Yuku free message boards

Whoo-hoo! Congratulations, Amanda!!!!


From my experience (I spent a lot of years as a student at university, and then a spent a number of years working with university students), I've seen that students who move to a new university after freshman year AND those who live off-campus their first semester at a new undergrad school have to make an extra effort to make friends and integrate themselves into student life. Students who live in dorms for a semester or two have a sort of in-house way to meet people. (But, they also have to put up with people being noisy in the middle of the night, some of their neighbors smoking dope and drinking too much, and dealing with a roommate. So, particularly in your case, I DO NOT advise you to opt for the dorm experience - you need to conserve energy.)


At least you'll be starting school in the fall so there will be other transfer students like yourself trying to get settled in - (January admits have the worst time of this, since there are so few of them, and they're getting thrown into the river mid-stream). Hopefully, there will be an orientation week where you'll all be shown the ropes at school. That's a great time to introduce yourself to as many people as possible - you'd be amazed what a smile and a handshake can do. You might also see if you have time to join some sort of club - maybe there will be a creative writing club there? Or a Women's Center? That way, you'll meet people on a regular basis who share an interest with you.


Many universities in the US these days have an office/department that assists students with disabilities. Call them up before you get there, and show up on their doorstep the first week in meet the staff. They'll be able to help you understand what accomodations can be made for you, and how best to deal with anything that happens as a result of your illness flaring up.


The biggest mistake some students make is that they're afraid of their professors and teaching assistants. You seem like a go-getter, so maybe you won't be like this. Some professors/assistants warrant a little extra space, but most don't mind you asking them questions (respectfully) if you don't understand something, especially if you've given it the old "college try" first. I always used to appreciate it when I saw that my students were putting in some effort to grasping a concept.


I have never seen a good on-campus Student Medical Services. Ever. Serviceable, maybe; good, no. My advice is to avoid them if you can, and opt for a personal doctor in the area if your insurance will allow it.


Have any specific questions about stuff? I can field questions to the best of my ability. I won't be familiar with your particular university, but some things are pretty similar across the board.

Quote:

---

I think that is going to be the biggest problem for me is trying to find the balance of school, living on my own and trying to find some realm of a social life

---

But don't worry, Amanda - everybody has trouble with that one. This happens especially in the first year - it's a question of getting your bearings straight, figuring out how long it takes to do the homework, and getting a good study rhythm going. It may also be, in your case, a matter of seeing just how much classwork/credit hours it's reasonable to expect of yourself. You're absolutely right - you have to try! With the help of the disability office, you should be able to figure out a reasonable plan that will allow you time for a little of everything. It's important to set your priorities (schoolwork being first and foremost, but being sure not to neglect social stuff because in the arts you can learn a lot from your peers) and go for it, I think.


In terms of your question regarding 2-year colleges versus 4-year universities: I'm not very sure of the answer, since I never worked at a 2-year college. From what I've heard from people and read in the Chronicle of Higher Education (the journal for us academic geek-types), the workload is tougher and the level of instruction is aimed higher at universities, but exactly how high depends entirely on the school and what department you're in (two equivalent departments in two different schools can have very different standards for their students - in other words, some English departments are tougher than others). But you can trust that, if you've been accepted into a 4-year university, they feel pretty confident that you're up for the work, intellectually-speaking. I'm guessing that you can bet on more homework in the university classes, though, so gauge your time accordingly and don't overload yourself the first semester. (Remember, you can usually drop classes before a certain date in the semester and they won't go on your transcript, so if you get started and realize after a couple of weeks that you're in over your head, you can fill out some paperwork and formally "drop" the class before the deadline. Just work with the disability office first, to see how low on credits you can go and make sure it doesn't mess up your eligibility for financial aid.)


Amanda, it seems to me you're a dream student for a professor! You're somebody who really wants to be at university, has some direction in her life with a creative/intellectual passion, and really wants to learn. Not all students are like that. It's such a joy to teach someone who is! It sounds like, although this is going to be a big stretch for you, you have the perfect mindset for it and are doing all the right things to prepare for the experience. Keep me updated!! I look forward to hearing more as things progress!