This isn't for me, but for my older sister. She's goes to college and is taking pre-algebra class again after having failed it before. She takes her pills (adderall) every day to concentrate and it does help her focus, but she's still struggling to understand the material (and yes, I know that the pills will not cure anything). She constantly berates herself for being "slow" and "stupid" because she's 21 and she's still finding math to be difficult. I try to help her as best as I can but it's no good. She wants to become a vet because she loves animals but she wonders what's the point if she can't even do arithmetic problems. It's sad because I don't know what to do. She constantly compares herself to me, wondering why she can't be as "smart" as I am (and I hate that she thinks this way). Over the years I never realized her ADHD could have long term effects and now that I do, I feel helpless. She broke down today because she's gonna have a math test coming up and she knows she's gonna fail. The last score she got was a D and now she's thinking of dropping the class altogether. I keep telling her that she should go to math lab but the tutors there aren't that helpful, I'm afraid. I don't know what I can do as her sister to make things better for her, since I am busy with school as well. In general, this has been a problem for years and she's suffered a lot because of her disorder. I have no idea how I can be able to help her cope with it or help her get better at math. I really don't know what to do or say anymore :bang: :icon_sad:
ITS YOUR LUCKY DAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! Because I am insane with ADHD. On a more serious note, you have to be encouraging and paitaint. I Have felt that way and am still. With time comes pratice, and time also requires skill to study and to push oneself. Therefore it is required that you be supportive, even if time is a issue. What also I would suggest, is tutors, Ritalin and to be there for her. Its what my family did, even without the ritalin and the tutors.
I'm not sure if my advice will actually help you, but I'm going to post it anyway. Today I was sitting in my Calc 2 class after not seeing any calculus in over three years. The writing on the chalkboard might as well have been in Egyptian; I just didn't get it. I've always struggled with math, which makes me ashamed because I'm an Asian living in an Asian community. I've accepted that my brain isn't wired that way. I know it's not my fault because I study my ass off. I can't drop the class because I need it to complete my math minor (God help me), but I'm trying to stay positive and focus on the subjects that I am good at and come naturally to me. Encourage your sister and remind her of the things that she is good at. As a veterinarian, she's not going to be doing math on a day to day basis, and any math she does will probably be very simple. I highly recommend that she talks to her professor. If she keeps in constant contact with him/her and informs them of her ADHD, at least they will know that she is genuinely trying. I wouldn't have gotten through a few of my courses if I hadn't visited my professors when I had a problem. No one should be ashamed of the things they don't know or understand. There are a million things that I know that you don't, but there are a million things that you know that I don't. The only shameful thing you can do is be too prideful to learn and ask for help. Hope this helped!
Doesn't your sister's college have a disability office? If so, they should be able to make (reasonable) accommodations for her that might make the class a bit easier to manage. Also, if she doesn't see a therapist, I would recommend going to one. To a degree, we dictate how well we do in certain activities. People who think negatively and that they're going to fail often unconsciously change their behaviour to create a self-fulfilling prophecy so that they actually do fail. A therapist can help her learn how to think more positively, which might improve her grade enough to pass. In the end, you have your own life to live and you probably can't help her get better at math. Some people just aren't good at specific subjects, LD or not. My grades are one of the things that fuels my anxiety. If I get a bad grade, I worry that it says something bad about me, but I'm learning to accept that it doesn't. If I tried my hardest and did everything in my power, that's what reflects upon me, even if universities won't see it that way. So, if her meds and everything else is in order, what I feel she should be focusing on is adjusting her approach. I won't lie and say it's not difficult, though.
