Taking the end of semester finals is a difficult time for college students, especially for students with ADHD. Not just because of stress, but because people with ADHD struggle with an executive function called self-regulation. An important aspect of self-regulation is inhibitory control which helps most people filter out distracting thoughts, emotions, and other internal or external stimuli. This means that people with ADHD have a harder time filtering out stimuli, especially when taking tests without accommodations. This can lead to emotional distress. Emotional distress while testing is commonly referred to as test anxiety. Testing can often bring uncomfortable thoughts and emotions to the front of the mind which can be detrimental to test performance and the mental health of those it affects. Using a combination of the Current Behavior Scale, Deficient Self-Regulation Measure, and the Multidimensional Test Anxiety Scale, I will conduct a qualtrics survey to examine the correlation between test anxiety and poor self-regulation in college students with ADHD. I will send the survey to a sample of college students with ADHD through centers for disability services at multiple colleges in the state of Utah. This data will then be analyzed to determine if correlations between test anxiety and self-regulation in students with ADHD exist.

Veterans, as well as military service members, are having challenges adapting to civilian life. Many of our veterans return from deployment with emotional and cognitive trauma; yet they are coming back from military service seeking to pursue a higher education. Evidence shows that the challenges that veterans face when transitioning from a military life to a college life can be challenging for them emotionally as well as academically. Often, these veterans do not have the proper support to help them through this new chapter in their life. Giving veterans the proper emotional and practical support is crucial because otherwise they encounter difficulties in achieving their goals. Particularly after coming back from deployment, they need support and reassurance that they are going be helped. (S. Lopez, 2014). Research has shown, for example, that veterans with PTSD in college get less sleep than the usual college students. Studies also indicate that if a veteran does not get the proper care for their mental disorder, they will have a very difficult time achieving their educational goals. (M. Lopez, 2017). Findings from research illustrate that the psychological impact of combat-related trauma exposure can impact classroom integration and academic achievement when there is not compensating support. This study addresses variables of support and how that helps in the college success of veterans.

Recent literature has emerged demonstrating a positive association between violent social media content and symptoms of trauma or symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Social media has also been found to negatively impact academic performance for students in middle school through college. To date, however, research has failed to adequately investigate traumatization through social media and its impact on academic performance. In fact, criteria for diagnosing PTSD currently does not encompass racial experiences with trauma, nor does it consider social media as a context in which trauma can occur. Additionally, none have extended the effect/influence of social media to academic performance. This is especially important for Black students, as the majority of problematic content on social media features violence against members of their own community. Using Carter’s (2007) more inclusive framework of Race-based Traumatic Stress Injury (RBTSI) and following the emerging literature linking violent social media content with trauma, this study will investigate the relationship between social media use and race-based traumatization. The subsequent impact on academic performance will also be investigated. This framework will help educators, administrators, and counseling centers better understand and address a unique and pressing challenge facing today’s Black scholars.