[nabs-l] Some Questions About Attending College

[Bridget Walker]

Kari,
First I might get some heat from this but the PACmate although outdated is not vanished. I have one and just spoke to Freedom Scientific today. I will tell you I would get away from note takers all together. I mean PACmate, Braillenote, whatever. 
I use portable Braille displays with apple devices and a laptop. I have an iPhone and an iPad I use to read books. I am not a fan of the learning ally app ether but, I've learned you use what you get in college. 
If you can not find books on learning ally, book share, other sources I go right to the publisher for an electronic version. Just know they may ask you to buy the print book first. 
In class I usually depend on my laptop, iPad, and a focus display. If I use a note taker like the PACmate or apex I have an extra step. I have to save the file to something external prior to getting it to my professor. 
I love using a laptop or iPad in class because I can access blackboard or the portal in two seconds to turn in an assignment. 
I can not be the one to tell you what combination works best because I did not even bring up the option to record lectures. You wouldn't even be using a note taker. 
You also have the option depending on the school of asking for power points and other handouts in a digital or accessible format. I've even seen peer note takers who take notes for students and print them out for you to scan. I had thus for college algebra. 
If you have an idea of what might help you ask disability services chances are  it   
Is not unreasonable.
I hope this helps.
Feel free to contact me if you need any more help.
Best,
Bridget 

Sent from my iPad

> On Dec 20, 2013, at 6:29 PM, Kerri Kosten <kerrik2006 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi Everyone:
> 
> Well, after taking a few years off, I have decided to take the plunge.
> I have decided to go back to West Virginia University. I registered
> for three classes: Communications 122 which is Communication in
> Contemporary Society, English 111 which is Introduction To Creative
> writing, and a University Library course which is library research
> which is a class that is required for my major.
> I previously attended WVU from 2007-2009 but ended up dropping out
> because I didn't have any blindness skills and things just weren't
> working out.
> I have been debating for a long time now whether to go back to school,
> but I need to get back to a routine and since jobs are hard to find
> and I never finished my degree I figured going to school would be my
> best option currently. I figured going back to school would give me
> something to do five days a week, it would get me out of the house, I
> could learn things, and could work on finishing my degree. I haven't
> been on campus yet, but my mother and everyone says everything is
> right near each other and once I get to the student union I should
> have no problem walking to my classes. I could have lunch in the
> student union before class, then walk to my classes, then either go
> back to the student union or go home. Next to the student union there
> is even a Starbucks where coffee and such can be gotten. So, for all
> these reasons I figured school would be my best current option.
> Being that I have not been in school for a few years, I had some questions.
> First, how do you all handle the whole taking notes thing? I have a
> very very old Pacmate that I received back in 2007, and I guess I
> could dig it up and make it work but you all know the Pacmate is a
> very very old very outdated notetaker that is so old they don't even
> make it anymore!
> Do you all primarily use notetakers such as the Braille Note or
> Braille Sense for notetaking or is there a newer, better way?
> Do any of you do the whole notetaker as braille display with an Ipad?
> What is the advantage of this over just using the plain notetaker?
> How do I justify to Rehab (even if it's for next semester) to get me a
> new notetaker? Is there a better thing out now or are the notetakers
> still widely used even though they are overpriced?
> The one thing I do like about a notetaker is everything is right there
> and I can type and then check my notes on a braille display. If I am
> going to ask Rehab for something new, I definitely want some sort of
> braille display so I don't have to rely on my hearing to try to listen
> to the professor and simultaneously try to listen to Jaws or speech at
> the same time.
> How do you all get textbooks in accessible formats?
> I hate RFBD/Learning Ally. It puts me to sleep so I would do best with
> electronic copies of the books.
> What is the current way of going about getting books electronically?
> Finally, when I went to school before, I didn't really pay attention
> to things such as cost. After I registered today, I looked at my bill.
> For three classes, it is about $2,000. My mother is going to help me
> pay, but she also wants me to see if Rehab can help.
> How do I justify to rehab to help me pay for school? I'm having
> trouble because while I want to major in journalism, and I did well in
> my journalism and english classes when I attended WVU before, I have
> no idea whether I will be able to really realistically get a job after
> college. The amount of $2,000 really shocked me, and I guess now I am
> feeling extremely guilty because I'm doing this school thing because
> it seems my best option for turning my life around. However, I have no
> idea how to justify that type of money.
> When I asked Rehab to send me to training, that was a little different
> because I desperately needed training and really couldn't go further
> without it. Training was my only option at that time for bettering
> myself.
> I feel extremely guilty about the cost. Is it like training? Does
> Rehab have to help even if I don't necessarily get a job right away or
> even if I get a degree in journalism and get a job in something
> totally different/unrelated?
> Thanks, and if I have any other questions I'll ask!
> Kerri
> 
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