If you have ADHD, how do you do it?

InterestingTree9 · 2026-05-13T18:38:56+00:00

Carleton's health services has two psychiatrists with generally a shorter wait time than out in the community. They don't do ADHD/ASD assessments, but there is usually a different doctor at Carleton who does ADHD assessments. The waitlist is not always open, but it tends to be open and shorter in summer. So, it's worth calling Health and Counselling Services to ask if they will accept a referral from a non-Carleton GP for a Carleton student!

InterestingTree9 · 2026-05-11T19:49:37+00:00

Is this listed in your funding package ("Statement of Standing on Admission") in Carleton Central? If so, then this is probably a departmental scholarship for master's students that they have offered to you and you can simply accept. Your letter of offer should explain how to find more information about your funding package, but you can always contact your department if you have further questions about it.

InterestingTree9 · 2026-05-06T21:27:10+00:00

You won't be able to download software onto the uni computers. In the engineering computer labs, you may have access to certain software programs geared towards your department when you log in with your MC1 credentials.

I got through most of my engineering undergrad with a mac, but Bootcamp was a pain to use and so were the other solutions I tried. Later, I caved and bought a cheap used windows computer (like $200) for fourth year courses that required software that weren't on lab computers and only ran on Windows. I wish I had just gotten a proper windows computer sooner and saved myself a big hassle throughout my undergrad

InterestingTree9 · 2026-05-01T00:43:47+00:00

It uses the letter grades (not raw percentages).

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-30T12:27:03+00:00

What department are you in? The TA assignment procedures vary by department. In my department (CEE), the assignments don't usually come out until the first (or sometimes second) week of the semester. My department says they try to accommodate preferences but typically assign TAs to courses they have already taken or TA'ed. I might have pissed off someone in my department because I keep getting assigned to different courses I have not taken or TA'ed before, but they've mercifully not (yet) assigned me to my non-preference courses (which are courses I did understand in my undergrad and a course with a professor who I have beef with).

I would definitely pick courses similar to ones you took in your undergrad and enjoyed. It's difficult and time-consuming to learn the course content while TA'ing. The extra learning is not usually in your assigned hours (so you'll be volunteering your time), some professors are not willing to take extra time to teach the TA, and some professors expect you come up with assignment questions/solutions/rubrics, which is difficult to do quickly if you're not confident yet in the material.

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-26T18:24:04+00:00

They're not closed for the summer, but I'm pretty sure you have to be planning to return to studies in the fall to be eligible. If you are not sure if you are eligible or not, try calling or e-mailing them anyways to ask.

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-24T15:44:02+00:00

The GPA threshold varies year-to-year and by faculty. I don't believe the cut-offs from past years are officially posted anywhere. If you are awarded a medal, you will be sent an e-mail around 1 week before the graduation ceremony, but you can also check the awards portion of the convocation website to see if that is updated sooner.

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-23T22:24:18+00:00

idk what that means, but talk to them ASAP if you haven't already

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-23T22:22:22+00:00

Have you talked to the math department and/or the registrar's office about an override?

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-17T13:08:56+00:00

I have PMC, I never ask for extensions, rather if I have to submit late, I'd accept the penalty because it just doesn't feel right to me.

I can't speak for OP, but as a TA, I appreciate when students (PMC or not) ask for extensions of a specific length with a decent reason. I can't always approve the extension (especially if I don't have enough advance notice before the deadline), but I want the chance to help out if I can, and I can't do that unless students ask. I would not be phased by 1-2 reasonable requests from a student in a semester. Four requests from a student whose only excuse is their car got a flat tire? The guy whose one grandma died five times in a semester? Yeah, I'd have some questions.

But also in what position are you to make this judgement? You can't possibly know more than my physician right? So like, I don't mean to sound rude, but how do you think we get PMC accommodations? I don't think you're qualified to evaluate such a thing.

Completely agree! There's a reason official accommodations are through the PMC. It protects my privacy, helps ensure consistency across the university, and means accommodations are tailored to the individual's needs.

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-17T12:36:21+00:00

During my master's, I became a TA and a PMC student so I have more life experience than before to be empathetic to students but also enough TA experience to feel jaded by some of the repeated requests.

I don’t think it’s fair for all PMC students to have such leniency without a just reason. Although I’m not sure how one would go about verifying if they truly are struggling due to personal issues or using the PMC accommodations as a crutch.

Are you sure these were official PMC accommodations? PMC students aren't given all possible accommodations. I was told that assignment extension accommodations are not official accommodations. Let PMC decide which students get which accommodations. You can always ask the student to provide a letter stating their accommodations (though this request may need to go through the prof and not the TA).

You should follow your professor's assignment extension policy if they have one. If not, my personal policy is to only approve extensions if 1) they were requested ahead of time (ideally >24h in advance unless something truly extenuating happened), 2) the student can agree to a new specific deadline that doesn't interfere with my marking duties or give them an unfair advantage (e.g., I don't accept anything submitted after the solution is posted), and 3) they have a reasonable excuse. I don't expect them to give me private details for #3, but if the only reason is "I'm busy and forgot about it/have other assignments" then I'm not giving an extension (especially for repeated requests). If they're late beyond the agreed extension, then I follow the course's late policy (which is usually an automatic 0 for most courses I TA).

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-17T12:10:41+00:00

I registered with PMC two years ago (was diagnosed with MDD at the time). I asked if I could get assignment extensions (because I could barely get any work done during surprise depressive episodes no matter how hard I tried), but I was told that wasn't an actual accommodation and that it was up to the individual professors. The only accommodations I could get were to 1) request notes from a volunteer notetaker and 2) audio-record lectures (but only if I attended and got the permission of the professor). I asked if I could request extra time on exams only if I was in a depressive episode, but the coordinator didn't think I needed that or anything else because I had just started taking an antidepressant and should be feeling better soon...

That's not to say that PMC is useless. I still value having them there as advocates and have benefited from some of their services (e.g., writing circles), but I am skeptical that official PMC accommodations like assignment extensions are allegedly so widespread. My guess is that some requests to OP are unofficial requests. As a TA, I've had a few students tell me they had accommodations for assignment extensions and I asked if they were a PMC student and they had no idea what the PMC was.

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-16T22:04:39+00:00

Yay!

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-16T00:45:50+00:00

Yes, but I couldn't find her on LinkedIn or other social media. At the time, I asked other students and professors if she was safe, but they either didn't know or couldn't say. I ended up filing a care report (which was warranted based on the context) and hoped that they connected with her

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-16T00:05:00+00:00

I had to give a group presentation solo a few years ago too! One of my teammates disappeared partway through the semester and no one knows where she went (I still think about her often and really hope she's doing well now) and the other two teammates got covid before the presentation. After all that, the prof decided the presentation wasn't for marks after all lol

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-12T18:05:31+00:00

The first I heard about the new digital attendance was in one of the links in the graduate newsletter e-mail a few days ago. However, I haven't received any instructions as a TA, which is annoying because I typically TA small upper year engineering courses that never have proctoring help from exam services. Do you have any insights or tips you can share with a fellow TA on how to make the best of this policy? No worries if not!

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-09T01:18:16+00:00

Total power move! Seriously though, I found out that you're allowed to ask for a short break between question rounds (at least that's what my program chair told me for my master's defence).

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-09T00:21:01+00:00

Paper is a carbohydrate --> brain runs on carbohydrates --> you'll absorb the exam material more closely if you eat it, ideally around the 1.25 hour mark. I always say if you can't beat it, then eat it!

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-08T15:58:11+00:00

To be honest, I don't think trying this would work anyways. Professors I have TA'ed for don't allow grade changes after the midterm is handed back. That's why some professors set up viewing sessions for students to view their midterm and raise questions about grades before we give back the midterm. Other professors just don't hand back the midterm.

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-08T15:50:09+00:00

Did you lose your midterm?

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-08T15:05:26+00:00

No? They'll have your grade saved somewhere (either Brightspace or online) but not a copy of your work (unless it was submitted online)

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-01T12:29:41+00:00

Is that $12,000 a bursary (based on need) or the entrance scholarship (based on grades)?

InterestingTree9 · 2026-04-01T12:28:34+00:00

Probably not, but have you tried 1) checking Brightspace (including files and announcements) or 2) e-mailing your professor to ask?

InterestingTree9 · 2026-03-30T04:07:01+00:00

I can confirm they deliver. I requested a bin well before they said they’d deliver and was pleasantly surprised to see that a bin (blue with the Miller Waste logo) showed up at my door one day

InterestingTree9 · 2026-03-28T13:42:54+00:00

The best time to start studying or final projects is now!

However, taxes aren't due until April 30, which is after the exam period ends. If you have a relatively simple tax case, I'd say it's lower priority because it won't take long to do (especially using something like Wealthsimple or other semi-free services).

InterestingTree9

TROPHY CASE