C o u n s e l i n g , C a r e e r, & D i s a b i l i t y S e r v i c e s N e w s l e t t e r
Fall 2013
Raider Wise Counsel
Tips for College Students With ADHD
& Everyone Who Wants to Study
Smarter Not Harder
In this Issue
Tips for College
1 -2
Students With ADHD
& Everyone Who
Wants to Study
Did You Know?
1
Raising Awareness
About Mental Illness
3
Disability Services
Receives Award
4
Tips to Avoid
Holiday Stress
4
Contact Information
5
Boredom and working memory are both issues for most people
with ADHD. Research shows that multi-modal learning helps
people learn and remember. So, rather than trying harder to force
the information into your head, get creative. Sarah Wright, with the
Edge Foundation, gives these examples of creative ways to study
and remember what you
studied:

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

Did You Know?
Registration for
Spring and Summer
2014 began
November 11.
Students should
contact their faculty
advisor and register
early for best
selection of classes.


As you read highlight the text with different colors
Make notes and doodle them
Make audio notes with i-phones or other recorders and review
them as you walk across campus
Use mnemonics to create funny ways to remember stuff
Try standing up while you read
Try reading the assignment aloud to yourself using an expressive (not boring) voice
Get a study buddy
Not everything works for every person, but do try mixing it up and
see what happens. Wright also points out that taking study breaks
every couple of hours and getting enough sleep are part of studying
smarter, not harder. Sleep impacts learning in two ways. First,
sleep deprivation has a negative impact on short term memory,
which is what you’re using to learn the material when you study.
Second, sleep is needed to move short term memories into long
term memory, which is what you’ll be relying on come test time.
So be sure to get enough sleep if you want to get the most out of
your study time.
Page 2
Tips for College Students With ADHD & Everyone Who
Wants To Study Smarter Not Harder (cont.)
Schedule Your Study Time
Counselors are
available to help
you



decide on a major
deal with stressors
set up accommodations for a disability
To schedule
an appointment,
please call
Roane County
(865) 882-4546
Oak Ridge
(865) 481-2003
Counselors
are available
at other locations
by appointment.
Many students with ADHD are quite smart. They can often pull a
passing grade in high school (or even a good one) just cramming
the night before the tests. Odds are that strategy won’t work in
college. Wright says a good rule of thumb for college is 2-2.5 hours
of study time per week for every unit of course credit. “Basically,
you should think of college as a job and plan to spend at least 40
hours a week on classes and class work,” she says. “What works
for many students is to actually treat college as a job: for 9 hours a
day, five days a week you’re working on school, which means
during the day when you’re not in classes you’re somewhere
studying or catching a quick bite to eat. If you like to play sports
[or have other commitments such as a job], you’ll have to make up
those study hours. As long as you block out the requisite number of
hours somewhere in your daily schedule and remember that school
is your job, you should be fine.”
Plan Your Time to Keep on Track:
Assess and Prioritize
It may sound strange, but it is very important to actively plan time
to plan. If you don’t develop this habit, you’ll find yourself always
being reactive rather than proactive. Wright suggests doing a high
level plan for the week Monday morning, and for the weekend on
Friday. Then doing a daily review of that plan over breakfastpossibly adding pertinent details-to make sure you know what’s
coming your way that day. When you can assess what you need to
do versus all that you could do, then you can prioritize what needs
to be done first and take care of it.
Sticking to Your Plan
Remaining committed to your plan is always the hard part.
Counselors are available to assist with your individual challenges.
Adapted from ADD/ADHD article at About.com by Keath Low & Sarah D. Wright, Edge Foundation
Page 3
Raising Awareness About Mental Illness
Accommodation
Reminder
Students needing
accommodations should
schedule an appointment
with his/her counselor
each semester before
classes begin.
Remember that
accommodations are not
retroactive, and they do
not roll from semester to
semester.
With the conclusion in October of Mental Health Awareness Month,
it seems appropriate to share some information on the subject.
Mental illnesses are medical conditions that can disrupt a person’s
thinking, feelings, moods, relationships, and the ability to adjust to
change and difficult times. Mental illnesses result in a variety of
symptoms that can affect one’s ability to relate to others, express
empathy and compassion, cope with the stresses of daily life, and
regulate behavior. Our psychological wellness affects many layers
of our life and can result from a variety of medical or situational
issues. People of any age, race, gender, socioeconomic class, religion, or income level can be affected by mental illness. Mental
health problems are common and are usually treatable. They are
not a sign of personal weakness or a lack of character.
According to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, one in four
adults (about 60 million Americans) experience a mental health
disorder in a given year. One person in 17 lives with a serious
mental illness. About one in 10 children live with a serious mental
or emotional disorder. Yet fewer than one-third of adults and onehalf of children with diagnosed mental health issues receive
treatment each year.
It is likely that everyone of us has either been touched by mental illness or knows someone who has. When the symptoms of mental
illness strike, it can be hard to recognize and can be easily explained
away. However, if the symptoms persist and patterns of behavior
and mood difficulties are clear, those closest to you will notice.
Often it is a concerned family member or close friend who sees the
changes first.
Counselors can help determine if you are experiencing a mental
illness and what steps you need to take. To schedule an
appointment for confidential personal counseling, please call Roane
County (865) 882-4546 or Oak Ridge (865) 481-2003. Personal
counseling is available at other locations by appointment.
Adapted from an article in Community College Times by Stacey Brown
Page 4
RSCC Disability Services Receives Award
At State Conference
Roane State Community College (RSCC) Counseling, Career, and
Disability Services Department received an award at the annual
2013 TN AHEAD (Tennessee Association of Higher
Education and Disabilities) state conference in Cookeville, TN.
The award recognizes RSCC Counseling, Career, and Disability
Services Department for their commitment to TN AHEAD on the
RSCC campus evident through outstanding institution-wide
membership in TN AHEAD. RSCC currently has 17 members in
TN AHEAD, which is more than any other college in the state.
Tracey,
Jeff,
Julianne,
Carol,
and
Tina
wish
everyone a
safe and
happy
holiday
season.
RSCC Director of Counseling, Career, and Disability Services
Tracey Watson, explained, “TN AHEAD is comprised of 47 postsecondary disability services providers in the state, and we are
honored to receive such a distinguished award among our peers.
We are fortunate that faculty and staff at Roane State share our
commitment to both students and equal access.”
Tips to Avoid Holiday Stress
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Do something for yourself.
Do something nice for someone without expecting anything in
return.
Even for a moment here and there, view the holidays from the
viewpoint of a child.
Understand that it is okay to say “no”.
Judge less, and accept more.
Be realistic. Don’t expect everything to be perfect.
Make a list, set a budget, and stick to it.
Page 5
RAIDER WISE COUNSEL
Roane State Community College
Counseling, Career, and Disability Services
Contact Information
Counseling, Career, &
Disability Services
Staff:
Roane County
Tracey Watson, Director
watsontl@roanestate.edu
865-882-4546
Tracey Watson
Director
Carol Jarabek, Support Staff
jarabeklc@roanestate.edu
865-882-4546
Jeff Snell
Counselor
Oak Ridge
Jeff Snell, Counselor
snellja@roanestate.edu
865-481-2003
Julianne Davis-Cole
Counselor
Julianne Davis-Cole, Counselor
davisjy@roanestate.edu
865-481-2003
Tina Messamore
Support Staff
Tina Messamore, Support Staff
messamore@roanestate.edu
865-481-2003
Carol Jarabek
Support Staff
www.roanestate.edu/counseling
www.roanestate.edu/disabilityservices
www.roanestate.edu/careerservices
From bottom left: Carol Jarabek, Tracey Watson, Julianne Davis-Cole
From top left: Tina Messamore & Jeff Snell
Roane State Community College is a TBR and AA/EEO employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle
inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director of Human Resources/Affirmative Action, 276 Patton Lane,
Harriman, TN 37748, (865) 882-4679, humanresources@roanestate.edu. RSCC Publication#14-053.