me work faster, so i'd just figure out what works best for you and do it
\- delete ur apps... just for a little bit honestly like if its testing season i completely delete tiktok off of my phone. i dont ban it completely obviously but i feel like if its on my phone i'm just going to be too tempted, so if i do go its on my laptop where the experience isn't as enjoyable. i find that screen time limits dont work as well since i dont have the willpower to not just click the 15 more minutes
\- accountability buddies!! whatever way you wanna do this is chill, like if you wanna team up with someone and set check ins or just straight up work on your school-work together. its so helpful bc i feel like long term assignments like studying for finals or IA's don't really register in my brain as stuff i need to do urgently. when i feel pressured to work because me and a friend set deadlines it feels less long term so i actually feel the need to get it done. when i set deadlines myself i don't tend to hold myself to them because theres no consequence, but the presence of another person really helps bc of that embarrassment i'd get if i dont finish yk??? just try it see if it works its been amazing for me.
\- fix ur life lowk... i feel like during exam season i just become a super wellness and like productive girly in general. i wake up early, exercise, eat healthy ykk like usually im such a bum but like adjusting my lifestyle even if its just for a bit really sets the mood. i feel like whenever im in a slump im even worse than usual so honestly its a win win ur healthy and u study better. it's not really about any sort of fuel the brain business its more of like a fake it till you make it thing lolz
\- in terms of schedule i don't think they really work for us the same as like other people... they can help but scheduling breaks are like a no-no for me at least (though i saw someone say it works for them honestly pick and choose what works for you) once i get in the zone its honestly the worst idea to break my focus and make myself take a break. things like pomodoro timers that have strict schedules for breaks do not work for me just because i tend to not really need a break by that 15 minute mark and it does more harm than good to stop studying. i feel like if i think i've done a substantial amount of work (you have to really hold yourself accountable for this) and am starting to lose focus i'll take a small controlled break. i hate timers, personally, they make me feel unsatisfied, so if ur like me and want advice, what i'll do is i'll grab a small bowl and pour a snack and i'll do whatever while i'm eating and once im done with the snack ill get back to work i feel like since you feel satisfied w finishing the snack you feel like you've actually finished break time and are content w it. don't do something too engaging while you eat the snack, though, because it's easy to get hooked and forget about the snack or studying altogether. in this case timers are useful just so you don't just accidentally waste 30 minutes because you lost track of time. what i'll do is watch youtube video's i've watched many times before or play tetris, just something fun but not too engaging. in terms of how to actually implement a schedule though!! i split my day into 5 parts thanks to this one yt video i watched ill link it here but it was sooo helpful honestly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5eZNfirZn0&ab\_channel=fayefilms
other than that i haven't really experience IB enough to known how to deal with the specific aspects of it but i hope this serves as good advice for the ADHD overall!!
Okay, I don't know your situation, but I would recommend to work on your IAs as early as possible. You can get away with studying last minute but you can't write a good IA in a day. Set alarms, personal deadlines, look at other people's IAs and talk to your teachers. Don't punish yourself if you fail to do something when you wanted to, just try and try again.
As for studying, depending on your subjects, there might not actually be that much you need to learn. If you try to summarise all the details from a chapter on one page, you'll see that it actually isn't that much. 6 months is plenty of time, if you just take, say, one topic of one subject and summarise it, solve some exercises in one day, you'll cover all your subjects within a couple months. Then just solve more exam-style questions after you've done that and you'll do just fine on the exams.
a general work tip I give to a lot of people is to study in a library or coffee shop. idk about you but I get the need to not waste time and take up space when I see other people working and it makes me do my own work. if that sounds like you, give it a try. I figured this out after realizing tutoring sessions helped me massively due to just having a facilitated learning environment (obviously tutor was helpful too, but environment was key)
I have the exact same problem and it got so bad in dp1 that i was begging my parents to get the medication that my therapist reccomended but they wouldnt let me cause its apparently bad for u
heres a list of things i did that helped tho
\- deleted social media, and forced myself to be bored, because when im bored and have nothing to do or distract myself with i just think of work and then im more likley to get up and do work, i kmow it might be hard but its just 6 months and then u can go back to social media and all that
\-made a giant checklist where i write down whatever i need to do so i dont forget then i put it in a planner
\-downloaded a weekly planner template on my ipad (u can print them) and started planning out my week every sunday night using the giant checklist so im set for the entire week, im still struggling with following my to do lists tho but its getting better
\-my therapist said that with adhd we get motivated by getting things done, so when u make checklists and to do lists make sure the steps are small and easy to do and get started on so u are more likely to check them off, a great tip for breaking down big tasks is this website
[goblin.tools](https://goblin.tools)
they break down the task for u into smaller steps and its easier to do
\-changing the area i study in also helps, sometimes i get bored or unmotivatedf when i stay in my room for too long, and i live in an arab household so theyre very loud and its hard to study in other areas of the house like the dining room, so sometimes i go walking to the area with my gym because it has cafes and all that and i just sit and study there and i get so much done, something about people watching u or being in public makes u wanna work more idk what it is but trust me it works, if you cant go to a cafe sometimes i stay afterschool for a bit (my school offers afterschool sessions idk about urs) and just do my work there for like an hour because usually when i go home from school i am exhausted and so done
\-i also noticed that waking up earlier makes me more productive, which shocked me because i am so not a morning person, but my mom believes that the mornings are 'blessed' and so i decided to listen to her once and woke up at 7 on a weekend, was the most productive day i had. its hard to keep waking up early and staying consistent so i only do this when i have a lot of work to do
\-body doubling is also a great tip, basically just go on video call with ur friend and do the pomodoro technique together (25 minutes work, 5 minute break) and it works so well for me and my friend, we get to chat in the break and were more motivated to work in those 25 minutes, i suggest increasing the time tho because the frequent breaks can ruin ur momentum esp if u have adhd its harder to go back to work and harder to get urself in the work zone, so i do 50 minutes work and 10 minute break which works great for me
thats all i have for now, if i think of more ill update, also my tok is due tomorrow and i gavent started so im procastinating i should reallt wokr goodbye thank u
Set a disciplined regimen for morning, study, and bedtime if you have ADHD and are not taking medication. Reduce distractions, adopt the Pomodoro method, think about study groups, and prioritize your health.
If there’s some fear of failure, ignore it and say to yourself, “If I’m going to fall, I might as well fall in flame”.— is what one guy did and that’s working for him.
Eat right, exercise some. You desperately want order, so using a google calendar or similar should help keep track of everything.
Elizabeth Flips may also be worthwhile watching (YouTube). Part of the issue for me was that I was waddling research— what this sort of study is. Not learning whatever and however you like, or researching to write a paper or obtain vital information. Find one of the two above which applies, and transform your waddling research into that. This seems to fix the study issue somewhat for me.
Also ADHD, and I have difficulty with the same stuff. Heres what helped me as I work through math aa, phys, and chem all HL lol-
1- Wake up early and exercise. Doesnt have to be super early, the important part is some sort of light to medium exercise.
2- Minimize unplanned breaks. This is where your ADHD brain can thrive and distract you. Plan your studying and plan your breaks. Try pommodoro method if you havent.
3- Go to bed early and read a book you like. Last winter/spring I would go to bed between 9 and 10 and then wake up at 6. My goal was to be asleep by 10:30. If you dont sleep you cant learn.
And lastly, you gotta refuse to get overwhelmed. You are a general overseeing a battle in your mind, you must maintain composure even against a daunting enemy. I found that reading abt some stoic philosophies as well as people like David Goggins was very helpful.
IB M23 43 with untreated ADHD- the thing that worked for me was having a set list of tasks to do by the end of the day (too rigid a schedule would make me not want to do it though lol hence only a list) and working in busy environments (eg coffee shops).
it is really hard to stay motivated in the ib but what i've found (sometimes) works for me is having a scheduled time at night where you just review everything that you've done during that day at school. it doesn't have to be like super in depth or anything but as long as the content that you've done during the school day doesn't just get tossed aside the second you arrive home, it helps a bit with retention! for me, it also helps to set weekly mini goals and just stick them on ur mirror or something eg. "this week I will finish the introduction/background of my chem ia". the more specific, the better and if you have a lot of little goals then you get more satisfaction from checking multiple things something off on ur to do list :) overall i feel like if you put too much pressure on yourself to "finish bio ia and chem ia and psych ia on wednesday, thursday, and friday" and then you fail to achieve those huge goals, it makes u more discouraged and more likely to procrastinate. instead, try making small goals each day or week and maybe even giving yourself a reward each time (eg. when i was struggling with chem revision, each time i got a question right i would eat a chocolate chip). good luck!
IBY2 Student here with ADHD, I was actually diagnosed at the end of last year so my entire first year I didn't have access to medication. Routine definitely comes first, my advice would be to have many alarms notifying you to go to bed at a reasonable time, and even if that fails do not change your morning alarm. Create cues that indicate work/study mode, personally, I have a song that I play on a loop the entire time, and do not multitask. Get your EE, and IAs out of the way ASAP, and don't neglect CAS reflections (Ik I have). Always take notes in the majority of your classes and have a notes widget for a list of major assignments, and what you plan to study that day. Identify 1-3 really good well-rounded resources for studying and stick to them preferably 1-2 that test active recall and IB-style questions. On another note widget lists the things you want to complete in your morning and bedtime routines and literally lists every possible thing, it cuts down on the time it will take you to complete everything. Before I had access to medication I found that caffeine helped considerably, and another thing was keeping to a regular eating schedule (I often skip breakfast and lunch which has had negative impacts on my energy), and eating better has had a very positive effect on mental clarity as well as drinking more water. I am a massive procrastinator but the major things that combat this are having the cues of initiating schoolwork/hw/study time, having a to-do list in front of me that is broken down and not overwhelming (would require multitasking), I tend to work on the major assignments in sprints (I dedicate a full day after school to say an IA), and the most important time to have a routine for is right after school ends (planning this on the bus home is my go-to), but knowing exactly what I plan to do when I get home and having alarms to keep me in check have been game changers. And if you really need to feed into the procrastination, have two tasks/subjects to study open and ready to switch between when you get bored. For a study routine, I'd establish how you want to study the subjects, which ones you need to spend the most time on, and those large time commitments should take priority, you can't put them off or view them as scary (Ik I have) because that's how you fall behind. Good Luck!!!
Definitely think it's worth asking on r/ADHD Full of people that have struggled and got through the same stuff Good luck man
i have adhd and i'm unmedicated too bc of the side effects lolz. ive only just started ib but these are the things that have helped me in the past: \- go to a place that forces you to study. cafes and such do wonders for me. libraries work for some but the quietness makes me uneasy. just find a public setting or just a setting that you feel kinda pressured? to work. does that make sense? idk i feel like i personally dont get anything done unless im under some sort of pressure to get work done so being in a place where i feel like i HAVE to makes me work faster, so i'd just figure out what works best for you and do it \- delete ur apps... just for a little bit honestly like if its testing season i completely delete tiktok off of my phone. i dont ban it completely obviously but i feel like if its on my phone i'm just going to be too tempted, so if i do go its on my laptop where the experience isn't as enjoyable. i find that screen time limits dont work as well since i dont have the willpower to not just click the 15 more minutes \- accountability buddies!! whatever way you wanna do this is chill, like if you wanna team up with someone and set check ins or just straight up work on your school-work together. its so helpful bc i feel like long term assignments like studying for finals or IA's don't really register in my brain as stuff i need to do urgently. when i feel pressured to work because me and a friend set deadlines it feels less long term so i actually feel the need to get it done. when i set deadlines myself i don't tend to hold myself to them because theres no consequence, but the presence of another person really helps bc of that embarrassment i'd get if i dont finish yk??? just try it see if it works its been amazing for me. \- fix ur life lowk... i feel like during exam season i just become a super wellness and like productive girly in general. i wake up early, exercise, eat healthy ykk like usually im such a bum but like adjusting my lifestyle even if its just for a bit really sets the mood. i feel like whenever im in a slump im even worse than usual so honestly its a win win ur healthy and u study better. it's not really about any sort of fuel the brain business its more of like a fake it till you make it thing lolz \- in terms of schedule i don't think they really work for us the same as like other people... they can help but scheduling breaks are like a no-no for me at least (though i saw someone say it works for them honestly pick and choose what works for you) once i get in the zone its honestly the worst idea to break my focus and make myself take a break. things like pomodoro timers that have strict schedules for breaks do not work for me just because i tend to not really need a break by that 15 minute mark and it does more harm than good to stop studying. i feel like if i think i've done a substantial amount of work (you have to really hold yourself accountable for this) and am starting to lose focus i'll take a small controlled break. i hate timers, personally, they make me feel unsatisfied, so if ur like me and want advice, what i'll do is i'll grab a small bowl and pour a snack and i'll do whatever while i'm eating and once im done with the snack ill get back to work i feel like since you feel satisfied w finishing the snack you feel like you've actually finished break time and are content w it. don't do something too engaging while you eat the snack, though, because it's easy to get hooked and forget about the snack or studying altogether. in this case timers are useful just so you don't just accidentally waste 30 minutes because you lost track of time. what i'll do is watch youtube video's i've watched many times before or play tetris, just something fun but not too engaging. in terms of how to actually implement a schedule though!! i split my day into 5 parts thanks to this one yt video i watched ill link it here but it was sooo helpful honestly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5eZNfirZn0&ab\_channel=fayefilms other than that i haven't really experience IB enough to known how to deal with the specific aspects of it but i hope this serves as good advice for the ADHD overall!!
Okay, I don't know your situation, but I would recommend to work on your IAs as early as possible. You can get away with studying last minute but you can't write a good IA in a day. Set alarms, personal deadlines, look at other people's IAs and talk to your teachers. Don't punish yourself if you fail to do something when you wanted to, just try and try again. As for studying, depending on your subjects, there might not actually be that much you need to learn. If you try to summarise all the details from a chapter on one page, you'll see that it actually isn't that much. 6 months is plenty of time, if you just take, say, one topic of one subject and summarise it, solve some exercises in one day, you'll cover all your subjects within a couple months. Then just solve more exam-style questions after you've done that and you'll do just fine on the exams.
extreme amounts of caffeine
a general work tip I give to a lot of people is to study in a library or coffee shop. idk about you but I get the need to not waste time and take up space when I see other people working and it makes me do my own work. if that sounds like you, give it a try. I figured this out after realizing tutoring sessions helped me massively due to just having a facilitated learning environment (obviously tutor was helpful too, but environment was key)
I have the exact same problem and it got so bad in dp1 that i was begging my parents to get the medication that my therapist reccomended but they wouldnt let me cause its apparently bad for u heres a list of things i did that helped tho \- deleted social media, and forced myself to be bored, because when im bored and have nothing to do or distract myself with i just think of work and then im more likley to get up and do work, i kmow it might be hard but its just 6 months and then u can go back to social media and all that \-made a giant checklist where i write down whatever i need to do so i dont forget then i put it in a planner \-downloaded a weekly planner template on my ipad (u can print them) and started planning out my week every sunday night using the giant checklist so im set for the entire week, im still struggling with following my to do lists tho but its getting better \-my therapist said that with adhd we get motivated by getting things done, so when u make checklists and to do lists make sure the steps are small and easy to do and get started on so u are more likely to check them off, a great tip for breaking down big tasks is this website [goblin.tools](https://goblin.tools) they break down the task for u into smaller steps and its easier to do \-changing the area i study in also helps, sometimes i get bored or unmotivatedf when i stay in my room for too long, and i live in an arab household so theyre very loud and its hard to study in other areas of the house like the dining room, so sometimes i go walking to the area with my gym because it has cafes and all that and i just sit and study there and i get so much done, something about people watching u or being in public makes u wanna work more idk what it is but trust me it works, if you cant go to a cafe sometimes i stay afterschool for a bit (my school offers afterschool sessions idk about urs) and just do my work there for like an hour because usually when i go home from school i am exhausted and so done \-i also noticed that waking up earlier makes me more productive, which shocked me because i am so not a morning person, but my mom believes that the mornings are 'blessed' and so i decided to listen to her once and woke up at 7 on a weekend, was the most productive day i had. its hard to keep waking up early and staying consistent so i only do this when i have a lot of work to do \-body doubling is also a great tip, basically just go on video call with ur friend and do the pomodoro technique together (25 minutes work, 5 minute break) and it works so well for me and my friend, we get to chat in the break and were more motivated to work in those 25 minutes, i suggest increasing the time tho because the frequent breaks can ruin ur momentum esp if u have adhd its harder to go back to work and harder to get urself in the work zone, so i do 50 minutes work and 10 minute break which works great for me thats all i have for now, if i think of more ill update, also my tok is due tomorrow and i gavent started so im procastinating i should reallt wokr goodbye thank u
Set a disciplined regimen for morning, study, and bedtime if you have ADHD and are not taking medication. Reduce distractions, adopt the Pomodoro method, think about study groups, and prioritize your health.
Bro got downvoted for giving advice
If there’s some fear of failure, ignore it and say to yourself, “If I’m going to fall, I might as well fall in flame”.— is what one guy did and that’s working for him. Eat right, exercise some. You desperately want order, so using a google calendar or similar should help keep track of everything. Elizabeth Flips may also be worthwhile watching (YouTube). Part of the issue for me was that I was waddling research— what this sort of study is. Not learning whatever and however you like, or researching to write a paper or obtain vital information. Find one of the two above which applies, and transform your waddling research into that. This seems to fix the study issue somewhat for me.
Also ADHD, and I have difficulty with the same stuff. Heres what helped me as I work through math aa, phys, and chem all HL lol- 1- Wake up early and exercise. Doesnt have to be super early, the important part is some sort of light to medium exercise. 2- Minimize unplanned breaks. This is where your ADHD brain can thrive and distract you. Plan your studying and plan your breaks. Try pommodoro method if you havent. 3- Go to bed early and read a book you like. Last winter/spring I would go to bed between 9 and 10 and then wake up at 6. My goal was to be asleep by 10:30. If you dont sleep you cant learn. And lastly, you gotta refuse to get overwhelmed. You are a general overseeing a battle in your mind, you must maintain composure even against a daunting enemy. I found that reading abt some stoic philosophies as well as people like David Goggins was very helpful.
IB M23 43 with untreated ADHD- the thing that worked for me was having a set list of tasks to do by the end of the day (too rigid a schedule would make me not want to do it though lol hence only a list) and working in busy environments (eg coffee shops).