Working memory when in college is important because it not only allows us to follow instructions with multiple steps or remember what we were going to say while another person is talking but also enables young adults to be guided in their decision-making. In college, you are expected to be able to focus on and remember more than one thing at a time. Whether it be taking notes or completing a project with multiple steps, working memory helps individuals complete cognitive tasks. Working memory allows individuals to keep track of things while they are doing something else, and since college is constantly pulling you in a million directions all at once, a well-developed one is needed. However, for those with life challenges such as ADHD, Autism, “Asperger’s,” anxiety disorders, etc., an adult-level working memory can be difficult to maintain.
When it comes to those with life challenges, it’s said that “Individuals with [life challenges] perform poorly in working memory (WM) tasks.” (Han et. Al., 2022). This then prevents them from flourishing in a place like college, because young adults are required to be able to focus on many things at once. Typically, students are taking around four classes at a time, and professors tend to not care that you have other work to do. Instead, they expect you to be able to handle multiple tasks at once or remember the steps they told you in class. Although they can be lenient at times, it is still expected from an independent young adult, especially when you enter the workplace. On any given day, your boss will give you multiple tasks to complete with multiple different steps and expect you to complete them on your own. Of course, questions can still be asked, but if they provide you with the information, they expect you to remember and then follow through. When in a meeting or class, being able to actively take notes is an important part of working memory as well, because, without them, things can be easily forgotten, causing stress on both sides since your professor or boss doesn’t want to constantly repeat themselves.
Being able to work with the information you have without losing track of what you are currently doing is a skill needed to do well in independent life. Multi-tasking is a useful tool in college and work, and without it, a workload can seem much more daunting than it really is. Therefore, we need developed working memory. Working memory allows us to focus on many things at once while still coming up with conclusions and statements in our own heads. This then enables a person to continue a task or conversation with another person without forgetting or becoming sidetracked. Yet, “a lot of research studies memory performance but working memory seems to be most affected across the ADHD population.” (Deolinda, 2021). This does not mean that those with life challenges cannot develop these skills. It simply means they need some more support when doing so, especially since struggling with it can cause a lot of anxiety.
When speaking to a client, they would tell me how hard it was to do their work sometimes because they could not handle all the steps that their professor instructed them to do. They felt as if it was too difficult to follow along and remember, but after rethinking it, they realized they just needed a new way of analyzing the steps. Instead of them all being on a cluttered word document, the client would put the steps on flash cards. This would help them be able to identify and remember the steps much easier since it was easier to follow, allowing their working memory to become optimally functional in a way that worked for them. Without it, they would become stressed and agitated before eventually falling behind in their classes, but after finding their technique, working memory became easier.
At the College Life Skills Program, we teach/coach those who are college bound, in college, and even those after college how to utilize skills such as working memory to ensure their integration into independent life is a smooth one. Our team of Doctoral and Master level professionals uses our individualized, proprietary, evidence-based approaches developed with the real-life experience of thousands of students over three decades to aid young adults in their journey into adult life. So, if your young adult is having trouble achieving adult-level working memory skills, the CollegeLSP is more than qualified to help.
Dr. Eric J. Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D.C., is a Developmental and Behavioral Specialist who specializes in Autism, ADHD and related disorders. Dr. Nach is the founder of the College Life Skills Program where he and his team of professional’s help develop the Emotional Maturity, Executive Functioning, Life Skill and Social Abilities of college students and those high school students preparing for college. The CollegeLSP is a subsidiary program of the Support For Students Growth Center, located in Boca Raton, FL and providing services nationwide.
Han, Y.M.Y., Chan, MC., Chan, M.M.Y. et al. Effects of working memory load on frontal connectivity in children with autism spectrum disorder: a fNIRS study. Sci Rep 12, 1522 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05432-3
Andréas RB Deolinda, B. A. (2021, October 7). Autism and memory: What’s the link? Autism Parenting Magazine. Retrieved November 14, 2022, from https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/autism-memory/
