thanatos...
Let's see if I can formulate a 'memorable' answer.
The following is a tip from 'ADD Made Easy, A Manual for
Those with a Short Attention Span', by Barbara Stein, from
her website on AOL:
"Squeeze Your finger"
"Yes, you read that right. Did you know that when the brain
learns anything new, it grows a dendrite? A dendrite is
like a branch on a tree. Whatever is connected to the same
'branch' will be forever associated. Therefore, if you
connect the memorization of spelling words, dates, times
tables, etc. to a physical sensation, like squeezing your
finger, the brain will associate the feeling in the finger
with the memorized material." More on this on the page:
http://hometown.aol.com/bmavin/stein.htm
...and on the site:
http://hometown.aol.com/bmavin/
SoundFeelings.com has some free study tips on this page:
1 Study in Short, Frequent Sessions.
2 Take Guilt-Free Days of Rest.
3 Honor Your Emotional State.
4 Review the Same Day.
5 Observe the Natural Learning Sequence.
6 Use Exaggeration.
7 Prepare Your Study Environment.
8 Respect “Brain Fade.”
9 Create a Study Routine.
10 Set Reasonable Goals.
11 Avoid the Frustration Enemy.
Elaboration on each technique is given on this page:
http://www.soundfeelings.com/free/studying.htm
One page I came across during this research suggested
that those with ADD tended to think in images, rather
than words, processing a much larger number of images
than those without the condition. There are memory
enhancement techniques, used by some of the prodigies
who go on talk shows and memorize the names of 30
people in the audience, which consist of correlating
words with images. So, e.g., Mrs. Cantor, who has a
prominent nose, is remembered by creating an image of
a female singer with a big nose. These, and other
techniques are available in books and seminars.
You may benefit from some of the books about memory
improvement found on this page from Powells.com:
http://www.powells.com/subsection/PsychologyMemory.html
While you may prefer not to disclose your condition to
your teachers (I worked in the mental health field for
20+ years, and understand the concept of 'stigma'),
times are changing, and you might want to take the
opportunity to educate your teachers about ADD, and
what would be helpful to you. An excellent summary of
this is on the site of The University of Colorado at
Boulder, which recommends the following to teachers:
"Suggestions for assisting students with ADD include:
-A detailed syllabus, outlines, graphic organizers,
pre-organizers, etc., help the student organize information.
-Classroom and course expectations (i.e., assignments,
attendance, deadlines, participation, etc.) should be
made as clear and specific as possible.
-Highlighting and summarizing key concepts and terms in
lecture to help with focus.
-Faculty and staff should be sensitive to the impacts of
ADD (and possibly the medication) yet consistent regarding
expectations and deadlines.
-Faculty and staff should be aware that students with ADD
may have difficulty completing long-term assignments;
consequently, any support in this area (referral to DS,
providing more structure, working individually with
students, etc.) is valuable.
-Students with ADD often require more ongoing feedback
regarding academic performance.
-Refer students to Disability Services for assistance and
support services."
http://www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices/handbook/handbook8.html
Seeking out 'Disability Services', or whatever it may be
named at the college you are attending, is another option
I would recommend, if it is available.
Intelegen, Inc has a wealth of information in regard to
memory and techniques for the enhancement of same, here:
http://brain.web-us.com/memory/Default.htm
...including mnemonic techniques and memory tricks, here:
http://brain.web-us.com/memory/mnemonic_techniques.htm
And, finally, you may wish to explore the advantages which
some say are available with so-called 'smart drugs', or
'nootropics'. A thorough, unbiased discussion of the three
categories of these (drugs, nutrients and herbs) is available
starting with this page on the CyberArts website:
http://www.cyberartsweb.org/cpace/ht/sulam/nootropics/moresmarts.html
Naturally, if you opt to consider the 'drugs' explored above,
which have an effect on brain chemistry, you would benefit
by having the approval of the doctor who prescribes the meds
for your condition.
You may find even more information on the subject by further
exploration of the results of the searches which I have linked
below.
Please do not rate this answer until you are satisfied that
the answer cannot be improved upon by means of a dialog
established through the "Request for Clarification" process.
sublime1-ga
Searches done, via Google:
"attention deficit disorder" memorization
://www.google.com/search?q=%22attention+deficit+disorder%22+memorization
"smart drugs" memorization
://www.google.com/search?q=%22smart+drugs%22+memorization |
