Struggling with Udemy? Learn practical strategies for learning from Udemy effectively if I have ADHD, from course selection to focus-enhancing note-taking.
By HoverNotes Team•21 min read
To learn effectively from Udemy when you have ADHD, forget passive watching. You need an active, structured learning framework that works with your brain's natural craving for novelty and engagement, not against it.
This means breaking down long courses, creating external accountability, and turning fleeting video lectures into tangible notes you can actually use.
#Why the "Just Watch" Method Is a Disaster for ADHD Brains
We've all been there. You buy a new Udemy course, get a rush of excitement, and imagine the new skills you're about to acquire. It's a powerful dopamine hit.
But for many of us with ADHD, that initial buzz vanishes fast. It’s replaced by a familiar cycle: overwhelm, distraction, and eventually, a half-finished course haunting your library. The standard advice to "just watch the videos" is useless because it ignores the core challenges we face.
This isn't a personal failure. It’s a mismatch between how Udemy content is designed and how the ADHD brain works.
ADHD brains run on dopamine, which fuels reward and motivation. Passively watching a video offers almost none of it. A 20-hour Python course is a long marathon with a reward so far in the future it feels imaginary. Your brain is wired for quick sprints with immediate feedback.
This is the classic journey from passive viewer to overwhelmed student. The only way out is to build an active, ADHD-friendly framework from the start.
A lack of active engagement leads directly to cognitive overload. A structured approach is non-negotiable.
Long video lectures are an assault on executive functions—the very skills that can be a struggle for people with ADHD. We're talking sustained attention, organization, and task initiation. Without a clear plan, the sheer volume of content is paralyzing.
Task Initiation: Just hitting "play" on a 45-minute video can feel like climbing a mountain.
Working Memory: Trying to hold onto a concept from the beginning of a video until the end is a recipe for disaster. Important details drift away.
Time Blindness: It’s easy to think a "short" 15-minute video will be quick, but you forget to factor in rewinding, pausing, and the inevitable distractions.
The biggest problem is that video learning encourages passive consumption. You sit, watch, and hope the information absorbs through osmosis. People watch, but they don't remember.
But for information to become a usable skill, you have to actively process it. You have to wrestle with it, question it, and connect it to things you already know.
The goal isn't just to finish a course; it's to internalize the skills it teaches. This requires moving beyond consumption and into active participation.
To get a deeper look at the science behind this, our guide on how to study effectively for exams is a great resource. The rest of this article will give you the practical framework to finally work with your brain's unique wiring and turn Udemy from a source of guilt into a powerful tool for growth.
The Udemy marketplace can feel like an ADHD trap. The endless choices kick off a cycle of decision paralysis, and the dopamine rush from buying a course often evaporates before you even click "play."
Choosing the right course isn't about the highest star rating. It's about picking a course that vibes with an ADHD learning style from the start. Instead of getting lured in by a flashy title, dissect the course structure first. This filter will save you time, money, and the quiet shame of adding another unwatched course to your digital graveyard.
Before you do anything else, open the full course curriculum. You're hunting for patterns that scream "this is going to be a slog."
Here’s a quick mental checklist:
Video Length: Are the lectures short and punchy? Anything consistently over 10-12 minutes is a huge red flag. Short videos give you quick wins, which builds momentum.
Total Hours: Be honest. Is a 40-hour epic on "The Complete Guide to Everything" realistic? Probably not. A tighter, 8-10 hour course with a specific outcome is far more likely to get finished.
Project-Based Learning: Does the course make you do something? Look for hands-on projects, coding exercises, or downloadable workbooks. Active learning is infinitely more engaging than passively watching someone talk.
You can find all of this right on the course landing page.
This info is your first line of defense. Use it to avoid courses that will drain your executive function before you even start.
An instructor's delivery can make or break a course, especially for an ADHD brain. Always watch several of the free preview videos to get a feel for their style before you buy.
You're listening for a few key things:
Pacing: Do they talk at a decent clip, or does their voice make you want to nod off? A monotone, slow-talker is an instant focus-killer. A slightly faster pace can actually be more engaging.
Visuals: Are they using clear slides, helpful diagrams, and on-screen callouts? Or is it just their face on screen for an hour? Strong visual cues are anchors for your attention.
Conciseness: Do they get straight to the point? Or do they spend five minutes telling a story before the actual lesson? We need directness. Rambling is the enemy.
Choosing the right platform is just as important as choosing the right course. For a detailed breakdown, you might be interested in our comparison of Udemy vs Coursera and which is better for learning.
Last, scope out the "Resources" tab for the lectures. The best courses come loaded with supplementary materials that pull you out of passive-viewer mode and into active-learner mode.
Look for courses that offer tangible extras like:
Code files or project templates you can use to follow along.
PDF cheat sheets or summaries for quick, scannable reviews.
Links to external articles or tools for when you want to dive deeper.
These aren't just nice-to-haves; they are essential tools. They provide the structure and interaction needed to make sure the knowledge sticks. A course rich in these assets is a strong signal that it's designed for application, not just consumption.
For anyone with ADHD, "just sitting down to study" is a one-way ticket to failure. You can't brute-force your way through a multi-hour Udemy course on willpower alone. You need to build a deliberate structure—a system that plays to your brain's strengths.
This isn't about forcing focus. It's about creating the right conditions where focus can happen naturally. A vague goal like "I'll study for a few hours" is overwhelming. Let's break it down into a system that works.
The classic Pomodoro Technique—25-minute work sprints—is a good starting point, but video lectures can be uniquely draining. So, let's adapt it.
Forget 25 minutes. Aim for 15-20 minute focused bursts of watching. When the timer dings, the break is non-negotiable. Physically get up. Stretch, walk around, grab water. This physical reset is surprisingly powerful for clearing your head.
Staring at a whole chapter in a Udemy course can be paralyzing. Don't. Shift your thinking to micro-commitments. Your goal for the next 20 minutes isn't to "finish Chapter 3." It's to "watch the next two short videos." That's it.
This does two critical things for an ADHD brain:
It lowers the barrier to entry. It’s easier to convince yourself to do something for 7 minutes than for 45 minutes.
It delivers frequent dopamine hits. Every tiny video you complete is a small win, giving you that jolt of accomplishment that keeps you moving forward.
This chain of small successes is what builds sustainable momentum.
Your environment is everything. Trying to learn in a space designed for distraction is like swimming against the current. Be intentional about setting up your physical and digital spaces to signal to your brain that it's go-time.
For your physical space:
One Desk, One Purpose: If possible, have a dedicated spot just for learning. When you sit there, your brain gets the memo: we're here to work, not scroll.
Clear the Decks: A messy desk is visual noise. Tidy it up.
Noise-Canceling Headphones: These are a non-negotiable. They create a "bubble of focus" that blocks out auditory chaos.
Your digital space is just as crucial. Turn off all non-essential notifications. Banish your phone to another room. Using browser tools can also be a game-changer. For example, some of the best Chrome extensions for students can actively block distracting websites during your study sprints.
I find that a dedicated, distraction-free "video mode" for my browser is incredibly effective. HoverNotes is a Chrome extension that watches videos with you, generates AI notes, and saves them as Markdown directly to your file system. Its video mode blocks the distractions and puts your notes right next to the content.
Finally, stop fighting your biology. Pay attention to your natural energy cycles. Are you a laser-focused morning person, or do you get a second wind in the afternoon?
Schedule your Udemy sessions for these peak focus windows. Trying to force yourself to learn when you're already tired is a recipe for frustration. When you align your study time with your brain's natural rhythm, the whole process feels less like a chore and more like flow.
Let’s be real. Just watching a Udemy video is not the same as learning from it. For those with ADHD, this is the biggest trap. Passive watching is where information goes in one ear and right out the other.
To make knowledge stick, you have to switch from being a passive audience member to an active participant. This means engaging with the material. Taking notes while watching improves retention dramatically.
But traditional note-taking during a video is a focus-shattering nightmare. Constantly pausing, rewinding, and frantic typing completely breaks your flow. You spend more time juggling windows than understanding what’s being taught.
This is why tools built for modern video learning are critical. Instead of fighting the format, you can use a system that does the heavy lifting for you.
Your brain's main job during a lecture should be to understand the concepts, not act as a court stenographer. When you try to do both, you overload your working memory, and comprehension plummets. AI can handle note-taking so you can focus on understanding.
A dedicated tool can handle the grunt work, freeing you to think about the material. Unlike tools that only parse transcripts, HoverNotes watches the video to capture what's actually on screen. This lets you focus on the "why" while the tool captures the "what."
This approach is worlds away from just downloading a transcript. Transcripts miss visual context—they are blind to what's happening on screen, which is often the most important part.
A transcript tells you what the instructor said, but it can’t show you the exact line of code they pointed to or the system architecture diagram they drew. Visual context is everything.
There are several ways to tackle note-taking for videos. Here’s a quick comparison to help you figure out what might work best for your brain.
Method
How It Works
Pros for ADHD
Cons for ADHD
Manual Typing
Pausing the video to type notes in a separate window.
You control every word.
High cognitive load; constant task-switching kills focus and flow.
Pen and Paper
Jotting down key ideas in a physical notebook.
Kinesthetic engagement can aid memory.
Disconnected from the video; hard to find specific moments later.
Basic Screenshots
Using built-in OS tools to capture the screen.
Captures visual info perfectly.
Creates a disorganized folder of files with no context or timestamps.
AI Video-to-Notes Tool
A browser extension captures notes, timestamps, and screenshots as you watch.
Low friction; automates transcription and captures visuals, freeing up your focus for understanding.
Requires installing a new tool and learning a simple workflow.
While any form of active engagement is better than none, tools specifically designed for video learning drastically reduce the friction that can so easily derail an ADHD brain.
#Capture Visuals the Way Your Brain Remembers Them
Video is a visual medium. We learn by watching the instructor debug code, sketch out a flowchart, or demonstrate a technique. Your notes need to reflect that.
Taking screenshots manually is clunky. You’re left with a messy folder of randomly named image files, disconnected from your text notes. Effective video notes integrate that visual context seamlessly.
Look for tools that offer:
Timestamped Screenshots: Every screenshot includes a clickable timestamp — one click returns you to that exact moment. This is a lifesaver for reviewing complex topics without scrubbing through the timeline.
Snip Capture: Snip just the code snippet or diagram you need — no need to capture the whole frame. This keeps your notes clean and to the point.
Embedded Context: Images should appear right where they belong in your notes, giving you instant visual cues as you study.
These features transform a flat wall of text into a dynamic study guide that’s far easier for an ADHD brain to process. Our guide on how to learn effectively from Udemy videos dives even deeper into these active learning workflows.
One of the biggest downsides of most cloud-based note apps is that your knowledge gets locked into their system. For anyone who values owning their data—especially users of local-first tools like Obsidian—this is a dealbreaker.
The solution is a local-first approach. When your notes are saved as plain Markdown (.md) files directly to your computer, you own them forever. They aren't trapped in a proprietary format. You own the files. Move them, back them up, grep them — they're just Markdown.
This becomes incredibly powerful as you build a personal knowledge base. As you take notes from Udemy, Coursera, and YouTube, you’re not just studying for one course; you’re building a searchable, interconnected library of everything you learn. The notes belong to you.
#Building A System for Review And Long-Term Retention
Finishing a Udemy course feels great. But the real test is whether you can use that knowledge a week, a month, or a year from now. This is where many of us with ADHD hit a wall, thanks to a working memory that loves to ditch information the second we look away.
Information doesn't stick just because you watched a video. You have to revisit it. The goal is a simple, low-effort review system that turns what you just learned into a skill you own.
This isn’t about cramming or re-watching hours of lectures. It’s about smart, quick check-ins that strengthen those neural pathways and lock the important stuff into your long-term memory.
Spaced repetition is a gift for the ADHD brain. It’s a learning technique where you review information at increasingly longer intervals. Instead of one giant, overwhelming review session you'll procrastinate on forever, it breaks the process into tiny, manageable chunks.
A simple schedule might look like this:
Review 1: The day after you finish a chapter.
Review 2: Three days later.
Review 3: One week later.
Review 4: Three weeks later.
Each review should be lightning-fast—5-10 minutes, max. You're just glancing over your notes to reactivate the memory. Put reminders in your calendar or a task manager to put this system on autopilot.
Staring at a wall of text is a surefire way to make your mind wander. It's boring and the enemy of an effective review session. This is why the quality and format of your notes are so critical.
For an ADHD learner, good review notes are:
Visual: Packed with diagrams, screenshots of code, and key formulas.
Interactive: They have links that can take you right back to a specific moment in the video.
Concise: They spotlight the big ideas, not every single word the instructor said.
This is where having notes with embedded, timestamped screenshots becomes a game-changer. When reviewing a tricky concept, you don't have to decipher a cryptic text note. Just look at the screenshot. Still stuck? Click it, and you’re instantly transported to that exact moment in the Udemy video.
Manually pausing, screenshotting, and organizing rich visual notes is a massive pain. That constant task-switching is guaranteed to break your focus. This is a perfect job for a tool—let it handle the busywork so you can stay locked in.
A tool like HoverNotes automates the entire process of capturing notes, screenshots, and timestamps. It pulls out the key information as you watch and saves it all as a clean Markdown file. This means your review materials are essentially created for you, making the whole spaced repetition system practically frictionless.
Your only job is to follow your review schedule. Open the file, scan the key visuals and points, and you're done. This tiny, low-effort habit is what compounds your learning over time. You stop being a "course watcher" and start becoming a builder of a permanent knowledge library.
As you add notes from more courses, you’re constructing a personal knowledge base you can search and reference forever. If this idea excites you, our guide on how to build a second brain is a great next step for organizing your digital knowledge.
#Common Questions About Learning On Udemy With ADHD
Even with a solid game plan, you're bound to hit a few snags. Let's tackle some of the most common questions that pop up when trying to learn on Udemy with an ADHD brain.
#How Do I Stay Motivated After the Initial Excitement Fades?
Ah, the classic ADHD cycle: intense hyperfocus, followed by a motivation cliff. The secret is to stop chasing that initial dopamine rush and build a system that doesn't rely on it.
Think external rewards and accountability. Set up tangible rewards for small wins. Finished a chapter? You've earned an episode of that show you're binging or 15 minutes of guilt-free scrolling. This creates a reward loop your brain can latch onto.
Accountability is another game-changer. Find a "study buddy"—a friend taking the same course or just someone you check in with. A simple daily text like, "Did you watch your two videos today?" provides just enough external pressure to get started.
#What Should I Do When I Get Stuck on a Difficult Topic?
Hitting a wall with a tough concept can kill your momentum. The most important thing to do is counterintuitive: give yourself permission to move on. Don't sit there banging your head against the wall.
Here’s a simple workflow for when you get stuck:
Mark It: Jot down a quick note about the confusing topic and the video timestamp.
Move On: Keep going with the rest of the chapter. Often, a later video provides the missing context that makes the difficult part click.
Revisit Later: Tackle that tricky section at the beginning of your next study session when your brain is fresh.
Still stuck? Use the course's Q&A section. Don't just say "I'm confused." Be specific: "At 12:45, the instructor explains X, but I don't get how it connects to Y. Can someone rephrase it?"
Letting one difficult video derail your entire course is the worst thing you can do. Your goal is momentum. Skipping a single lecture to keep that momentum going is a smart trade.
#How Can I Juggle Multiple Courses Without Getting Overwhelmed?
That Udemy sale hits, and suddenly you own five new courses you're excited to start right now. It's a classic ADHD trait, but it's also a fast track to finishing none of them.
The strategy that works is designating one primary course at a time. This is your main quest, the one you focus on during scheduled learning blocks.
Treat any other courses as "secondary" or "curiosity" courses. Dip into these when you need a mental break from your main topic or have a spare 10 minutes. This approach satisfies the novelty-seeking part of your brain without fragmenting your attention and derailing your main goal.
For the ADHD brain, spreading it out wins almost every time. Binge-watching feels productive in the moment—that sweet hyperfocus—but it leads to shallow learning. The information floods your working memory but never moves into long-term storage. You forget it almost as fast as you learned it.
A much better approach is a consistent schedule of short, focused sessions. Aim for 3-4 sessions a week. This naturally leverages spaced repetition, giving your brain the downtime it needs to process and consolidate the new information between sessions. The result is learning that's deeper, more durable, and actually useful.
If your notes are a disorganized jumble, they're not just unhelpful—they're a source of friction. The key is a system that automates the organization so you can focus purely on the content.
This is where tools built specifically for video learning shine. You need something that automatically captures the metadata—the course name, chapter, video title, and timestamp—for every note you take.
When you use a tool that saves notes directly to your computer as Markdown files, you're building a clean, searchable, future-proof knowledge library. Notes save as .md files directly to your Obsidian vault, no proprietary format or sync service - your notes belong to you.
A great system also needs to capture visuals. If an instructor draws a critical diagram, a text description won't cut it. With a tool like HoverNotes, you can snip just the code snippet or diagram you need—no need to capture the whole frame. This makes your notes instantly scannable and infinitely more useful for review.
The timestamped screenshot feature in HoverNotes alone can save you hours of scrubbing through videos to find that one concept you forgot. You can try it for free—you get 20 minutes of AI credits to start, with no credit card required. Learn more at https://hovernotes.io. Confirm current options on the HoverNotes pricing page.
ADHD does not produce one universal learning style or a defensible promise that a particular app will improve retention by a fixed percentage. The CDC's adult ADHD overview notes that adults can have difficulty managing attention, completing lengthy tasks, and staying organized, while support needs vary by person. CDC guidance for learning environments recommends clear tasks, organizational tools, fewer distractions, movement or breaks, and an individualized plan; it also notes that evidence for specific accommodations is limited (CDC guidance). In practice, treat short sessions, visible next actions, and timestamped notes as workflow experiments. Keep what reduces friction for you, and seek qualified clinical support for diagnosis or treatment decisions.
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