Studying while neurodivergent
Preparing for lectures
This page helps you manage distractions, engage with your material, and maximise your learning experience.
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To best prepare for your lecture, use academic skills that align with your strengths.
Some people find taking lecture notes challenging, struggle to follow the lecturer's talks, or are unsure what information to write down.
To help with this, familiarise yourself with the lecture topic. You can find the module's weekly schedule on the Moodle page, which will outline the topics to be covered.
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Thinking skills
Taking notes during lectures involves using different thinking skills such as generative processing, cognitive processing and making connections. You can see examples of these thinking skills below:
- When you're given information on a topic, the first step is to pick out the most important points. This is known as Generative processing.
- After selecting the key points, you'll need to arrange them in a way that makes sense to you, helping you to understand and remember the content. This is known as Cognitive processing.
- When you have arranged your key points, you should link what you've learned to other ideas, such as figuring out why a theory is important, how to use a new idea, or how two different concepts relate to each other. This is known as Making connections.
Before your lecture
How to introduce yourself to a topic
You should set clear learning objectives before attending your lectures.
Think about what do you aim to learn. Note down one or two questions you want to explore, such as how to apply a particular theory or delve deeper into a specific concept. These will serve as your learning goals.
To get a head start on the topic and gather some introductory information, read the below sections on different approaches to researching a new topic.
- How is the topic defined?
- What are the origins of the topic? For example, when was it created or when did it first exist, and why?
- What are the key concepts about this topic? Find one to two concepts.
- Who are the key theorists associated with this topic? Find one to two key theorists and jot down at least one main idea they have about it.
- Make a list of keywords or terms.
A nugget is one piece of information that you write down.
Each nugget explains one aspect of a subject, and by adding more, you can use this to build an understanding of the topic.
See our Study Development self-help resources to access our Note Nugget worksheet. You can find this worksheet under the heading 'Reading, research, and note-taking'.
Other ways to capture introductory information include creating a poster or mind map.
A visual approach can make it easier to understand and remember the subject matter. These visual strategies can help you organise the information you've learned or your personal thoughts and ideas about a topic.
If you are an auditory learner, consider recording your findings on your mobile phone using Voice Memo or a voice recording app.
You can also refer to Study Development's Guide to Making Notes factsheet.
How to manage potential distractions
Some students may become easily distracted during lectures due to different types of sensory overload. Below are some suggestions that may help you minimise these distractions before attending your lecture.
Visit the lecture theatre or classroom in advance. Doing so will help you to familiarise yourself with the location and identify the specific room you need to go to.
You can also view the room on the York St John Timetable website and click 'view our locations' to see images of teaching rooms.
If you are sensitive to bright lighting, contact your lecturer before the class to ask if the lights can be dimmed, or consider wearing tinted lenses or sunglasses.
Going to your lecture
How to manage distractions in your lecture
Some students may become easily distracted during lectures due to different types of sensory overload. Below are some suggestions that may help you minimise these distractions while in a lecture.
When in the lecture theatre or classroom, sit at the front of the class and away from busy areas.
You may also want to sit near the door so you can leave for a time-out break if necessary.
Use noise-cancelling headphones when carrying out independent activities or when concentration is needed, as this can help manage auditory stimuli.
The York St John Disability team may be able to authorise the use of ear buds in lectures. Register your support needs using the Disability Support and Inclusion Registration form.
Place only necessary materials on your desk, such as your laptop or writing paper and pen, a printed copy of the lecture slides, and your learning goals for the session.
Capture lecture content
Some students may find it challenging to capture lecture content and take notes due to slow reading, writing, or processing.
The strategies below can help you embrace your unique way of processing information and adopt techniques that work for you.
By doing so, you'll improve your understanding of the topic, build confidence, and get the most out of your lectures.
- Go to the York St John module Moodle webpage, find the relevant lecture slides and print them off. Read through the lecture slides at least a few days before your lecture. Sometimes, the lecturer may not have uploaded slides onto Moodle, so if you can’t find them, you can email them to ask for a copy.
- Find out the meaning of any new terms on the lecture slides that you are unfamiliar with and write down a short explanation. If you are going to be introduced to several new terms or key words in a module, create a glossary to memorise information. To help with this, you can use York St John Study Development’s written or visual glossary.
Highlight the main points made in a lecture to signpost them. Review and follow up on these points after the lecture or during your independent study time.
When reading through the lecture slides, signpost any parts of the content that are unclear or you don’t understand by underlining or using an asterisk symbol (*) as a prompt to pay particular attention.
When the lecturer gets to the parts you are unsure about and have signposted to pay attention, this prompt will remind you to focus on what is being discussed and follow up with any questions if needed.
Assistive technologies are specialised equipment and technical software designed to support individuals in studying and enhancing learning. There are several useful resources available to help you capture content during lectures, but make sure to revisit, review, and reflect on this content afterward.
- Audio Recording: Record the lecture using a Dictaphone, mobile phone Voice Memo, or apps like Rev Call Recorder. Always obtain the lecturer’s permission before recording, store the recordings securely, and delete them when they are no longer needed.
- Glean: Glean is note-taking software that allows students to record lectures, highlight key points, and make personal notes. Contact York St John Digital Training Assistive Technology at assistivetech@yorksj.ac.uk to learn more.
- Microsoft Dictate: Microsoft Dictate is a speech-to-text tool that converts your spoken thoughts and ideas about a lecture topic into written text in a Microsoft Word document.
Reading strategies
During a lecture, you may be required to read through a handout or extract of a text. Here are some active reading strategies that can support you in this scenario.
Read the introduction to identify the subject addressed by the handout or extract. Try to understand whether the text aims to address a problem, pose a question, or propose an argument.
Read the conclusion to identify the final comment or judgment the author gives, noting whether they are answering a question, summarising the importance of their argument, or sharing new discoveries.
Also, determine if the author proposes any recommendations or actions.
Scan the text for specific information by using headings and sub-headings as clues to what the following paragraphs may discuss.
Highlight the first sentence of every paragraph to identify the subject, but avoid reading the rest of the paragraph until you've captured the main ideas of the text.
Also, pay attention to any terminology, keywords, theorists, and other significant details discussed.
Underline any parts of the text that you may need to revisit during independent study time.
For example, you might want to follow up on a new theory introduced in the lecture or identify the meaning of a term.
Identify what you can realistically do in a lecture, and don’t worry about what you can’t do. Recognising what you need to follow up on during independent study time will give you the strongest foundation to work later and grasp the topic.
Use text-to-speech programs, which allow you to highlight text on an electronic page while an audio voice narrates it as you listen.
- Read&Write reads text out loud.
- For any text created in Microsoft Word, you can use Microsoft Dictate.
- For paper-based reading, reading pens scan printed text and then read it aloud, which you can listen to through earphones.
- Claro ScanPen lets you take a picture, scan, and listen to the text.
Book a tutorial
If you need support applying any of the techniques, you can book an in-person or online tutorial with Study Development. You can also book to find out more on pre-lecture preparation, active reading, note-taking, or independent study skills, including how to follow up on ideas from a lecture.
Book a Study Development tutorial
For support with using assistive technologies, you can book an online or in-person tutorial.
