ADHD in College

There is a great deal of coverage about ADHD in childhood and adolescence, but significantly less about ADHD in adulthood; in the context of university education, ADHD is discussed even less frequently:

But why is that? According to the ISMM (International Consensus Statement on ADHD), an American study on the topic, those affected apparently rarely earn a college degree (5–10 percent). Exact figures are not available for Germany, but it can be assumed that there are also affected individuals at German universities. They may no longer stand out like children with ADHD due to fidgeting or constant interruptions during a lecture, but they still face various challenges in coping with everyday university life.

The literature estimates that 1.3% to 4.7% of adults are affected. Due to the aforementioned symptoms, these individuals are severely impaired in their professional, family, and social environments.

And difficulties with concentration and organization in particular can lead to various problems during a degree program—whether at the University of Cologne or at other universities—which we would like to list as examples:

Barriers for students with ADHD at the University of Cologne

How can these barriers be overcome, or how can students with ADHD navigate life at the University of Cologne? To address this, the University of Cologne offers a special program for students with ADHD, which we would like to introduce on the following page.