Why University Lectures Can Feel so Exhausting with ADHD (Especially When You’re Studying Abroad)

If you've ever walked out of a university lecture wondering what on earth you just spent the last 90 minutes doing, you're not alone. You showed up. You tried to pay attention. You even filled several pages with notes. Yet by the time you leave the lecture hall, you can barely remember what was said.

For many university students with ADHD, lectures are one of the most frustrating parts of higher education because the traditional lecture format demands exactly the skills that ADHD makes most difficult. But if you are an international student, lectures can be even more challenging. Not only are you trying to manage ADHD, but you're also adapting to a new academic culture, new expectations, and sometimes even a new language. What already feels difficult can quickly become overwhelming.

I know this feeling well. As a university student in a number of different countries – Germany, Japan, Denmark and the US - I struggled to concentrate during lectures. I found them frustrating and, if I'm honest, nearly always extremely boring and surprisingly ineffective. I frequently left feeling that I would have learned far more by reading the material myself, so over time I attended lectures less and less.

Ironically, I later spent many years teaching at university as a professor but I never lectured in the traditional sense. Even in large classes, I made my courses as interactive as possible because educational psychology consistently shows that people learn best when they actively engage with new ideas rather than passively listen for long periods. That experience has shaped not only my teaching but also the way I now work with university students with ADHD.

The problem with passive learning

For centuries, lectures have been one of the dominant forms of teaching at universities. One person speaks while dozens or sometimes hundreds of students listen. The underlying assumption is simple: if students pay attention, learning will happen.

Educational psychology tells a different story. Research consistently shows that we learn best when we actively engage with information by asking questions, solving problems, discussing ideas, connecting new concepts to what we already know, or explaining them in our own words. Listening alone is one of the least effective ways to build long-term understanding.

That doesn't mean lectures have no value. They can provide structure, introduce complex concepts, and spark curiosity. But on their own, they rarely produce deep learning. For students with ADHD, this challenge becomes even greater.

Why studying abroad can make lectures even harder

Many international students are surprised by how different university teaching can feel from what they're used to. Depending on where you studied before, you may have been encouraged to participate in discussions, work in small groups, complete regular assignments, or ask questions throughout class. At many universities across continental Europe, however, traditional lectures still play a much larger role. Students often spend long periods listening while the professor presents the material with relatively little interaction. This isn't necessarily better or worse; it's simply a different educational culture.

Many European universities also place a particularly strong emphasis on research. Academic staff are expected to excel in both research and teaching, but research often receives greater institutional recognition. As a result, lectures may be highly informative and intellectually stimulating without always being designed around the latest findings from educational psychology about how people learn most effectively. Students are therefore expected to take considerable responsibility for organizing, processing, and consolidating the material independently. For many students, this adjustment takes time. For students with ADHD, it can feel like swimming against the current.

Why lectures are so difficult for students with ADHD

A typical university lecture requires you to maintain attention for 60 to 90 minutes while sitting relatively still, filtering out distractions, processing new information, deciding what is important, taking notes, and holding ideas in your working memory long enough to connect them with what comes next. That's an enormous cognitive workload.

Many of these skills rely heavily on executive functioning, the very set of abilities that ADHD affects most. Working memory, in particular, often becomes overloaded. Imagine trying to carry several shopping bags while someone keeps handing you more. Eventually, something falls.

The same thing happens during lectures. While the lecturer has already moved on to the next idea, your brain may still be trying to understand the previous sentence or finish writing it down. Before long, you've missed another important point, then another, and another. Many students describe this experience as constantly trying to catch up.

Studying in a second language adds another layer of cognitive load

Even students who speak the language fluently often underestimate how mentally demanding it is to study in a second language. Listening to a fast-paced lecture requires your brain to perform several tasks simultaneously. You're processing unfamiliar vocabulary, interpreting accents, following complex arguments, deciding what information matters, and trying to take notes - all at the same time.

For students with ADHD, whose working memory is already under greater strain, this additional cognitive load can quickly become overwhelming. You may understand every sentence individually yet still leave the lecture feeling as though you absorbed very little.

This isn't a sign that you're not intelligent enough but simply what happens when executive functioning and second-language processing compete for the same limited mental resources. If lectures already stretch your attention, studying in another language can amplify those challenges considerably.

You're also learning the hidden rules

International students often face another challenge that receives surprisingly little attention. Every university has its own unwritten rules:

• How important is lecture attendance?

• What should you focus on during lectures?

• How much independent reading is expected?

• Will the exam be based primarily on the lecture or on the textbook?

• Is it acceptable to interrupt the professor with questions?

Domestic students often pick up these expectations naturally because they are already familiar with the educational culture. International students usually have to figure them out as they go. That uncertainty creates additional mental load. When you're already using much of your executive functioning simply to navigate a new academic system, it becomes even harder to devote your full attention to the lecture itself.

Why note-taking can feel impossible

One of the biggest misconceptions about lectures is that students simply need to take better notes. In reality, note-taking is an extraordinarily complex task. It requires you to listen, understand, decide what is important, organize the information, and write it down - all at the same time.

For many students with ADHD, trying to do all of these simultaneously feels almost impossible. Some cope by trying to write down every word they hear. Others become so focused on listening that they barely write anything at all. Neither approach works particularly well.

Trying to create a complete transcript leaves very little mental energy for actually understanding the material. On the other hand, relying entirely on listening often means there is very little to review afterwards. The goal isn't to record everything your professor says. The goal is to capture the key ideas that will help you reconstruct the lecture later.

Why ADHD often feels worse after moving abroad

One observation I've made repeatedly when working with international students is that many feel as though their ADHD suddenly became much worse after moving to another country. In reality, the ADHD itself hasn't necessarily changed. The environment has.

Moving abroad places enormous demands on executive functioning. Suddenly you're organizing accommodation, opening a bank account, navigating unfamiliar bureaucracy, figuring out public transport, managing visas, making new friends, adapting to a different educational system, and often communicating in a language that isn't your first. Every one of these tasks requires planning, decision-making, flexibility, working memory, and emotional regulation.

By the time you walk into a lecture, your executive functioning has already been working overtime. It's therefore hardly surprising that concentrating for another 90 minutes can feel almost impossible. Many students interpret this as a personal failure. I see it differently. Your brain is carrying a much heavier cognitive load than most people realize.

Why you forget so much afterwards

Perhaps the most discouraging experience is leaving a lecture and realizing you remember almost nothing. Many students assume this means they weren't paying attention. Usually, that's not the case. Memory doesn't simply work like a video recorder. Information first has to be encoded before it can be stored in long-term memory. That process requires attention, but it also requires active processing. If your brain spends most of the lecture trying to stay focused or struggling to keep up, there are fewer mental resources available for actually storing the information. The result is completely understandable: by the end of the lecture, much of what you heard has already faded.

Practical strategies that can make lectures easier

Although lectures may never become your favorite way of learning, there are several strategies that can make them significantly more manageable.

Preview the material before class

One of the most helpful things you can do is preview the lecture slides before class, if they are available. Even spending ten minutes looking over the main headings gives your brain a framework for organizing new information. Instead of hearing everything for the first time, you'll already have a rough mental map of where the lecture is going.

If you're studying in a second language, this step becomes even more valuable. Looking up unfamiliar technical vocabulary beforehand can dramatically reduce the mental effort required during the lecture itself.

Don't try to write everything down

During the lecture itself, resist the temptation to write down every sentence. Instead, focus on key concepts, questions that come to mind, connections to previous material, or examples that help you understand the topic. Your notes don't need to be complete, they need to be useful.

Record lectures if you're allowed

If your university or lecturer allows it, recording the lecture can also reduce a great deal of pressure. Simply knowing that you can revisit difficult sections later often makes it easier to stay engaged in the moment. Always check your university's policies first, as recording lectures is not permitted everywhere.

Choose your seat intentionally

Your seat in the lecture hall matters more than many students realize. Sitting near the front often reduces visual distractions and makes it easier to stay connected to the lecturer. For some students, sitting near the aisle is also helpful because it allows them to briefly stand, stretch, or leave the room if they need a short movement break.

Let yourself move

Small movements can actually improve concentration for many people with ADHD. Fidget tools, quietly changing your sitting position, stretching your legs, or gently squeezing a stress ball can help regulate attention rather than distract from it. Movement isn't necessarily a sign of inattention. For many ADHD brains, it's part of maintaining attention.

The most important learning happens after the lecture

Many students think that learning takes place during the lecture. In reality, the lecture is often just the first step. The most effective thing you can do is review your notes within the next 24 hours. Fill in missing details while the material is still relatively fresh. Rewrite difficult concepts in your own words. Draw diagrams. Create questions. Explain the topic out loud as if you were teaching someone else.

These active learning strategies strengthen memory far more than simply re-reading your notes several days later. Even spending fifteen or twenty minutes reviewing the material shortly after class can dramatically improve long-term retention.

Stop trying to learn like everyone else

One of the hardest parts of studying with ADHD is believing that everyone else finds lectures easy. The truth is that many students struggle with long lectures, even without ADHD. The difference is that ADHD makes these challenges more frequent and more intense.

And if you're also studying abroad, you're dealing with much more than ADHD alone. You're adapting to a new culture. A new educational system. Sometimes a new language. You're learning countless unwritten rules while simultaneously trying to succeed academically. That's a tremendous amount to ask of any brain.

Understanding these additional challenges isn't about lowering expectations. It's about recognizing the full picture. You don't have to become someone who loves sitting silently through a 90-minute lecture. Instead, focus on understanding how your brain learns best.

• Maybe you absorb information better by reading than listening.

• Maybe discussing ideas helps you remember them.

• Maybe movement keeps your attention alive.

• Maybe reviewing material in short sessions is more effective than trying to concentrate for an hour and a half.

None of these approaches are shortcuts. They are simply examples of learning in a way that works with your brain rather than against it. University isn't about finding one perfect way to learn. It's about discovering the strategies that allow you to reach your potential and giving yourself permission to use them.

Further Reading

The ideas in this article are informed by research in educational psychology, cognitive science, and ADHD. If you'd like to explore the evidence in more depth, these books and articles are an excellent place to start:

• Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching.

• Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning.

• Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving Students' Learning With Effective Learning Techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest.

• Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive Load During Problem Solving: Effects on Learning. Cognitive Science.

• Fiorella, L., & Mayer, R. E. (2015). Learning as a Generative Activity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are university lectures especially difficult for students with ADHD?

University lectures place heavy demands on sustained attention, working memory, information processing, and note-taking—all executive functioning skills that are commonly affected by ADHD. Many students struggle to stay engaged for 60 to 90 minutes of passive learning, particularly when lectures are highly information-dense.

Why can studying abroad make ADHD feel more challenging?

Living in another country requires constant adaptation. International students often have to navigate a new academic system, communicate in another language, manage bureaucracy, build new social networks, and adjust to unfamiliar cultural expectations. All of these tasks increase the demands on executive functioning, making ADHD symptoms feel more noticeable.

How can international students with ADHD get more out of lectures?

Preparing before class, reviewing lecture slides in advance, focusing on understanding rather than writing down every word, reviewing notes within 24 hours, and studying with classmates can all improve learning. If studying in a second language, allowing extra time for review is particularly important.

Is it normal to understand a lecture but remember very little afterwards?

Yes. Understanding information during a lecture is not the same as storing it in long-term memory. If much of your mental energy is spent maintaining attention or processing information, especially in a second language, there are fewer cognitive resources available for encoding what you've learned. Active review shortly after the lecture is one of the most effective ways to strengthen memory.

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