There is no doubt that not doing schoolwork is a bad omen, but laziness is an over-applied reason. I can point out you're not lazy in about ten seconds through one simple question...
Do you have any hobbies or interests that excite you? Things that can engulf your attention non-stop; potentially to the point of losing track of time? That is, is there anything you're extremely passionate about doing that takes hard work? If you answer yes to any of these, you're not lazy. There are many examples of this that prove exactly the opposite of the laziness lie...that someone is really incredibly industrious.
Examples are performing arts, whether it be an instrument, dance, or especially group activities like show choirs or theater/stage performing is NOT lazy. Actors can work incredibly brutal schedules, spending 15 hours a day preparing, performing, and rehearsing. Anybody who plays a sport - even if they do NOTHING outside of practices, is still giving as much as they possibly can all the time. Extracurriculars in general give people an outlet as something to take pride in...and are a key debunker of 'laziness' and a savior of self esteem.
Another example is a student who can spend 2-3 hours a day faithfully playing a video game - in particular, I'm talking about players of MMORPGs - examples of which are World of Warcraft, Everquest, Guild Wars or Maple Story. The reason I bring up video games is because they are typically blamed for a student's problems, or worse, the students themselves are called lazy for engaging in these games. Parents and teachers may be aware of the addictive qualities of these games, but they more often than not (unless they are players themselves) fail to understand just how much WORK, TIME and PASSION players pour into improving their characters.
Case in point: I worked very hard on a character I had in a MMORPG (a game like Everquest or World of Warcraft) called Dark Age of Camelot (a level 50 Warden in Hib/Kay with over 1130 AC, if you're wondering); after a year and a half of playing, I checked how much total time was spent in game in this one character: to my embarrassment and astonishment, over 55 days were spent in game. That's over 1300 hours.
Is it fair to call anybody who works on a single project for that long over that kind of timeframe lazy? I don't think so, and I wanted to make a point of this. At its worst, it's misapplied time - but this kind of dedication is a mark of industriousness. Players who have such characters have every right to take a great deal of pride in their accomplishments. They've worked for it! How, then, if all of the above people are so industrious, can they not spend even twenty minutes on their homework? Simple. It's not at all stimulating, and I would hardly call a letter grade "feedback."
Even though I was diagnosed with ADD in second grade, the damaging labels did not creep into the picture until much, much later. How much sense does it make to call a primary schooler lazy? It wouldn't happen until workloads get more intense (middle school, roughly 7th and 8th grades)...which is when the label of 'lazy' starts to creep in like a slow poison. It's just not true - counter any thoughts, implications, or outright accusations of laziness with the above. You deserve better than that. Laziness is not the real issue. The real issue will be covered in another post.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Factual Commentary on The Word: Psychopharma-Parenting
As I watched the Colbert Report tonight, I was thinking about an episode of his that I saw about a year ago or so on this very subject. I decided to head over to comedy central's Motherload to see if it was still in their archives. It was...and it's still hilarious to listen to. For fun, with some facts included to enhance the experience, I'm embedding the clip into this post, with some commentary placed below the clip.
I must say I'm pretty impressed with the writers - they really did their research! Armed with the April 23 U.S. News & World Report, of which the cover story is "Speed Freaks," I've learned a few more factoids about stimulant over-use in the US (particularly caffeine) which are relevant. In addition, that article is the subject of a coming post. I was mortified when I read it, but that will wait for later. Enjoy! :)
"They've got all these fun activites that they don't allow the kids to do."
Just minutes before starting this clip, he mentioned that dodgeball has pretty much been banned from schools. Sad! It was a staple of my grade school gym experience! What's wrong with an occasional nosebleed, or even a scratch or bruise?!? Nobody can have fun anymore.
Once again, trial and error have been pulled out of the system because the schools are afraid of nosebleeds (getting crucified by parents). Sure, the kid might get sucker-smacked in the face once or twice, but next time...he'll know to duck. That is, assuming he doesn't get distracted by someone's glinting watch...
"...there was enough [children's medications] to feed an army; or, at least, increase an army's attention span."
A factoid I didn't know until I read the U.S. News article: "The U.S. military issued amphetamine tablets to soldiers during WWII to prevent fatigue."
"It's a darn good thing more kids are getting medicated. The article says they're...[written: teenagers]"
This is a valid criticism/concern - my view is to medicate when/as needed, and not more. This could still mean being medicated every day is quite beneficial - as I learned AFTER graduating college...go figure. Still, as long as the student can pass without meds, *and also feels happier off them*, I believe it should be their choice. As I've said before - even though I was diagnosed in 2nd grade, I didn't medicate until 7th grade (when I nearly flunked out of a gifted math class).
"Instead of spanking their butts, we're spanking their brains."
I've read pretty much every opinion about how much schools/parents/doctors are over-prescribing the meds, and I'm not quite sure who's really the most accurate. Really, it depends on who you ask, and how involved they are in the real diagnosis process. Personally, I trust the opinions of psychologists with ADHD the most.
One new thing that has surfaced over the last few years is the changing view of the role teachers play in diagnosing it. The best description I've heard boils down to this: Teachers are in the best position to spot ADHD in children, because they see enough students to recognize who stands out. Coupled with a psychologist's examination, this is very powerful evidence towards an accurate diagnosis.
"Having a kid on meds is like having a kid with adjustable knobs."
While I don't have anything funny to say, I can verify from experience that the stimulant meds really do act like a kind of knob. Off meds, I constantly have some sort of 'chatter' going on in my head - either music, fleeting thoughts, or a conversation with myself. Meds turn down the internal volume, helping me to concentrate.
"Now, I'm no doctor - I don't know the long term effects..."
I got a really good laugh the first time I heard this - the caption at the end of that sentence pretty much says it all. There still isn't much out there yet; I'm guessing we won't get more conclusive info for another 3-5 years.
However, Dr. Amen has talked in his books about the effects a lot of long-term caffeine exposure has on the brain (this is one form of self-medicating, as is nicotine; i.e. ways people undiagnosed with ADHD who may have it treat their 'sloppiness' or 'laziness,' whatever) ...essentially, caffeine shrinks the brain slightly over time. Interestingly, he does not believe the prescription stimulants do this.
"...but I do know the long term effects on the pharmaceutical industry: fantastic."
I don't really have much to say about this, except that I learned last week at a conference that for treatment options, stimulants alone worked way better than behavior therapy alone. If you need the meds to scrape through, by all means use them!
Random fact - and the real reason I posted this quote: a new stimulant med is being developed that will only activate if absorbed through the stomach - and not through snorting. I personally find it kind of funny and sad at the same time, that this is going to be its selling point.
Never snorted my Adderal/Ritalin, and never sold it to anybody else either. As another matter of fact - 3% of all college students have taken prescription stimulants that weren't prescribed to them, and that number is growing pretty fast. I do NOT recommend selling your prescriptions to others...it could get pretty ugly if something bad happens.
That's all for now! Keep posted for more info coming soon.
I must say I'm pretty impressed with the writers - they really did their research! Armed with the April 23 U.S. News & World Report, of which the cover story is "Speed Freaks," I've learned a few more factoids about stimulant over-use in the US (particularly caffeine) which are relevant. In addition, that article is the subject of a coming post. I was mortified when I read it, but that will wait for later. Enjoy! :)
"They've got all these fun activites that they don't allow the kids to do."
Just minutes before starting this clip, he mentioned that dodgeball has pretty much been banned from schools. Sad! It was a staple of my grade school gym experience! What's wrong with an occasional nosebleed, or even a scratch or bruise?!? Nobody can have fun anymore.
Once again, trial and error have been pulled out of the system because the schools are afraid of nosebleeds (getting crucified by parents). Sure, the kid might get sucker-smacked in the face once or twice, but next time...he'll know to duck. That is, assuming he doesn't get distracted by someone's glinting watch...
"...there was enough [children's medications] to feed an army; or, at least, increase an army's attention span."
A factoid I didn't know until I read the U.S. News article: "The U.S. military issued amphetamine tablets to soldiers during WWII to prevent fatigue."
"It's a darn good thing more kids are getting medicated. The article says they're...[written: teenagers]"
This is a valid criticism/concern - my view is to medicate when/as needed, and not more. This could still mean being medicated every day is quite beneficial - as I learned AFTER graduating college...go figure. Still, as long as the student can pass without meds, *and also feels happier off them*, I believe it should be their choice. As I've said before - even though I was diagnosed in 2nd grade, I didn't medicate until 7th grade (when I nearly flunked out of a gifted math class).
"Instead of spanking their butts, we're spanking their brains."
I've read pretty much every opinion about how much schools/parents/doctors are over-prescribing the meds, and I'm not quite sure who's really the most accurate. Really, it depends on who you ask, and how involved they are in the real diagnosis process. Personally, I trust the opinions of psychologists with ADHD the most.
One new thing that has surfaced over the last few years is the changing view of the role teachers play in diagnosing it. The best description I've heard boils down to this: Teachers are in the best position to spot ADHD in children, because they see enough students to recognize who stands out. Coupled with a psychologist's examination, this is very powerful evidence towards an accurate diagnosis.
"Having a kid on meds is like having a kid with adjustable knobs."
While I don't have anything funny to say, I can verify from experience that the stimulant meds really do act like a kind of knob. Off meds, I constantly have some sort of 'chatter' going on in my head - either music, fleeting thoughts, or a conversation with myself. Meds turn down the internal volume, helping me to concentrate.
"Now, I'm no doctor - I don't know the long term effects..."
I got a really good laugh the first time I heard this - the caption at the end of that sentence pretty much says it all. There still isn't much out there yet; I'm guessing we won't get more conclusive info for another 3-5 years.
However, Dr. Amen has talked in his books about the effects a lot of long-term caffeine exposure has on the brain (this is one form of self-medicating, as is nicotine; i.e. ways people undiagnosed with ADHD who may have it treat their 'sloppiness' or 'laziness,' whatever) ...essentially, caffeine shrinks the brain slightly over time. Interestingly, he does not believe the prescription stimulants do this.
"...but I do know the long term effects on the pharmaceutical industry: fantastic."
I don't really have much to say about this, except that I learned last week at a conference that for treatment options, stimulants alone worked way better than behavior therapy alone. If you need the meds to scrape through, by all means use them!
Random fact - and the real reason I posted this quote: a new stimulant med is being developed that will only activate if absorbed through the stomach - and not through snorting. I personally find it kind of funny and sad at the same time, that this is going to be its selling point.
Never snorted my Adderal/Ritalin, and never sold it to anybody else either. As another matter of fact - 3% of all college students have taken prescription stimulants that weren't prescribed to them, and that number is growing pretty fast. I do NOT recommend selling your prescriptions to others...it could get pretty ugly if something bad happens.
That's all for now! Keep posted for more info coming soon.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
The Role of Mistakes in Learning vs. Academia
This post is spun off of a longer one I was writing about why you're not lazy or stupid - but this section can be free-standing. I'm posting it by itself to get it out there, and to allow me to branch off to other sections. I'm aware I haven't posted anything in a while, but I HAVE been working.
Mistakes typically seem to have horrible connotations and pain attached to them; people are mortified when they realize they've goofed. Many would rather hide flaws than admit they were wrong. Mistakes are hated and shunned, and for a very logical reason - we've learned to hate them. All of them...including "honest" mistakes. People are trained to be so afraid of making mistakes that they will avoid the chance of being wrong at any cost - including a chance at significant growth.
How much productivity have we lost as a culture because people are afraid to screw up? I believe accountability for your actions is important, but that accountability ends after learning from mistakes and improving. There is nothing right or just about crucifying/punishing someone for messing up, either - yet we see this attitude of unforgiveness and "I'm going to get you" all the time. This isn't just from outsiders - but from within ourselves as well.
I find this to be extremely unfortunate. People equate mistakes with failure, and that's just not the case. One of the best quotes about mistakes I've ever heard came from a real estate guru, Robert G. Allen, when he said "There is no failure; there is only feedback." I believe that this is the natural intention of mistakes; to provide feedback to improve [and correct!] how things are done next time. Yes, some mistakes are more costly than others - but is it necessary to add insult to injury through additional punishments?
My concerns within the school system is that this is exactly what is happening, and the role of mistakes in true learning - as a mechanism of feedback - is being subjugated into a mechanism of terror.
The role of mismatched skills and accompanying mistakes...
...in the poisoning of academic self-esteem
Not every person is good at every activity - and people would rather spend time doing what they're good at than what they're not good at. Different activities require different skill sets, and academia is no different. Unfortunately, academia requires EVERYONE to use a particular set of skills - and accomodations like 504 plans are limited in the substitution/adaptation of skills allowed. Not having the right skill sets for an activity can cause some serious frustrations and setbacks - especially problems related to brain wiring (like executive control/focus problems linked to ADD/HD). Mistakes can and will happen with this mismatch of skill sets. Compensation for shortcomings does not come without some trial and error. Mistakes are the error part of this equation, and come after a trial.
It all starts with one mistake, which leads to frustration and another mistake. Eventually, it becomes an unending cycle of doubt and frustration which stings and snipes at you all the way through college. Every homework assignment, and every paper you try to do is hampered because of this mis-match of skills. It's very frustrating and discouraging, and difficult to survive in such a negative environment. All it takes to set you down this path is, in a vulnerable moment, for one person to even imply that you're not trying hard enough.
Mistakes as learning experiences
As I quoted before, "There is no failure, only feedback." This has been extremely encouraging throughout school - it has reminded me how the natural world; the world outside of academia works. You fall down, you might get scraped up or bleed a little - but you're able to get back up at your own pace. You get as many chances as you need. My own experience has verified this: if Plan A doesn't work, I have always found at least a Plan B. It may be more expensive than Plan A or more time consuming - sometimes both - but the option is always there if you're looking for it.
It's certainly annoying to screw up - but it's not usually a big deal because you can always recover from a blunder. Mistakes are an integral part of the learning process. You can always pick up and try it again, if not something else that could work better. Correction and learning require a continual process of trial and error. Mistakes are the error part of this equation - but in order to capitalize on them, you need to run an additional trial. You typically have enough chances to learn from your mistakes in the real world.
Mistakes as poisonous scars to self-esteem
Academia is different - you usually only get one trial, short-circuiting the learning/correction process. Worse, it is a place where everyone is pressured to be successful. Only if you're lucky do you get additional chances, and even with accomodations, you're typically forced to beg for a do-over. This is an absolutely humiliating process - even at the college level. How do you think a 7th or 8th grader feels?
The pressure the system puts on the children is essentially telling them, "YOU HAVE ONE SHOT TO MAKE IT IN THIS WORLD. DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME OR YOU'LL BE A LOSER FOREVER." Do you think a typical 7th or 8th grader, in such an intimidating environment, is going to have the brass to ask for a redo - or even admit to making a mistake? I don't think so.
I believe this is the main reason the pain of mistakes in the school system is so intense; mistakes, instead of being correctable learning experiences, are cemented into your grades. By the time you find out you're wrong, you're typically too late to do anything about it.
My German classes at my college were a prime example of this: I had studied abroad for a year in Austria after high school. I worked very hard on my German while I was over there, and was good enough to fool natives. A couple of oral German classes in college, through constantly pointing out my mistakes, actually reduced my confidence in my mastery of the spoken language. I'm not the only one who had this experience, either.
Internalization of accumulated mistakes as personal failures
It's painful to hear that you're wrong. It's even more painful to not get chances to fix your mistakes. Make enough mistakes in a row, and the system tells you that you failed a course. How does a frustrated, discouraged student who has been doing everything they can think of hear this? "You're a failure," or, more bluntly, "You suck at life." Add in even a few comments from teachers and parents telling you that you need to "try harder," or that you didn't try "hard enough" to magnify this effect a thousand times. Once that scolding is in your head, it takes a long, hair-tearing time for it to go away - if it ever does.
Look at the difference between the dictionary definitions of mistakes and failures. You'll notice that mistakes are almost all listed as singular events. The final definition of failure describes a person's state of being - as a flawed thing. That's a pretty serious difference. Mistakes are a natural part of learning; a mistake means you're human. Academic mistakes, however, usually seem to imply that you're a human failure. Even worse, students who hear this are expected or required to stay in this negative environment for a minimum of 13 to 17 years (up until college graduation). Is there any wonder that depression and anxiety rates among college students (and I imagine soon high school students as well) are climbing so quickly?
What you can take from this
This isn't exactly encouraging to hear this - but at least it can help you understand where some of your fears of failure come from; academia's structure. I believe many, many problems of perfectionism, and in turn, low self-esteem, come from this unhealthy view of mistakes. It is totally unrealistic to expect people to be perfect. Mistakes are a natural part of being human; academia is an artificial environment. Those of you who are suffering in the school system; take heart in the fact that the real world is much more forgiving than academia. There are always alternatives available if you're looking for them. Best of luck to all of you.
Mistakes typically seem to have horrible connotations and pain attached to them; people are mortified when they realize they've goofed. Many would rather hide flaws than admit they were wrong. Mistakes are hated and shunned, and for a very logical reason - we've learned to hate them. All of them...including "honest" mistakes. People are trained to be so afraid of making mistakes that they will avoid the chance of being wrong at any cost - including a chance at significant growth.
How much productivity have we lost as a culture because people are afraid to screw up? I believe accountability for your actions is important, but that accountability ends after learning from mistakes and improving. There is nothing right or just about crucifying/punishing someone for messing up, either - yet we see this attitude of unforgiveness and "I'm going to get you" all the time. This isn't just from outsiders - but from within ourselves as well.
I find this to be extremely unfortunate. People equate mistakes with failure, and that's just not the case. One of the best quotes about mistakes I've ever heard came from a real estate guru, Robert G. Allen, when he said "There is no failure; there is only feedback." I believe that this is the natural intention of mistakes; to provide feedback to improve [and correct!] how things are done next time. Yes, some mistakes are more costly than others - but is it necessary to add insult to injury through additional punishments?
My concerns within the school system is that this is exactly what is happening, and the role of mistakes in true learning - as a mechanism of feedback - is being subjugated into a mechanism of terror.
The role of mismatched skills and accompanying mistakes...
...in the poisoning of academic self-esteem
Not every person is good at every activity - and people would rather spend time doing what they're good at than what they're not good at. Different activities require different skill sets, and academia is no different. Unfortunately, academia requires EVERYONE to use a particular set of skills - and accomodations like 504 plans are limited in the substitution/adaptation of skills allowed. Not having the right skill sets for an activity can cause some serious frustrations and setbacks - especially problems related to brain wiring (like executive control/focus problems linked to ADD/HD). Mistakes can and will happen with this mismatch of skill sets. Compensation for shortcomings does not come without some trial and error. Mistakes are the error part of this equation, and come after a trial.
It all starts with one mistake, which leads to frustration and another mistake. Eventually, it becomes an unending cycle of doubt and frustration which stings and snipes at you all the way through college. Every homework assignment, and every paper you try to do is hampered because of this mis-match of skills. It's very frustrating and discouraging, and difficult to survive in such a negative environment. All it takes to set you down this path is, in a vulnerable moment, for one person to even imply that you're not trying hard enough.
Mistakes as learning experiences
As I quoted before, "There is no failure, only feedback." This has been extremely encouraging throughout school - it has reminded me how the natural world; the world outside of academia works. You fall down, you might get scraped up or bleed a little - but you're able to get back up at your own pace. You get as many chances as you need. My own experience has verified this: if Plan A doesn't work, I have always found at least a Plan B. It may be more expensive than Plan A or more time consuming - sometimes both - but the option is always there if you're looking for it.
It's certainly annoying to screw up - but it's not usually a big deal because you can always recover from a blunder. Mistakes are an integral part of the learning process. You can always pick up and try it again, if not something else that could work better. Correction and learning require a continual process of trial and error. Mistakes are the error part of this equation - but in order to capitalize on them, you need to run an additional trial. You typically have enough chances to learn from your mistakes in the real world.
Mistakes as poisonous scars to self-esteem
Academia is different - you usually only get one trial, short-circuiting the learning/correction process. Worse, it is a place where everyone is pressured to be successful. Only if you're lucky do you get additional chances, and even with accomodations, you're typically forced to beg for a do-over. This is an absolutely humiliating process - even at the college level. How do you think a 7th or 8th grader feels?
The pressure the system puts on the children is essentially telling them, "YOU HAVE ONE SHOT TO MAKE IT IN THIS WORLD. DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME OR YOU'LL BE A LOSER FOREVER." Do you think a typical 7th or 8th grader, in such an intimidating environment, is going to have the brass to ask for a redo - or even admit to making a mistake? I don't think so.
I believe this is the main reason the pain of mistakes in the school system is so intense; mistakes, instead of being correctable learning experiences, are cemented into your grades. By the time you find out you're wrong, you're typically too late to do anything about it.
My German classes at my college were a prime example of this: I had studied abroad for a year in Austria after high school. I worked very hard on my German while I was over there, and was good enough to fool natives. A couple of oral German classes in college, through constantly pointing out my mistakes, actually reduced my confidence in my mastery of the spoken language. I'm not the only one who had this experience, either.
Internalization of accumulated mistakes as personal failures
It's painful to hear that you're wrong. It's even more painful to not get chances to fix your mistakes. Make enough mistakes in a row, and the system tells you that you failed a course. How does a frustrated, discouraged student who has been doing everything they can think of hear this? "You're a failure," or, more bluntly, "You suck at life." Add in even a few comments from teachers and parents telling you that you need to "try harder," or that you didn't try "hard enough" to magnify this effect a thousand times. Once that scolding is in your head, it takes a long, hair-tearing time for it to go away - if it ever does.
Look at the difference between the dictionary definitions of mistakes and failures. You'll notice that mistakes are almost all listed as singular events. The final definition of failure describes a person's state of being - as a flawed thing. That's a pretty serious difference. Mistakes are a natural part of learning; a mistake means you're human. Academic mistakes, however, usually seem to imply that you're a human failure. Even worse, students who hear this are expected or required to stay in this negative environment for a minimum of 13 to 17 years (up until college graduation). Is there any wonder that depression and anxiety rates among college students (and I imagine soon high school students as well) are climbing so quickly?
What you can take from this
This isn't exactly encouraging to hear this - but at least it can help you understand where some of your fears of failure come from; academia's structure. I believe many, many problems of perfectionism, and in turn, low self-esteem, come from this unhealthy view of mistakes. It is totally unrealistic to expect people to be perfect. Mistakes are a natural part of being human; academia is an artificial environment. Those of you who are suffering in the school system; take heart in the fact that the real world is much more forgiving than academia. There are always alternatives available if you're looking for them. Best of luck to all of you.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Two fantastic gadgets & their uses
Though I've mentioned some of my personal gadgetry in passing, I didn't really fully cover it. I'd like to focus a bit more on these two things I've been using for a long time. The first is my PDA (I use a Palm Zire), and the second is my digital recorder (Olympus DM-10).
One of the great things about these electronics is that they can knock out the clutter in your life. Kali Karagias does a FANTASTIC job describing what an ADD/HD person's mind is like in her blog. Her recent post "When a Cork Board Isn't Enough" gets right at the core of the internal mess, plainly saying "It ain't wikipedia up there." Those of you without ADD have absolutely NO idea how true that is. It sucks.
PDAs
A PDA can help fill in the gaps. Not only can you essentially digitize all your sticky note reminders, schedules, calendars, phone numbers, and ideas, but you also get the benefit of being able to set ALARMS. I found this to be incredibly important during college, and my blog post on the biological importance of scheduling to ADDers can help explain why. It's a lot easier to take reminders to do things from yourself than from nagging friends, parents, teachers, and classmates (to name a few).
Typically, if something is not a regularly scheduled (say, weekly or daily) or recurring event, your brain will never register it. With a PDA, you can capture it at the time you hear about it and set it to remind you soon enough to take action on it. I can't tell you the number of times I'd be in the middle of something, assuming it's a normal day, when my reminders go off. I'd be puzzled by the chime, look at the reminder, and be surprised/relieved/happy to have dodged a potential bullet I never saw coming.
It's a fantastic tool for anybody who is busy...and is a GREAT compliment to a monthly calendar/weekly planner. A fantastic counselor at my college pointed out that you won't be able to do long-term planning very well, because you're typically limited by the screen to view a day's worth of stuff. This is a very good point, and is why I say it's a very good compliment to a calendar system - if you have one in place.
Still, I could program all of my classes in - start time, end time, the days of the week class met, and tell it when the end of the semester was, all from pretty much one screen. I LOVED it. You can find cheapo, basic ones for maybe $20 or so at any Target or Wal-Mart. The one I use is a basic, black and white Palm Zire, which cost about $99 at the time I got it. Even those basic models, once you learn how to use them, are VERY useful.
Digital Recorders
I hinted at their use in how I killed writer's block. In addition, if you've got 504 accomodations (and sometimes if you don't and just ask the professor), you can usually record lectures as well as conversations focused on brainstorming ideas. A few great things digital recorders have over analog tape recorders:
A word of caution
I know what some of you may be thinking...with all that audio archived on your computer in universally playable file formats, you could sell it to classmates and make a killing. In addition, you may also think you can just forget about class for the semester and have a classmate record the lectures for you. DON'T...PLEASE DON'T.
For starters, you usually need to get permission from the teacher just to have it - many of mine had bad experiences with that in the past. The teacher is trusting you with their curriculum - don't betray them by dishing it out to the highest bidder...just because your teacher let you record the lectures does not mean they will let the next person do it, if you abuse the privilege. DON'T take that privilege away from future students.
Second, an audio recording is not the same if you weren't actually there to see/hear/participate in the class. I have read in various places that one of the single, most important keys to success as a student is simply showing up in class...and I agree with that assessment. You know your own classes better than I do, but still - I think it's better to be present and nodding off than slumbering in your bed. In addition, if you're in class and you're nodding off to the point where your pencil starts to leave streaks across your notes (it's happened to me, it's NOT fun), you can always mark the point where you realized you were nodding off, come back to it later, and rewind back through what you missed. I digress.
While I recommend against selling/distributing copies of your lectures (or showing others how to do it), I see no reason why a classmate can't, in an emergency, listen to your recordings IN YOUR PRESENCE. Your #1 priority when recording lectures is to safeguard your professor's curriculum - and by not allowing copies out, you can still allow people to listen when necessary.
Price guidelines
The digital recorder I use, the Olympus DM-10, cost about $100...WELL WORTH IT. Most good ones are at least $80...though you can get inexpensive ones for as little as $30-$40. If yours doesn't have an index function, use a stopwatch (typically on cell phones) to mark times.
Index markers
The index markers I could set have been absolutely amazing for me, and this is the reason I chose the Olympus over others. You can set up to 16 index marks per recording, and jump directly to those spots during playback simply by hitting the fast forward and rewind buttons - just like changing tracks on a CD. It's amazing. I have used the numbered index markers in a number of ways, including the following:
One of the great things about these electronics is that they can knock out the clutter in your life. Kali Karagias does a FANTASTIC job describing what an ADD/HD person's mind is like in her blog. Her recent post "When a Cork Board Isn't Enough" gets right at the core of the internal mess, plainly saying "It ain't wikipedia up there." Those of you without ADD have absolutely NO idea how true that is. It sucks.
PDAs
A PDA can help fill in the gaps. Not only can you essentially digitize all your sticky note reminders, schedules, calendars, phone numbers, and ideas, but you also get the benefit of being able to set ALARMS. I found this to be incredibly important during college, and my blog post on the biological importance of scheduling to ADDers can help explain why. It's a lot easier to take reminders to do things from yourself than from nagging friends, parents, teachers, and classmates (to name a few).
Typically, if something is not a regularly scheduled (say, weekly or daily) or recurring event, your brain will never register it. With a PDA, you can capture it at the time you hear about it and set it to remind you soon enough to take action on it. I can't tell you the number of times I'd be in the middle of something, assuming it's a normal day, when my reminders go off. I'd be puzzled by the chime, look at the reminder, and be surprised/relieved/happy to have dodged a potential bullet I never saw coming.
It's a fantastic tool for anybody who is busy...and is a GREAT compliment to a monthly calendar/weekly planner. A fantastic counselor at my college pointed out that you won't be able to do long-term planning very well, because you're typically limited by the screen to view a day's worth of stuff. This is a very good point, and is why I say it's a very good compliment to a calendar system - if you have one in place.
Still, I could program all of my classes in - start time, end time, the days of the week class met, and tell it when the end of the semester was, all from pretty much one screen. I LOVED it. You can find cheapo, basic ones for maybe $20 or so at any Target or Wal-Mart. The one I use is a basic, black and white Palm Zire, which cost about $99 at the time I got it. Even those basic models, once you learn how to use them, are VERY useful.
Digital Recorders
I hinted at their use in how I killed writer's block. In addition, if you've got 504 accomodations (and sometimes if you don't and just ask the professor), you can usually record lectures as well as conversations focused on brainstorming ideas. A few great things digital recorders have over analog tape recorders:
- Higher end ones can record a minimum of 10-20 hours of audio at once.
- You can almost always save the files on your computer.
- MP3 or WMA file formats (on higher end ones)
- Some models allow you to set 'index' marks in the audio...playback checkpoints, if you will.
- Speech-to-text compatability (also on higher end models)
A word of caution
I know what some of you may be thinking...with all that audio archived on your computer in universally playable file formats, you could sell it to classmates and make a killing. In addition, you may also think you can just forget about class for the semester and have a classmate record the lectures for you. DON'T...PLEASE DON'T.
For starters, you usually need to get permission from the teacher just to have it - many of mine had bad experiences with that in the past. The teacher is trusting you with their curriculum - don't betray them by dishing it out to the highest bidder...just because your teacher let you record the lectures does not mean they will let the next person do it, if you abuse the privilege. DON'T take that privilege away from future students.
Second, an audio recording is not the same if you weren't actually there to see/hear/participate in the class. I have read in various places that one of the single, most important keys to success as a student is simply showing up in class...and I agree with that assessment. You know your own classes better than I do, but still - I think it's better to be present and nodding off than slumbering in your bed. In addition, if you're in class and you're nodding off to the point where your pencil starts to leave streaks across your notes (it's happened to me, it's NOT fun), you can always mark the point where you realized you were nodding off, come back to it later, and rewind back through what you missed. I digress.
While I recommend against selling/distributing copies of your lectures (or showing others how to do it), I see no reason why a classmate can't, in an emergency, listen to your recordings IN YOUR PRESENCE. Your #1 priority when recording lectures is to safeguard your professor's curriculum - and by not allowing copies out, you can still allow people to listen when necessary.
Price guidelines
The digital recorder I use, the Olympus DM-10, cost about $100...WELL WORTH IT. Most good ones are at least $80...though you can get inexpensive ones for as little as $30-$40. If yours doesn't have an index function, use a stopwatch (typically on cell phones) to mark times.
Index markers
The index markers I could set have been absolutely amazing for me, and this is the reason I chose the Olympus over others. You can set up to 16 index marks per recording, and jump directly to those spots during playback simply by hitting the fast forward and rewind buttons - just like changing tracks on a CD. It's amazing. I have used the numbered index markers in a number of ways, including the following:
- During lectures and Writing Center sessions, to mark changes in topic (during lectures, I will hit the index button, and mark in my written notes which index # it is in the margin, like 'i2' and the time. Writing center sessions - this allowed me to re-hear material while I was playing back the brainstorming session; this in turn allowed me to continually regain my train of thought while typing).
- During lectures, to mark points I either space out or nod off (marking the same way as above, and noting that i dozed off)
- CAR DIRECTIONS; using a different index point for each turn - allowing me to keep my eyes on the road, while still getting the directions I need.
Monday, April 9, 2007
"OH, @#$@#$!" What to do when you've backed yourself into a corner.
There are going to be times when, no matter what happens and no matter how much effort you put in to something...you're going to screw up. Sometimes, the fall is negligible or easily shrugged off - many times I neglected papers (sometimes final papers) that were only worth 5 to 10% of my grade.
I think the reason I usually procrastinated my papers for so long was due to my horrible problems with writer's block - until I was FORCED by timelines to attempt to finish them. Other times I just gave up before starting because I knew I was doomed from the beginning. I've already written on my experience defeating writer's block to potentially protect you from that; but I have not yet spoken about too little, too late.
In addition to stalling and procrastinating papers, I've also slept through tests, not done groupwork by the time our group was supposed to meet, and (when I was REALLY mentally sick) even not shown up for a group presentation before. It's an awful, humiliating feeling.
This is probably the most...somber post I've written about so far, but it is something that has come up in part due to the walls on one of the facebook groups I'm a member of. While it may not seem like it, your reaction after screwing up is a CRITICAL part of survival! I'll take you step by step through the process.
Assess the Damage
One thing I will preach (from here on out, since I haven't yet) over and over again is that you must always know where you stand. You can't make a reasonable decision if you don't. In pure survival terms, the difference between an A and a B is a laughable difference in GPA - the difference between a D and an F is credit...or, as in my own personal circumstances, the difference between a D+ and a C- could be graduation. To give you an idea of how my college letter grades look...let's just say you could almost write a symphony with my transcript. I graduated with a GPA between 2.6 and 2.7; and I was even smart enough to join MENSA.
What kind of a grade were you getting before? What % of your final grade is this project? Are there more projects coming up? Do you have a cushion? Do you have, or can you get partial credit? How's your relationship with your teacher? Can you afford to let it slide? Or worse, is it a group assignment?
All of these questions are important, as their answers dictate how you can outwardly react. If your grades are decent, the project isn't worth much, and you feel like you'll pass without worrying about it - you may be able to just ignore it...it's your choice. I've done it before, and I passed. My grades took a beating, but that was acceptable damage. Those 5 and 10% hits were easy to take, because my test scores almost always made up for it. 15% is...borderline. You'd better know yourself pretty darn well before you let go of 15%. The thing is, in any case - you may not have to let go of these assignments.
Look at your options
I've already told you your first option: not to bother. That one's easy. The next options aren't too difficult, but getting the nerve to acutally do them certainly can be. Do you have *anything* you can turn in? If you can get partial credit and don't want to think about your assignment any more - 50% is a lot better than zero.
If this is important to you, you'll need to find a way to buy yourself more time to finish. If you're on 504 accomodations, this is fairly straightforward: ask for more time. Extensions were one of the options consistently offered to me by my counseling centers. Preferably, ask for more time no later than the morning the assignment is due - earlier if possible. Even if you don't have 504 accomodations, you may still be able to ask. Know your teacher, and your stance WITH your teacher. This could make a huge difference. As I said, the earlier you are able to ask, the better off you'll be. While you're looking to pass, you don't want to put *too* much pressure on your teachers.
Sometimes, espeically with a proactive teacher, you might get lucky by simply turning in what you've got. I've done that before, and received an e-mail later that day saying "I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming you turned in this draft by mistake. Send me the full paper as soon as possible."
What I had done, to get as much partial credit as possible after starting late, was just start typing what I could - and when I hit writer's block, I found a quote that I was able to use as a catalyst for ideas, wrote the quote out below what I wrote, and just started typing like crazy. Very few teachers will react like this, however. More often than not, you're going to need to speak to them PERSONALLY if you want more time. This also includes discussing things with other students when you've screwed up on a group project.
Discuss matters with those affected (teachers and other students)
I can just feel all of you cringing right now at this suggestion. I don't blame you - it SUCKS...especially when you could bring other people down with you. Before I go further, let me just give you some of my personal observations - they're important enough to deserve all caps and boldface:
I firmly believe that the less time you spend making up a story as to what happened, the better off you're going to be. Sometimes you'll get lucky and ridiculous events just happen to be the truth. I have typically had more pleasant experiences when I've told the truth than when I've tried to BS my way out of something. I'm warning you, it probably won't be pretty when you admit you screwed up, but by taking ownership of your mistakes you're more likely to get the help you need. Doing it the first time is by far the hardest; I assure you though, it gets easier over time.
I have been (justifiably) chewed out by both teachers and students, but have also been shocked by the actions others took to help bail me out. This has all happened with both teachers AND students. I will never forget the kindness one group leader showed me when I admitted to the group that I hadn't done my work. She simply nodded, and without batting an eye or ANY visible change in emotion, she calmly gave me her notes, and told me to read the highlighted parts to prepare. It was amazing - nobody had EVER reacted to me that way before.
One time I slept through a test, and later that afternoon sent an apologetic message to the professor, asking if I could come in another time and take it. He sent me a message that basically said, "It depends on why you missed it." At that point I figured I was doomed anyway, so I told him the truth. He let me come in on a Saturday when other people were working on a competition test to finish it; he then told me as I handed it in that the only reason he let me make it up was because I told the truth.
Follow Through
You may not always get lucky, but at least, by building up a record of honesty you have a better chance. It takes a LOT more for a teacher who likes you to fail you from a course. If you DO get an extension, make every effort to get the teacher what you promised to deliver! Do whatever it takes - use the rest of my blog to help you make the most of your time. Best of luck to you - hopefully you won't find yourself in this big of a jam again.
Before I close on this post, I'd just like to comment on the size of my schools. I went to a fairly small college, about 1200-1500 students, and a similarly sized high school - about 250 kids in my graduating class. These tips worked wonders at my college. Could anyone comment on large/huge colleges? Please leave comments and observations.
This is an extensive post, and if I've missed anything, I will add it at a later date if I catch it. Again, best of luck!
I think the reason I usually procrastinated my papers for so long was due to my horrible problems with writer's block - until I was FORCED by timelines to attempt to finish them. Other times I just gave up before starting because I knew I was doomed from the beginning. I've already written on my experience defeating writer's block to potentially protect you from that; but I have not yet spoken about too little, too late.
In addition to stalling and procrastinating papers, I've also slept through tests, not done groupwork by the time our group was supposed to meet, and (when I was REALLY mentally sick) even not shown up for a group presentation before. It's an awful, humiliating feeling.
This is probably the most...somber post I've written about so far, but it is something that has come up in part due to the walls on one of the facebook groups I'm a member of. While it may not seem like it, your reaction after screwing up is a CRITICAL part of survival! I'll take you step by step through the process.
Assess the Damage
One thing I will preach (from here on out, since I haven't yet) over and over again is that you must always know where you stand. You can't make a reasonable decision if you don't. In pure survival terms, the difference between an A and a B is a laughable difference in GPA - the difference between a D and an F is credit...or, as in my own personal circumstances, the difference between a D+ and a C- could be graduation. To give you an idea of how my college letter grades look...let's just say you could almost write a symphony with my transcript. I graduated with a GPA between 2.6 and 2.7; and I was even smart enough to join MENSA.
What kind of a grade were you getting before? What % of your final grade is this project? Are there more projects coming up? Do you have a cushion? Do you have, or can you get partial credit? How's your relationship with your teacher? Can you afford to let it slide? Or worse, is it a group assignment?
All of these questions are important, as their answers dictate how you can outwardly react. If your grades are decent, the project isn't worth much, and you feel like you'll pass without worrying about it - you may be able to just ignore it...it's your choice. I've done it before, and I passed. My grades took a beating, but that was acceptable damage. Those 5 and 10% hits were easy to take, because my test scores almost always made up for it. 15% is...borderline. You'd better know yourself pretty darn well before you let go of 15%. The thing is, in any case - you may not have to let go of these assignments.
Look at your options
I've already told you your first option: not to bother. That one's easy. The next options aren't too difficult, but getting the nerve to acutally do them certainly can be. Do you have *anything* you can turn in? If you can get partial credit and don't want to think about your assignment any more - 50% is a lot better than zero.
If this is important to you, you'll need to find a way to buy yourself more time to finish. If you're on 504 accomodations, this is fairly straightforward: ask for more time. Extensions were one of the options consistently offered to me by my counseling centers. Preferably, ask for more time no later than the morning the assignment is due - earlier if possible. Even if you don't have 504 accomodations, you may still be able to ask. Know your teacher, and your stance WITH your teacher. This could make a huge difference. As I said, the earlier you are able to ask, the better off you'll be. While you're looking to pass, you don't want to put *too* much pressure on your teachers.
Sometimes, espeically with a proactive teacher, you might get lucky by simply turning in what you've got. I've done that before, and received an e-mail later that day saying "I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming you turned in this draft by mistake. Send me the full paper as soon as possible."
What I had done, to get as much partial credit as possible after starting late, was just start typing what I could - and when I hit writer's block, I found a quote that I was able to use as a catalyst for ideas, wrote the quote out below what I wrote, and just started typing like crazy. Very few teachers will react like this, however. More often than not, you're going to need to speak to them PERSONALLY if you want more time. This also includes discussing things with other students when you've screwed up on a group project.
Discuss matters with those affected (teachers and other students)
I can just feel all of you cringing right now at this suggestion. I don't blame you - it SUCKS...especially when you could bring other people down with you. Before I go further, let me just give you some of my personal observations - they're important enough to deserve all caps and boldface:
- SHOW THAT YOU'RE DOING THE BEST YOU CAN, AND BE WILLING TO ASK FOR HELP. Whatever that entails, do it.
- YOUR TEACHERS AND GROUPMATES ARE ON YOUR SIDE. Nobody wants to see you fail - while they may be frustrated, angry or disappointed, people will likely cut you some slack if they see that you're trying!
- AVOID ALIENATING THE PEOPLE YOU'RE WORKING WITH/FOR IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. You need them to help you, and may be working with them later.
- IF YOU WOULDN'T SAY IT TO A CLASSMATE, DON'T SAY IT TO A TEACHER. Students are typically not going to buy into BS - especially when their own grades are on the line. In addition, your teachers are professionals - they've been in academia a lot longer than you have.
- 504 ACCOMODATIONS (if you have them) DO *NOT* - I REPEAT, DO *NOT* - OBLIGATE YOUR TEACHERS TO PASS YOU. I can't stress this important fact enough.
- IN EXTREME CASES, THE LAST DAY OF CLASS MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE YOUR LAST CHANCE. There's a delay between the last day of finals and when grades are due to the administration. In addition, at least at my school, I was sometimes able to get 'incompletes' on my grades which could give you an additional week or so over the grade due dates to revive your standing. This is something you MUST speak with your teacher/professor about if things come down to this, as it requires a LOT of effort from both you *and* them.
I firmly believe that the less time you spend making up a story as to what happened, the better off you're going to be. Sometimes you'll get lucky and ridiculous events just happen to be the truth. I have typically had more pleasant experiences when I've told the truth than when I've tried to BS my way out of something. I'm warning you, it probably won't be pretty when you admit you screwed up, but by taking ownership of your mistakes you're more likely to get the help you need. Doing it the first time is by far the hardest; I assure you though, it gets easier over time.
I have been (justifiably) chewed out by both teachers and students, but have also been shocked by the actions others took to help bail me out. This has all happened with both teachers AND students. I will never forget the kindness one group leader showed me when I admitted to the group that I hadn't done my work. She simply nodded, and without batting an eye or ANY visible change in emotion, she calmly gave me her notes, and told me to read the highlighted parts to prepare. It was amazing - nobody had EVER reacted to me that way before.
One time I slept through a test, and later that afternoon sent an apologetic message to the professor, asking if I could come in another time and take it. He sent me a message that basically said, "It depends on why you missed it." At that point I figured I was doomed anyway, so I told him the truth. He let me come in on a Saturday when other people were working on a competition test to finish it; he then told me as I handed it in that the only reason he let me make it up was because I told the truth.
Follow Through
You may not always get lucky, but at least, by building up a record of honesty you have a better chance. It takes a LOT more for a teacher who likes you to fail you from a course. If you DO get an extension, make every effort to get the teacher what you promised to deliver! Do whatever it takes - use the rest of my blog to help you make the most of your time. Best of luck to you - hopefully you won't find yourself in this big of a jam again.
Before I close on this post, I'd just like to comment on the size of my schools. I went to a fairly small college, about 1200-1500 students, and a similarly sized high school - about 250 kids in my graduating class. These tips worked wonders at my college. Could anyone comment on large/huge colleges? Please leave comments and observations.
This is an extensive post, and if I've missed anything, I will add it at a later date if I catch it. Again, best of luck!
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Study Break!
There's a lot of pretty deep content on my blog - so I figured now might be a good time to throw some VERY humorous pictures on here. These were answers to actual math and science tests; I got them through an e-mail forward and laughed hysterically. In particular, I enjoy the hangman one and 'Find x.' Enjoy!
In addition, check out Kali Karagias' blog (also in the sidebar) - she's a comedian/humorist writing from an ADD perspective. Some of her commentary is SPOT ON. Very enjoyable, light reading.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Scheduling's biological importance to ADDers
A very unlikely source prompted this learning - an article called "Have Scientists Found a Way to Read Your Mind?" over at howstuffworks.com. These German scientists figured this out through fMRI brain scans (functional Magnetic Resonanace Imaging) - the same types of brain scans Dr. Amen (Healing ADD and Change Your Brain, Change Your Life) uses in his research!
The researchers at the Max Planck Institute made these discoveries (emphasis added by me):
How does this relate to ADD/HD? According to Dr. Amen's research, the prefrontal cortex is the main area of focus (unintended but convenient pun) - it governs the ability to concentrate on tasks, ignore irrelevant information (i.e.distractions), and now, with this new research, we can add taking initiative to the list.
In ADD/HD brains, Dr. Amen found that during prolonged concentration, the PFC actually shuts down! It simply malfunctions. This explains why I always felt so physically exhausted after getting stuck on physics problems for more than 15 minutes. Also, in his research, he found that the stimulants DO help restore normal activity to this part of the brain. On a side note, I've actually noticed that I'm typically more cheerful and energetic while I'm on my meds. My guess is because action isn't stuck in the PFC, draining my energy.
This is only one piece of the puzzle, though. What I thought was fascinating was that actions based on external orders were stored in a different part of the brain. This, combined with the third point, explain why it is ALSO much easier (more efficient?) for ADDers to follow orders than to execute a plan entirely on their own. It explains why ADDers will pair up with organized - or worse, bossy or controlling - significant others; it takes less energy to live. What are you supposed to do when you don't want to rely on someone else to plan your day? Make a fairly strict schedule.
According to this research, creating a schedule (complete with alarms if you have a PDA like a Palm) should serve the exact same purpose as listening to someone else tell you what to do - it should bypass the PFC entirely. Instead of having to decide on the spot what to do - and risking your decisions never making it out of the PFC - you can 'take orders' from your yesterday's self through the plan, and never have to worry about your decisions getting stuck in the PFC (causing the idling).
The researchers at the Max Planck Institute made these discoveries (emphasis added by me):
What this means for ADDers
- Freely chosen intentions are stored in the prefrontal cortex.
- Intentions based on external orders are stored in a different part of the brain than those based on internal choice. Intentions based on "following orders" live on the surface of the brain, not deep in the gray matter.
- When intentions are acted upon, the neural activity moves to a slightly different part of the brain, meaning the brain essentially "copies" the intention and transfers it in order to convert it into action.
How does this relate to ADD/HD? According to Dr. Amen's research, the prefrontal cortex is the main area of focus (unintended but convenient pun) - it governs the ability to concentrate on tasks, ignore irrelevant information (i.e.distractions), and now, with this new research, we can add taking initiative to the list.
In ADD/HD brains, Dr. Amen found that during prolonged concentration, the PFC actually shuts down! It simply malfunctions. This explains why I always felt so physically exhausted after getting stuck on physics problems for more than 15 minutes. Also, in his research, he found that the stimulants DO help restore normal activity to this part of the brain. On a side note, I've actually noticed that I'm typically more cheerful and energetic while I'm on my meds. My guess is because action isn't stuck in the PFC, draining my energy.
This is only one piece of the puzzle, though. What I thought was fascinating was that actions based on external orders were stored in a different part of the brain. This, combined with the third point, explain why it is ALSO much easier (more efficient?) for ADDers to follow orders than to execute a plan entirely on their own. It explains why ADDers will pair up with organized - or worse, bossy or controlling - significant others; it takes less energy to live. What are you supposed to do when you don't want to rely on someone else to plan your day? Make a fairly strict schedule.
According to this research, creating a schedule (complete with alarms if you have a PDA like a Palm) should serve the exact same purpose as listening to someone else tell you what to do - it should bypass the PFC entirely. Instead of having to decide on the spot what to do - and risking your decisions never making it out of the PFC - you can 'take orders' from your yesterday's self through the plan, and never have to worry about your decisions getting stuck in the PFC (causing the idling).
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