Depending on where you go to school, your final exams are either approaching, in full swing (like mine), or will have just ended by the time you are reading this. I'm sure most people can relate when I say that I am bordering on completely despising exams. However, rather than focusing on the horror that is preparing for exams, I want to focus on taking exams with a disability. When I say "disability," I'm not referring to any condition in particular. I'm speaking across the board. But I'll relay a recent experience of mine.

I have epilepsy, and, though it is generally controlled, I am still occasionally presented with problems. Because of this, my school offers certain accommodations on exams. My school’s specialized services handles this process. It’s different for each student, and taking advantage of the accommodations is generally recommended because it levels the playing field, so to speak, if you have a disability that affects your test taking ability.

On my most recent exam, some of my medicine's side effects kicked in, which wasn’t exceptional in any sense. Marketing research is annoying enough when I'm working at full capacity. Essentially, I spent a portion of the test looking like a wannabe pirate as I covered one of my eyes so my double vision wouldn’t get in the way of my test taking. It did work to an extent, but I prefer to use both of my eyes.

I happen to be a stubborn fool, and I chose not to receive aid from specialized services this time around and was taking the test with most of the class. If I had actually made the decision to accept the help offered, as I had occasionally done in the past, the detriment which slowed me down wouldn’t have mattered as much because I would have had extended time. Things luckily turned out fine. Technically, I haven’t received a grade, so I can’t actually say that with certainty, but I’m choosing to be optimistic.

The overall message is that when you are offered accommodations because of a disability, you deserve to give yourself every advantage you can. You can request to receive accommodations both in classes and during exams. What you are given varies widely from white noise machines, extended test time on tests, forms of adaptive technology, and recording devices, among other things. Trying to prove some type of needless independence like I did isn’t worth hurting your grades or making classes harder for yourself. Obviously, my experiences don't always match the experiences of others, but I hope people recognize they should take what they deserve, whatever that may be.