Charles,
It sounds like it would be of benefit to you to investigate further whether you have an LD or maybe ADD. (I wasn't diagnosed until my third year of college, when I just could not compensate any more by taking more time -- I ran out of time.) I felt a lot better when I found out what was causing my difficulties.) Does your University have a learning disabilities services? If so, I'd contact them first. They may be able to talk to you about your specific difficulties, and tell you more about whether it might be an LD, and they can recommend someone who can do the testing. Testing involves doing an IQ test, and some other tests. If there is not an LD services, ask through the health system for a referral. There is no pill for LD, but there are some study strategies you can learn to help you retain information better, and you may be able to get accommodations that can help you -- for instance, extended time on exams, a reduced course load, and maybe a learning tutor or academic coach to help you learn and practice strategies that will help. If Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a problem, there are medications that can help. (LD and ADD/ADHD often occur together.)
If reading is a problem, there are some software packages that use OCR and voice synthesis (text to speech) to read electronic text aloud to you while it highlights the text being read on the monitor. They also have other study and writing tools. Most are expensive (around $1000) because they combine so many software tools, but there is one simple package that is a free shareware version you can download, with a range of features available for purchase. I've found the freeware a bit ackward to use, but you might want to try it to see if it helps. The downside is that it requires getting files into electronic text form, which proably means scanning a lot. You can get demos of all the following software packages to see if they help you. Look at the websites for:
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Kurzweil 3000 ($1100; you can request a 30 day demo CD for free) -- Has the big advantage of being able convert image files (such as .pdf files) electronically, without re-scanning the material. Settings are easy to work with.
WYNN (by Freedom Scientific; about $995) -- Versitile, many tools, easy to use, and very easy to adjust settings to your preferences. Can't yet read .pdf files, but (like Kurzweil) can scan two columns of text, or books, and rotate images. You can request a demo CD, or download it from the website (but it is a very big file)..
Cast -- I haven't tried this one yet. You can download a demo at their site.
ReadPlease, by Text Help, has the free version available by download, and various packages combining different levels of features for purchase.
Find out about testing. LD has nothing to do with intelligence, and is not a mental illness.
