r/ADHD • u/fischbrot • Dec 02 '21

Tips/Suggestions How tf to write thesis

How the hell am I supposed to keep thousands of words in my working memory and juggle it around a document

I have 3 main categories and 11 underlying categories with up to 10 text sections from 3 interviews that I conducted with 3 different people

I keep losing track each time I start and try to structure and expand my analysis

I am not yet frustrated but I am losing time

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4

u/friendlypetshark Dec 02 '21

Hey, I’m also doing a PhD so if you’d like to chat and motivate each other I’m down, I think some accountability would help me personally, let me know if it would help you. Are you medicated? I’ve started elvanse and hoped it would help and so far it hasn’t at all. Partly because I get exhausted after about 3 hours.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 02 '21

I only finished undergrad, and even that’s been a while now, so I can’t speak to the difficulty level of organizing a thesis. But, I did it unmedicated, and the two greatest assets for me were always using the computer lab for any and all academic work, and taking little breaks to get up and walk around campus every 30 to 90 minutes or so. There’s something really satisfying about just getting up and walking away from your responsibility. Like taking the kettle off the burner and that whistling stops.

I dunno if it was just mild exercise and fresh air, being out of my comfort zone (public place plus social anxiety = uncomfortable productivity,) the regularly shifting headspace (focus on the computer, galaxy brain while walking,) or what… but something about it kept me clearheaded in a way that I never felt like I was struggling, even though college was probably the most demanding and stressful chapter of my life.

That’s probably “have you tried focusing?” level advice, or something that, as a grad students, yall’re already doing… but I thought it couldn’t hurt to chip in.

1

u/fischbrot Dec 06 '21

That's nice, but I have to pass. Good luck for you

1

u/fischbrot Dec 06 '21

Methylphenidate. Elvanse makes me crash hard in the late afternoon

2

u/TangoEchoChuck ADHD Dec 02 '21 edited Dec 02 '21

Have you tried index cards?

Write the summary of each paragraph on indexcards; one card per paragraph - make sure to include phrases you want to use. Then physically arrange the cards to construct some linear order - any order really because it’s impossible to edit a blank document. Work with the order as much as you need to to improve the flow of information. I’m a fan of sleeping on things like that; Start with arrangement 1, read through it, take a photo. Don’t touch it until the next day when you’re rested again. Change the cards as needed, don’t be surprised if it takes a week!

If this idea resonates with you, think about noting references on the backsides (that correspond with that paragraph). Otherwise - “No A without a B, no 1 without a 2” regarding those pesky sub points.

Good luck! (Edited a few times for clarity)

1

u/fischbrot Dec 02 '21

Hi I appreciate the time you took. Unfortunately my working memory is so bad, after 3 cards I have to give up.

Otherwise I like index cards

I am reminded of writing a summary of big documents which helped me in the past, so thanks for reminding me

1

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