Have you requested accommodations for college?

Typically, we address our blog to our parent readers, talking about helpful strategies for your child or family.  This month’s blog is going out to our students with Executive Function challenges, ADHD, or other learning differences who are headed off to college.  Have you requested accommodations for your classes through the college’s disability support services?

Why do I still need classroom accommodations, when my high school grades were good enough for me to be accepted to college?

Great question!  Getting into college is an achievement in and of itself – one to be proud of.  But getting into college is just the first step in a longer journey.  Now that you’ve been accepted, the focus shifts to staying in college, and hopefully earning your degree.  Once classes begin, you will find that the expectations for college students differ greatly from those of high school students.  And to be successful in college, you will need to rely on your Executive Function skills more than ever. 

·       College classes require more study time.  The general rule of thumb is three hours studying for every hour spent in the classroom.  Thinking back on high school, when was the last time you spent multiple hours per night on homework for one class? 

·       College professors expect you to know the syllabus.  If there is an assignment on the syllabus for a 10-page paper due in three weeks, your professor will expect it to be complete and on their desk even if they only mentioned the assignment once in passing during class. 

·       Attendance counts!  At some schools, missing three classes means that you’re automatically dropped from the class.  Sleeping through an alarm to get up for an early morning class can be a recipe for failure.

How will accommodations help?

Classroom accommodations can help in a multitude of ways, some you may not have even thought of.  And the best part?  College accommodations are invisible.  They are between you and your professor, and you will never be identified to your peers as a student who is receiving accommodations.  Some of the most common helpful accommodations include:

·       Extra time on exams (this needs to be scheduled with your professor and usually with a testing center where you will take your exam)

·       Priority registration.  This can ensure that you get into the class sections that work best for you.  Whether you are more focused and productive in the morning or afternoon, or if you need a schedule where you don’t have multiple classes back-to-back, early registration can help ensure your need in this area is met.  This is also a great reason to seek accommodations prior to the first day of classes!

·       Copies of notes, Power Point presentations, or permission to record lectures.  Do you have difficulty taking notes and paying attention to the lecture at the same time?  Or difficulty keeping up with the pace of notetaking?  Or maybe you’re not always sure you are writing down the things that are most important?  This accommodation could make the difference between passing or failing.

Okay, sign me up!

Glad you mentioned it, because that part is up to you!  This is something that your parents cannot do for you.  As a college student, you will need to reach out to the Disability Support office at your college and start the process of applying for accommodations.  (Some colleges call it Student Success Offices, or Disability Services, among other names).  You can find it on your college’s website, along with the information they will require.  And you need to go through this process each semester.

To learn more, be sure to tune into our August Facebook Discussion with Dr. Andrea Malkin Brenner on August 3rd at noon.  You can also watch the video discussion any time after August 3rd or listen to it on our podcast.