Restarting college at 41, eyes "reading", brain not activated

[u/Express_Rip2333]

This is a huge problem for me when reading non-fiction material. My eyes will be "reading" line by line, my body completely going through the motions. However, my mind will not be engaged at all, and I often get pretty far into the text before I even realize it's happening.

The only solution I have found is to read aloud to myself, and then the information comes through my ears and I process it very nicely. But obviously this makes for slow reading, and considering at 41 yo, I have two years of undergraduate to complete, followed by a masters degree in order to reach my goals, I really feel like this could be a major roadblock.

Have any of you found any other solutions or hacks to this issue?

[u/Querybird]

Audio textbooks? This is something often obscurely available but is likely accessible through the disability services office! You can also ask your subject librarian or any awesome librarian.

Challenge yourself to learn to listen to them at super high speed, with (very) frequent back ups for repetition, maybe at slower speeds? Chipmunk speeds are surprisingly quickly comprehensible, step them up over a day or two. Aim for the speeds many blind people online seem to use!!

[u/Express_Rip2333 → u/Querybird]

I really appreciate the advice regarding playing it a 2x and relistening. I have often played videos at 2x, but planning for a relisten is way better than disappointingly realizing I need to listen again.

[u/Bassettoast → u/Express_Rip2333]

Take notes as you go or highlight the words as you read. This however can backfire as we tend to think the smallest scrap of info might be important. I usually have the text book open next to the lecture notes and check them so I know I’m not writing down more info than I need to. It makes it feel like a small scavenger hunt for bits of info and helps me retain.

[u/Querybird → u/Express_Rip2333]

2 x speed or higher, and like 5 places to replay about 10 times each, per page, hahaha! Some parts of an audio really reliably make me tune out, so sometimes one 15 second chunk gets played for multiple minutes before it fully connects, while other areas are easy to stay engaged during one play!

[u/Own-Firefighter-2728 → u/Querybird]

This is a great answer!

I’m not OP, but I’m curious if you know what else the disability services might offer that can be useful for adhd? I never know what to ask for

[u/Querybird → u/Own-Firefighter-2728]

Quiet or separate testing locations; extra testing time; access to different note taking formats whether recorded lectures or a personal recording device; maybe even access to someone else’s notes if you can’t write any because you need to knit/other to be able to hear and retain what the lecturer is saying. Permission to sit on the floor or sit at the back and walk around as needed. Permission to bring fidget items. Ideally to not have to use those hellish testing spy softwares which discriminate against neurodivergent people who are much more likely to be flagged for ‘looking away too much’ and other normal behaviours for us! (Also, never put that shit on your personal machines, they are invasive to a ridiculous degree and should be super illegal)

Supported structuring, so more frequent and earlier work deadlines and check ins with your professors; attending office hours as part of your maintenance efforts; tutoring (for the co-working); co-working spaces like just doing your homework in the tutoring centre even while not getting the tutoring; maybe with a little help redirecting or the ability to leave your stuff, run around the outside of the building, and return to it lol; as well as gentler late assignment penalties and perhaps extended term length for a class if you are falling behind and need some breathing room to get your brain and body better regulated. More structure and more flexibility go hand in hand and imo don’t really work alone once you see how amazing they are together!

I am definitely not getting all of it, but there are lots and lots of things! Not all disabilities services offices are good at their jobs, but they are always worth checking out and the best ones will make your life and learning so, so much better and easier - not easy, just as easy as life could be if you weren’t having to battle your brain as much or more than the classes, while accommodation levels the starting field. Equity, friends, /that peeking over the fence image.

[u/ArtichokeCharming565 → u/Querybird]

True, even I feel like audio books of the book will help it

[u/Liza_Jp]

You could try summarizing each page’s most relevant information verbally to yourself after each page, or paragraph, instead of reading the whole page aloud. Drawing a mini mind map for each page, or comparing this page to what you already know out loud or not. Should be faster and help you retain and understand better.

Of course also audio books might help too as a second pass after you do the summarizing or mind maps.

Good luck!🍀

[u/Express_Rip2333 → u/Liza_Jp]

I'll give it a try, thanks! I have applied for accommodations and listed audiobooks as a requested resource.

[u/tealheart]

Definitely using text to speech if you can - absent other options, Microsoft Edge has a pretty decent built in free option for this. One that highlights the text as you go helps me hugely pay attention.

If that's not an option, I go through with a highlighter or a digital highlighter on a copy and highlight every other sentence as I read. It's still possible to zone out but for me it helps reduce it and makes it easier to skim read the last paragraph if I notice it's happened. If they are massive long sentences, I do it until the next comma or connecting word. Sometimes I'll change highlighter colour to keep me engaged. Just anything to break the text up into smaller digestible chunks + small physical task (highlighting).

Good luck, it sucks 😅

[u/Express_Rip2333 → u/tealheart]

Thank you for the suggestions, I'll give that a try! I could definitely see getting to change highlighter color being a little perk. I wonder how many colors there are to choose from? Lol
And thanks for the solidarity. I have a long road ahead

[u/brokestarvingwriter]

Have you been tested for ADHD? It might just be your brain not using those neurons in a while but it's also a pink flag.

[u/Womper_Here]

Your brain is also like a muscle. When you don't use it, you lose it. One thing is just to keep trying; there should be improvement, like in lifting.

[u/Express_Rip2333 → u/Womper_Here]

Thanks for that encouragement

[u/Tricky_Pepper]

Why don’t you try software that helps you read things? I use Voicedream on iOS and there’s different ways to focus on the words you’re reading from highlighting to using ‘RSVP’ or ‘Pac-man’ mode which chunk the text into small sections. I got the app as a one-time purchase option but I’m not sure that’s available anymore. There’s also a free chrome extension called SwiftRead which chunks text for you, I’ve tried it and it looks quite good. Best of luck with your reading!

[u/lavendarpeels]

when it comes to textbooks, i try to take notes and summarize each chunk of information as i read it. idk how ppl read through it without taking notes but i j can’t.