We are just as capable as you; however, if you think your nights are long and caffeinated, try again.
We understand that there may not be any accommodations at the college we chose to go to. However, at Centenary there are, and don't mock us for using them. We understand there won't be any accommodations in the real world, but for right now we need to work on getting to the real world and we will take any help we can get.
We take classes and assignments very seriously. We do not calculate our final grade based on what assignments we can not do and still pass. We do every assignment. We take in each professor's every word. Each syllabus is our life line to each class.
Yes. Learning disabilities are real and they are not “made up by doctors so they can make more money." I come from a family of doctors and my mother is a teacher. Learning disabilities are real.
Oh, you can’t focus? Try having ADHD and then talk to me about “not being able to focus." Sometimes I get so distracted by telling myself to focus on the lecture that I'm not focusing on the lecture.
Yes, I have dyslexia. No, it doesn’t mean I “cant read." I have trouble processing what is said and or written.
Learning disabilities are not a joke, and they don’t magically disappear when we get to college. Some may get worse, some may improve. We won't know what will happen.
Some hide their disabilities better than others.
There are different learning styles.
I have ADHD and am not ashamed of it.
If you think you have problems getting and staying organized, watch me get organized at the beginning of every week during the semester.
My notes are color coded. This helps me distinguish steps from examples, notes from text book reading reflections, and homework assignments from class work assignments.
My assignment pad is huge because I need room to write down everything or I will forget.
Yes, I have different color highlighters. No, you can’t borrow them. They each serve a different purpose in my notes.
No, you may not borrow my notes. I put too much effort into my notes just to let you copy and use them.
We are able to read and write. It takes us longer to process information.
Why am I so organized you ask? Because if I’m not, I will fail. It’s that simple.
Yes, I pay attention during the lecture. I don’t retain information easily so I pay attention the first time.
Yes, I read the chapters in the textbook when I go home after the lecture. This helps the information sink in better a second time.
Post it notes are my best friend. So many shapes and colors and labels it helps me get stuff done.
Crossing a task off my list is the best feeling in the world.
Do not tell me how hard these assignments are because they are twice as hard for me.
Do not tell me about how boring that lecture was because, although it was boring, I needed to pay attention to it to retain information.
Do not complain to me about stress because I am more stressed than you.
Do not complain that it took you four hours to write this essay. It took me two days.
I don’t want to hear about how you “bullshitted” this essay in an hour and you expect to get an A on it. I can’t even focus on one task for an hour.
Do not ask me why I have so many pens and highlighters in so many colors. I have to stay organized in order to succeed.
When I gain the courage to ask a question, do not look at me or laugh or whisper to the person next to you; because now I’m concerned you’re making fun of me.
I do not “cram” for tests. I take my time and study the material thoroughly.
Yes, I still make index cards to help me study. You should try it sometime.
All of our lives we have been told we may not make it to college, or we would go to county and end up dropping out because it would be too hard. Teachers never believed in us. We felt like a burden asking for extra help after school, and our parents played an active role in our education growing up. Now we are on our own with limited office hours, and a ton of reading and writing to be done. So, all we ask of you is to help us when we gather the courage to ask you for help and please don’t make us feel annoying or stupid.
