Everybody knows that once they graduate from high school, college is most likely going to be their next step. Unfortunately, that next step might be more difficult than you think, especially if you have a condition that keeps you from doing certain tasks that may seem easy for others. These eight helpful tips should be everything you need to get started with your college life, which may be challenging to deal with right at the beginning of your journey.
Tip #1: Get Started
Getting started is always the first thing you need to do in order to decide the college life that is right for you. You might want to begin this part of the process by asking yourself the following questions:
Which colleges should I apply to?
How do I know which classes to sign up for?
What kinds of services are necessary for me to be successful?
Not only is applying for a college that will accept you based on how well you did in high school important, but so is making sure you apply for the right classes and understanding what services you may need once you actually start getting enrolled.
An example of this might be trying to find out if the library is close by or if the classrooms have desks high and wide enough to accommodate your wheelchair.
Tip #2: Decide Your Future
You can always change your major later, but mostly everyone will decide on what they want to do after college right when they enroll. For example, if you wanted to be a writer you would choose journalism or communications as your major.
In other words, this means that right when you start enrolling in whatever college you choose to go to… it is important to think about what your future will hold after college.
Tip #3: Disclose Your Condition
People with disabilities are sometimes misunderstood by people who have no idea of what daily obstacles they may be going through.
One of the first things to do after enrolling would be to tell the right people about what your disability is and what challenges they may bring into your college life.
Most schools will provide certain services to you depending on your needs, but they will not do it unless you tell them about your condition.
Tip #4: Pick Your Classes
Picking the right classes is really important, especially when you are going to college for the first time.
Sometimes it is best to pick the classes that are the most basic or some of the ones that would be easiest for you at the start.
Failing classes in college is not fun and it is something you can avoid by getting yourself on the right track, so you can get used to going to college before diving right into the hard stuff.
A lot of thinking needs to be done before deciding what classes you are going to take.
Tip #5: Find Time to Study
Finding time to study is always important and you will want to work with a schedule that is best for you, depending on how many classes you are going to take.
Some classes may not involve so much studying, but it is always important to prepare for exams in some kind of way whether it’s skimming through PowerPoint slides or utilizing whatever material your professor provides you with.
And if you can’t decide how much study time needs to be put aside for a certain class, asking someone to help make you a schedule is usually a wise decision.
Tip #6: Take Notes
Taking notes might be hard for you depending on the extent of your disability, so an alternative to writing notes may be finding out if there is a person that the college can provide to take notes for you.
Another option would be to ask somebody you know in your class to take notes for you or ask your professor if he or she can email you the PowerPoint slides that are shown by them during lectures.
Taking notes will probably not be easy but asking somebody to help you with this if you are unable to do it on your own should be a priority.
Tip #7: Stay Organized
You can’t really tell anybody how to stay organized, because everybody has their own way of being organized.
But if you are not organized in college, you are going to have a lot of problems. Staying organized should include making sure you have the right materials for work that may need to be done in class such as notebooks, pencils, highlighters and other things like that.
It should also include making sure you keep track of due dates for your assignments and knowing when you need to turn things in.
Setting reminders on your phone is a great way to help you stay organized and it is easy to do.
And if you do not know how to set reminders, you can look it up online or ask a friend or family member that also has them on their phone to help you with it.
Staying organized is always important and should be your top priority.
Tip #8 Going Digital
The future is upon us, so it is only fair that we start embracing it.
Some people that have disabilities might have a hard time tackling whatever college throws at them every single day. This is why having a computer to help solve some of your problems for you is a great choice.
Taking notes would be a great example because most people with a disability would probably find it easier to type rather than write. Your computer can also keep you organized, so be sure to use any useful apps that could make your college life easier such as word processors, calendars and other helpful tools.
And the great thing about having a computer is that there will always be one that is perfect for your needs.
So, if you want something affordable, it is always easy to find the right laptop or tablet for you or if you need to find devices that are light if you have trouble carrying around heavy items, you can also do that.
Shopping for a computer is easy because you will always find whatever you are looking for based on whatever your criteria may be. You can also find apps on your smartphone to help with your college needs are and doing that can sometimes be really helpful
Any kind of technology that will make your college life easier is always worth taking advantage of.