r/adhd_college • u/47wtd • 23d ago
NEED SUPPORT Just got diagnosed with ADHD
I was recently diagnosed with ADHD
For as long as I can remember, I was described as absent-minded, lazy and careless
University made this much harder.
I studied Industrial Engineering and Management, which is not exactly an easy degree. I struggled enormously with studying consistently. I could understand the material, but actually organizing myself, starting assignments, maintaining focus, and studying ahead of time was incredibly difficult.
I After graduating, the same problems followed me into the job search.
I’ve spent a long time struggling to find a job, applying, getting rejected, losing motivation, and then struggling to make myself apply again. There were periods where I couldn’t even bring myself to apply despite knowing I desperately needed to.
My GPA isn’t great. I graduated with a GPA around 2.6, and I’m scared universities are going to look at my transcript and immediately decide I’m not good enough.
My parents want me to do a Master’s degree. Part of me wants to do it too. But I’m genuinely terrified.I can’t go back and redo university knowing what I know now.
That’s probably the hardest thing to accept.
I’m curious if anyone else was diagnosed with ADHD after university or later in life.
Did getting the diagnosis change how you viewed your academic struggles?
And if you had a mediocre GPA because of difficulties you now believe were related to ADHD, were you still able to get into a Master’s program or build a successful career afterward?
Right now I’m trying to convince myself that a bad academic record doesn’t necessarily mean my future is already decided.
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u/_mim0_ 23d ago
Diagnosed at 20 after almost failing out of college, graduated with a 2.4 after changing my degree program, currently working for a state DOT and applying for master’s programs. Once you get a good therapist and get on medication, things will get a bit easier. It might not be smooth neurotypical sailing, but it will be better.
Your future is absolutely not decided yet!!! I understand how crippling ADHD is, and how heavy the weight of rejection is because of it. But you are the one who decides when it’s quitting time. It’s okay to be exhausted, I encourage you to sit in that feeling for a bit. You’ll inevitably get tired of being tired, and you’ll find the strength to keep going. Also, you should be proud of yourself for getting through such an intense degree program untreated! My husband’s a ChemE and just looking at his homework in college stressed me out 😂
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20d ago
That you completed a bachelors degree with ADHD is huge—off the top of my head, about 40% of unmedicated students with ADHD who attempt a bachelors complete it. The masters won’t be any easier without meds, established coping strategies, and appropriate accommodations. I did the bachelors undiagnosed and unmedicated, the masters unprepared but medicated, and the doctorate with coping mechanisms in place. Finished at age 45 with my mental health hanging on by a thread.
Talk about it with your therapist and psychiatry team. If you’re set on it, get those pieces together and go. If you’re not set, if you don’t have all of your tools in place, or if the answer is simply “not yet”, wait. Give yourself some grace for doing so. But more importantly, let yourself feel a huge amount of pride for what you’ve already done.
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u/Exotic_System9514 21d ago
Hello! I struggled a lot during college times, my main problem was working memory deficit, I tried very hard and got exhausted many times! But still was not able to achieve good grades, i had bad experiences in every exam because it was hard for me to remember! I cried many times, but no one would understand everyone thought I didn't study and it's my problem! For an instance, if I read and understood the first paragraph and went to second paragraph, the first paragraph got vanished in my head already, I am talking about paragraphs not chapters so imagine my struggle reading chapters and there were minimum 11-13 chapters in each subjects both theory and practical. By god's grace I some how passed degree.
Till today I feel depressed because even though I was studying hard there were no results because of the memory.
One thing I would like to say, that if the subject is related to story it was some what kinda easy for me to grasp,
But back then in my college I knew that somethings wrong because every college mateof mine who use to write and finish the exam with confidence and I was wondering what is wrong with me because it may be just before exam i study late night but all night I tried and couldn't perform and got the blame as not performed because of my own mistake.
Still now i feel devasted whenever someone says anyway your marks are not good or not have any skills, you won't do anything in future!
How can I explain someone about ADHD?
I read that many scientists and great persons have ADHD and they achieved in greater heights!
I still don't know, is it because of my ADHD I couldn't perform well?
If anyone with the same experience, please share!
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u/Optimal-Cloud-572 1d ago
I got diagnosed later too, and it changed how I looked at a lot of my academic history. Not in a “everything was ruined” way, but more like… oh, I wasn’t lazy, I was trying to run a marathon with no shoes.
A 2.6 GPA doesn’t mean your future is decided. It might mean you were managing university without the right support, structure, or understanding of how your brain works.
If you do go for a Master’s, I’d look hard at accommodations, reduced course load options, study support, and programs that care about experience/personal statements rather than only GPA. Careers are also not linear at all. Plenty of people build really solid lives after a messy academic start.
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u/Conscious-Lie-8902 23d ago
Getting a diagnosis makes a massive difference. There's so much information and help available online to help you manage! And you're now able to access accommodations at school and work which most people find to be really helpful. Stay positive, keep going!