Tim has ADHD and helps students with disabilities with their diagnosis

“Look, these are the posters from all the social events I’ve organised for my student complex.” Tim (24) flips through a stack of flyers from a box he’s pulled out of the cupboard in his small studio. The posters, in bright colours, advertise themed parties such as ‘Pride’ and ‘Flügel Fissa’, regularly held in the pub of the building, about a five-minute bike ride from the university. He is the treasurer of the residents’ association of student building De Snor. “I really love the social and creative aspect.”

“The Tim from five years ago would never have imagined this”, he says now. In 2019, Tim was struggling and discovered he had ADHD. Through a peer coaching programme, he learned to manage it with the help of a fellow student. The skills he acquired then, he now passes on to new students.

Because besides his role in the residents’ association, he has also worked as a peer coach for Studying with a Disability (SMF), the university department that supports students with disabilities. There, Tim helps fellow students with ADHD to navigate university life, from dealing with procrastination to discussing the acceptance of their diagnosis. “I’ve managed to turn my own growth process and struggles into something that now helps others.”

Tim has come a long way to get to where he is now. In 2019, he starts his psychology degree. The transition from applied sciences to university is difficult: more reading, a faster pace, fewer contact hours, and no fixed classmates. “It was overwhelming. I often just froze. That really panicked me.”

He becomes increasingly unhappy. “Others were figuring out how to balance student life. I was just trying to survive.” His poor academic performance also affects his social life. He has no time for parties or societies and finds it difficult to connect with his fellow students. “I was really scared to approach other people.”

A study adviser suggests Tim to get tested for ADHD. After an extensive assessment, he is diagnosed. “My world was completely turned upside down. The image I had of myself suddenly didn’t match reality. The diagnosis confirmed that my brain works completely differently.”

Just as he is starting to process the diagnosis, corona strikes in March 2020, and the world goes into lockdown. “That was such a surreal time. Literally everything in my life changed.” Day in and day out, Tim follows lectures from his bedroom at his parents’ house. “I was completely stuck and felt very lonely.” His academic performance worsens, and he is at risk of failing his first year. Therapy didn’t help much. “The therapist would say, ‘Maybe it’s helpful to study with a schedule.’ And I’d think, okay, but how do I do that?”

Then his older sister points him towards SMF. She has chronic fatigue syndrome and had received support from a fellow student through a peer coaching programme. “She said, ‘Tim, this is exactly what you need’.”

Tim signs up and is matched with a peer coach. “Finally, I could talk to someone who had been through the same thing, who really knew what it was like to study with ADHD at university. That was such a relief. I wasn’t alone. There were more people like me.”

He learns a lot from his peer coach. For instance, he discovers that the well-known Pomodoro technique (focusing for 25 minutes at a time) doesn’t work well for him. Instead, concentrating for an hour and a half and then taking a 15-minute walk outside is much more effective. “Each time, she taught me a new study strategy. It was like starting with an empty toolbox and gradually filling it with useful tools.”

Slowly but surely, his toolbox fills up. “Then I knew exactly whether I needed a hammer or a chisel to get through my studies.” Over the course of eight meetings, Tim regains control of his studies. After a few months, he leaves the peer coaching programme with a fully stocked toolbox. “It’s crazy how much of a transformation I went through in just a few hours of coaching. It really got me back on track.”

Thanks in part to peer coaching, Tim began to feel better. He becomes more socially confident, and when he moves into De Snor at the beginning of 2022, things progress quickly. His sister takes him to a party in the complex’s pub. “I still found it scary to approach people, but I thought, ‘I just have to try. I must challenge myself’.” At that party, he meets a fellow resident who tells him about the housing committee.

Tim joins and immediately feels at home. He goes from someone who never has time for parties to someone who now organises them himself. “For me, it’s really a creative outlet.” Around the same time, he also starts working as a peer coach at SMF.

Tim has now been a peer coach for three years and has supported more than ten students with ADHD. “Simply put: someone needs help, you can provide that help, and you get matched.” Each student has different needs. “Some want help with making a study plan, while others need almost therapeutic conversations about accepting their diagnosis.”
Coaches have flexibility in how they conduct sessions. “One student might prefer grabbing a coffee in the Pavilion, another might prefer online meetings. Some just need a listening ear, while others are looking for practical tips.”

And Tim’s sessions have a real impact. “Later, students tell me, ‘Since working with you, my grades have improved so much. I’m doing really well now’. It feels great to be able to help someone in that way.”

Being a peer coach brings Tim a lot of fulfilment. “It really feels like the circle is complete. That I can turn my personal experience into support for someone else. As if I’m passing on my toolbox to the next generation of students.”

Would you like a peer coach? Send an email to [email protected].