u/Embarrassed-Star6418

I am 22, have ADHD, and I am about to start grad school for mental health counseling. Basically, my brain just absolutely cannot stand all of the extra steps and memorization required for education in 2026. Everything feels like: this is accessed through that portal; no, not that one, the other one; you need to make a new email to access this; request access, verify it's you; are you a robot? Get the ebook; no, the one with the code for online quiz materials: make a login for that!; you can't use the same password; okay, every class will have a different ebook with different logins for different online quizzes to go with the ebooks, all organized differently, so check all of them constantly to make sure you're on track!

It's so overwhelming and time-consuming to constantly bounce around so many different websites, portals, and SSOs. I wish everything could be consolidated in one place. I feel silly for feeling so exhausted by this. I truly wish I could just have physical textbooks and receive the rest of my materials directly from professors.

Does anyone have any advice for this type of mental fatigue? TIA!

I am 21, a recent BA grad in psychology, planning to go to grad school soon. I just started working in ABA. I have been reading up on the pros and cons, as I knew that it was controversial, and I have VERY mixed feelings. To start, all of the cons I have read about ABA are extremely valid. That the rigidity of the schedule becomes a crutch, the lack of nuance in the functional language taught, the overall extreme compliance factor, etc. However, at my workplace specifically, I have seen it help the kids a lot. ( I have only just started working here tho, so time will tell ) At my workplace, the schedules are rigid in terms of “do this many activities and work for breaks while doing so”, but each kid’s schedule is personalized to what works for them. It is also formatted like: “Now we need to do these 3 activities, let's do them in whatever order you choose.” I do definitely think the activities and language taught need more nuance, but the kids are learning important life skills with this schedule. They often can follow the schedule and prepare for said activities independently. However, I do understand that schedules may become a crutch, and thus, the skills may not be transferable outside the school setting. As for compliance, I do have mixed feelings. Like, why teach a kid to express that they don't want something if their feelings will just be ignored? On one hand, I understand that a kid can't just say no to schoolwork and be done (neurotypical or not), but on the other hand, does that not reinforce to the kid that expressing their feelings is a fruitless endeavor? Overall, I am seeing many pros and some cons, and I can’t tell which outweighs the other yet.  These kids are learning and executing important skills, but at what cost? 

Another question: while I am employed here, how can I serve these kids better in this setting? What should I avoid doing, and what should I not avoid doing?

My cat was just outside with me in his harness and bit the tip of a day lily leaf before i realized what he was doing. The piece was so small i had no chance to grab it. I did not know that they were focus to cats until looking it up just now. The flowers have not bloomed yet. Should i be concerned? He seems normal.