Setting Goals this Year by Kaden

Setting Goals this Year by Kaden - August 2022 Scholarship Essay

One of my biggest challenges has been to perform at a high level while having ADHD. After being diagnosed with ADHD, I understood why certain things were difficult, focusing, staying on task, and organized. It’s been rough to figure out the right help for someone with ADHD as everyone is a bit different. There are ways to help ADHD, from foods, screen time, medications, and different tools. I have been on a journey for the last 5 years navigating the information out there to keep me on the right track, find tools to help me succeed in school, and continue to manage my time that provides the balance I need in my life as I live with ADHD. In 6 weeks, I will be headed off to The University of Oregon. This is the moment of truth for me as I will have to take what I have learned about ADHD and my body to set goals for my future academics as I embark on a new and harder journey. My goal for the upcoming academic year is to maintain my 3.5 GPA while balancing the challenges of being on my own for the first time in my life.

As I have aged, I have realized that I need tools to help keep me organized. After being diagnosed with ADHD, I started to explore my tool options to help me stay on task. Not just medications to manage ADHD, but also organizational tools like planners, calendars, and checklists. This has not been an easy process and there has been some trial and error, but these tools help me manage all aspects of my life. My phone has become my best friend, not because I am a typical teenager, but because it’s my lifeline. I use it for electronic planners, calendars, and reminders constantly. It has been a great help in keeping my grades up, holding myself accountable, meeting deadlines, and ensuring that I finish high school strong so I can live out my dreams of going to college and having a successful career. As I enter the next chapter of college, I want to build on my ADHD tools and knowledge to maintain my success during this big change. ADHD will always pose another level of stress and difficulty in my life, but I will not let it define me, stop me, or keep me from performing at a high level and meeting my college and career goals. It is up to me to manage this!

After attending my college introduction, I have learned all the tools available to me as an incoming student to The University of Oregon. Beyond having ADHD, this will be a time that I will be away from my family and friends for the first time, I will be on my own for many life skills that I have not had to manage, and I will be responsible for keeping my grades up so I can meet my end goals. This means I will have to continue to add to my “tool kit” and take advantage of office hours, free tutoring, and engaging in discussion classes. These things will be imperative for me to keep my grades up. My old tools of calendars, planners, and reminders will play an even more important part as I life independently. Time management will be a must for me to meet my goals.

Meeting goals are important, and it is important for me to prove to myself and the world that I has what it takes to what I am setting out to do. I will meet my goals of maintaining my GPA above 3.5 and I will do it despite having ADHD, living on my own, being independent, and taking a full load of classes. I look forward to the next chapter of my life and am going enjoy it to the fullest.