zmack23

Idk what to do anymore im prettttty upset about my exam today. i have to study more than the average student. I studied this whole week at least 6 hours a day for my 3rd Chem. test today and i still got a 78%!! ***! (so disappointed in myself i get really down like now..). My problem is i didn't have time to finish the exam (this happens often), i was in the middle of doing a problem i knew how to do and the teacher took it from me saying the max time limit is 50 mins. I also knew how to do one of the bonus questions for 10 points! but she refused to let me do it. I went to her office after the exam and told her I have ADD and that I have seen recently seen a doctor who prescribed adderall for me. And if this would allow her to give me extra time to finish the problems. (fairly large test in 50 mins). She said my university doesn't allow any extra time? And that I need to put in more effort. I know for a fact if she gave me even 10-20 more minutes on the exam that i would have gotten at least an 88%. Its so frustrating when you know the material but don't succeed.

How do i get faster at Tests? (or is my brain simply not capable of taking tests under the high pressure time limited environment?) Why am i slow at tests? I want to burn off this stress and the let down feeling, self-doubt

Pennylane2011

Does your university have a center for students with learning disabilities and ADD? You may qualify for test accommodations. To qualify for this, legally, you need more than a doctor's prescription- you need a full and up to date evaluation. This can be costly, but is sometimes covered by insurance. Even if not, it is worth the expense. You are paying a lot more for your education and this may help you get the most out of it. Also, if you plan to apply to graduate school, you may qualify for extended time on the GRE.

Medicine for ADD won't always solve the problem entirely. Many students will ADD also have some subtle learning differences like slower processing or reading time and difficulty with short term memory. This could be what is going on with you. It may take you longer to read the test question, and you may have to read it more than once to remember it well. That is not your fault if it is related to ADD.

Some teachers think extended time will give you an unfair advantage, or that you can do something to control this. If it is ADD-learning related, neither is true. Extended time won't help you if you don't know the material in the first place, but it will help you finish the test so you can show what you know- which is the point of the test.

Also some kids will use excuses to get ahead, and the teacher may have heard this as an excuse before. With a written evaluation, there is proof that this is not an excuse, and if you qualify for accommodations, it's hard to deny them.

What do you need? At minimum a full psychological and education evaluation- your IQ and learning levels, and also a look at how you read, remember, and process information, how you write and how long that takes you. This is usually done by a psychologist. Most campuses have learning centers for kids with ADD/LD and can give you their criteria for accommodations and refer you to someone who can evaluate you for them.

Good luck and hopefully this will help. You're giving this your best effort, and hopefully this will help you get better results.

CTScoutmom

If you want accomodations (extra time on tests in this case), you need to ask for it through your disability office, and there must be documentation. Every other student in your class feels the same way as you do regarding the amount of time available on the test, but if you do in fact have ADD, you might qualify.

Teachers & Professors are not the owes who decide whether to give you extra time - it would be too capricious, and they could give it to whoever they want, for whatever reason. Even if you have ADD, and are medicated, that does not mean you have a learning disability that rises to the level or requiring accommodations.

cmscribe

You really should get a thorough diagnostic assessment by a licensed professional, usually a clinical psychologist. This cost about $2,000 when we had it done for our son, which I realize is a lot of money .. but once you have an official diagnosis of ADD (and slow information processing and working memory are absolutely classic symptoms of ADD!) ... then you will have solid ground to ask for accommodations. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act I think most universities have to provide accommodations if you have a documented disability. Good luck!

wayne2000

If you have a document from the doctor stating you have a disability (ADHD) you should take this to your disability services office. By law if they get money from the federal gov't them must provide accommodations. Read about your rights at Disability Rights - Success for College Students with Disabilities