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Scared of College

Submitted by an LD OnLine user on

I am currently enrolled in a community college, and so far am carrying a 3.75 GPA and doing very well. I am in the PACE program for Basic Math and I think I’ll escape with a B-. The college is very accomodating and I’m happy with it. But I’m scared to death of going to my four-year school! I’ve heard that waivers are available if you show documentation of a learning disability (which I have), but my friends at four-year colleges say the exact opposite: there are no accomodations and you have to survive on your own. I want to be a college government teacher and I know I am smart enough to get the Master’s degree I will need, but I’m afraid math will cripple me. Can someone clarify this issue for me? HELP!

Submitted by bgb on Fri, 03/05/2004 - 9:18 PM

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http://www.wrightslaw.com/flyers/college.504.pdf

This might be a helpful site to start.

It is my understanding that some schools are very flexible and others are horrible. This is per my younger son’s tutor who is very dyslixic herself. She just finished her Master’s in Education January.

Groves Academy (a private LD school here) hosts a college fair each year. I would think schools who exhibit would be pretty flexible. Here is a listing of the places which exhibited last year.
http://www.grovesacademy.org/grovesadmin/Library/schoolfiles/Exhibitor%20List%20and%20Contacts.pdf

Good luck.

Submitted by Beth from FL on Fri, 03/05/2004 - 10:18 PM

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Why don’t you finish your math requirements at the community college? I took science at a regional state school before transferring to a school that I thought wrongly would make me take science with premed majors. In any case, courses transfer and that would be one way to deal with the issue.

I teach college courses and the most common request for accomodations is extended time.

What sorts of accomodations are useful to you?

I had one LD student who just did terrible on my tests. But the class included written homework and a project. She did fine on those and got a respectable grade in the class. So some of it, it seems to me, is figuring out what type of grading/tests is better for you and searching for teachers who use it.

Beth

Submitted by bgb on Fri, 03/05/2004 - 10:50 PM

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Here’s another article from Wrights Law site. I don’t think it was linked to the first page I post.

http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/ltrs/ltr_accoms_universities_brown.html

Its a college professior’s take on accomindiations. One thing he suggests considering is subsututing…ie take a logic class in place of algbra.

I also really like Beth’s idea of trying to get them all out of the way before transfering.

Submitted by Sue on Sun, 03/07/2004 - 6:54 PM

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I, too, would try to get the math out of the way … even if you’re already going to the four-year, you may be able to do a dual enrollment.

Submitted by Joe Tag on Sun, 03/07/2004 - 10:33 PM

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Hi, young woman with NLD. Hello, Beth, Sue, Everyone :-)

This is Joe Tag. http://www.kean.edu/~cahss/indexb.html

Young Woman –-
I agree with Beth and Sue; the Math courses at the community college
will be more agreeable than at the 4 year college. Community Colleges
try to deal better with a “diverse student body”, than at other colleges.
More support will come directly from your classmates and the professor,
than the tutoring center ( in _MY_ experience at Union County College ) .
Ask students ( friends of friends, etcetera) about which courses at which
college to take classes. Sue is correct; for some Freshmen (100/1000
level) or Sophomore ( 200 / 2000 ) level classes; the community college
__OR__ the State college / small private college might be better.
Ask around, which is the best. VERY IMPORTANT!!! SEEK __OFFICIAL__
ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT from BOTH Colleges; find out which courses
transfer without additional course requirements. *** Get the business
cards of your advisors; and don’t hesitate to send some email to them.
Also, consider the benefit of taking classes this summer, or waiting for the Fall. At Kean University, we have finished mid-term exams; the Spring
Semester ends May 3. Photocopy your class transcript (courses taken sheet) and don’t lose them! I wish you the best.
Also: Have you considered majoring in Political Science?
Kean University has a option in teaching with Political Science.
( It is a university closer to New York than Philadelphia and use to be
Newark State Teachers College).

Best regards, ;-)

Joe Tag,Jr.

– end –

Submitted by Sue on Sun, 03/07/2004 - 11:46 PM

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You can even interview the teachers for the math class — one of my students did when he had to repeat a course. (This guy put in *lots* of time and effort.)

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 02/15/2005 - 3:34 AM

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I managed to get my BA and Med. in great schools without compleing math reqiurements, but substituted with science and research methods courses. Maybe your school would allow such an alternate strategy. Check with your advsor. I’m a middle aged person who was avle to negotiate this before testing/documenting/accomodating disabilities were common practice— so good luck!

The other option would be to try to take the most basic courses offered at the least competive institution your school would accept transfer credits from!

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 02/15/2005 - 4:44 AM

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I got my B.A. in political science at a state university many years ago, and met the math requirement by taking Logic in the Philosophy department.

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