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Dear Prickles, I have Lupus and am hoping to start University in September, but I am worried about how I will cope. Do you have any tips? - Claire, Sheffield
How the University Can Help All universities in England (and most in other countries) have a Disability Services department. Drop by as early as possible and introduce yourself. Explain which symptoms limit you and in what way. The Disability Services may ask for a letter from your doctor for their records. In some cases they will be able to help you right away, but usually an external assessor will be called in from the Local Education Authority. The L.E.A. assessor will ask you about your symptoms and how they affect you and then came up with a few strategies to help you cope. This may include a list of requirements that the university are obliged to help with. Some examples of such requirements are that the university must let you type your exams on a computer if you have hand or wrist pain, which is aggravated by writing. Some students are granted extra time and/or "rest breaks". A “rest break” means that the student can ask the invigilator to stop the clock for an agreed amount of time. This is often recommended for students with back problems who need to get up and stretch or lie on the floor for a bit. Obviously the students with these problems do the exam in a separate room to the main exam hall, so as not to distract the other students during the exam! The L.E.A. assessor can also request that lecturers give you copies of the lecture notes if they are not available online. For some patients with chronic illness it can be difficult when a certain attendance level is required to pass a module. In these cases the L.E.A. assessor can request that your lecturers base your assessments fully on your homework assignments, essay or exam and do not take your attendance mark into account. You may also be granted extensions on essay deadlines if necessary. In some cases the assessor will arrange for you to receive items that will help you to cope with your symptoms at university, such as a dictaphone to record the lectures, voice activated typing software for your computer, a special mouse or pen to relieve hand pain, etc... the list of possibilities is endless. You may well find that the assessor has ideas that have never occurred to you before. Their job is to find ways to make sure that you are not disadvantaged because of your disability and they should know a lot of methods of ensuring that this is the case. Things You Can Do Speak to or email all of your new lecturers at the beginning of each semester and explain your limitations and any requirements you need from them, such as copies of the lecture notes. If you have a dictaphone to record lectures, explain why this is necessary (i.e. whether you have memory and concentration problems or a problem with your hand), so that they understand. Most lecturers will offer to keep the dictaphone right next to them throughout the lecture, so that their voice will not be drowned out by students rustling and fidgeting near you. If email is not an option and you have to talk to the people in person, then try not to get overwhelmed or emotional about your situation when speaking to your lecturers or study counsellor. Stay calm and have your requests written down to hand over at the end of the conversation to make it easier for them to remember what you need in order to function. Get organised! This is essential for anyone with a chronic illness. When you are buying folders for your various subjects, try to ensure that you have all of your Monday lectures in blue folders, Tuesday in orange, etc (obviously the colour doesn’t matter!) so that you can easily see at first glance which folders you need each day. It’s a small thing but it makes life a little bit easier and you don’t have to keep rummaging through your folders and checking your timetable. You could also colour coordinate your timetable and have a print-out on the wall, so that you can easily see which colour is required for each day. If you have a spreadsheet on the computer with your lecture timetable filled in, you can easily edit it to schedule in when you will do your homework and don’t forget to include some slots for rest and recovery! If you really want to be organised, you can even plan your meals and when you will do your food shopping, to ensure that you will remember to buy the ingredients you need. Microsoft Outlook has a perfect calendar which can even be synchronised with a handheld device such as a modern mobile phone or blackberry. It is an investment but surely paying off. When leaving the house for university, have a short mantra that you chant, to ensure that you have the essentials. For example, “phone, keys, wallet, drink”. You will soon get into the habit of checking these items off in the morning. If your memory is bad, you can stick the list up by the door. Another handy tip is to try to have most of the essentials on your keyring. For example, you can find pens, tiny pill boxes and tiny little books that attach to keyrings. Attach other items you might need, such as elastic bands, a couple of safety pins and some paperclips. You will be surprised at how useful those items will be! Click here for tips on how to improve your memory and concentration. If you will be living away from home at university, you may also benefit from the articles about housework and kitchen tips. Best wishes, Prickles! |
