[nabs-l] college! Aah! freaking out

Thu Aug 6 22:04:16 UTC 2015

Hi Kayla. Keep a lookout for a post from me later tonight about "top
five reasons why college is better than high school". In the meantime,
I hope you can find a speedy remedy for your chocolate situation.
Best, Arielle

On 8/6/15, Kayla James via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hey, people. Thanks for the advice. I talked to my Disability Service
> office and stuff already. The bookstore is supposedly ordering my
> ebook versions of the texts for this semester already. Oh, guys, and I
> forgot to mention (you know after my little meltdown episode, which
> btw: I found absolutely no chocolate:(), I'm going to my community
> college near my house, so yes, I will be commuting. Yes, people, I
> know, I know, community college? Really? But I applaud everyone who
> actually had the courage and the finances to head across state,
> because univeristy expenses are no joke. But anyway, I did not come
> here to offend anyone and sorry if I did, but I just wanted to say
> thank you for the advice. I haven't gotten to all of your kind notes,
> only a couple. Mary (hope I got that right), you are hilarious,
> unfortunately I had no sweet treat to calm my nerves.:) And to the
> person from ASU, you rock. All of you rock, actually, for taking the
> time and typing energy out to help me. So, thanks.:) Lol
>
> Kayla
>
>
>
> On 8/6/15, Bryan Duarte via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Kayla,
>>
>> I don't know how there is any truth left to mention after Mary's post but
>> here is another angle for you to consider.
>>
>> When you are nervous about starting something new, this is the fuel you
>> need
>> to let that fire burn inside you. We are all a little nervous or scared to
>> begin something new especially when we have already been told point blank
>> the odds are stacked against us before we ever step foot on job or campus.
>> I
>> will echo what Mary and others have already said because they said it so
>> much better than I could, and that is be nervous, be a little scared of
>> the
>> unknown,but also be confident in yourself. Here are a few tips for you
>> getting started.
>> • Contact your disability services advisor and schedule a meeting in
>> person
>> as soon as possible. In this meeting you need to lay out everything you
>> can
>> think of that you may need to be successful. Some examples of this are a
>> computer with a screen reader or zoom text software, talking calculator,
>> note taker, extended time for exams, assistance getting acclimated with
>> your
>> campus and classrooms, etc. If you do not ask chances are they will not
>> either then you end up struggling half way through the semester. In short
>> be
>> your best advocate.
>> • As Ashley mentioned use a calendar for everything!!!! Everyone who knows
>> me knows that my phone is always vibrating with appointments or classes.
>> When I get my semester schedule I put them all in my iPhone calendar right
>> away so I know where my obligations are first then I can schedule other
>> meetings or events around that. Some examples here are; advising meetings,
>> club meetings, school events i.e. football games, meeting for lunch with a
>> friend, or even when to study. It sounds funny but set alarms for every
>> one
>> of these because you will see how easy it is to miss something because
>> there
>> was no alarm to remind you.
>> • Meet your professors! I will say it again, meet your professors
>> personally
>> and almost annoyingly. Every semester before classes begin I email my
>> professors to let them know who I am and what I might need from them this
>> upcoming semester. If I know the class will be project based I ask them to
>> explain to me the requirements of the project so I can come up with my own
>> project which will meet the course competencies yet allow me to do it a
>> different way. Especially in Software Engineering where everyone wants to
>> develop video games or mobile applications it is very difficult to find a
>> class where the project is to do just that. If you meet your professors a
>> head of time and let them know who you are they will be much more
>> understanding when you come to them during their office hours to ask a
>> question before an exam or assignment.
>> • Finally I want to encourage you to always make time for studies. Again I
>> feel like I am repeating everything Mary and others said here but you will
>> have a great time in college. You will attend football games where the ASU
>> Sun Devils beat your team like 60 to 10 or something, meet friends, join
>> clubs, find a work study position, and I am not sure what Mary is talking
>> about sleepless nights, or parties I have never seen that at Arizona
>> State,
>> but I guess that does happen as well. If you make time for studies you
>> will
>> be fine I promise. Fun is 90 percent why we go there in the first place.
>> It
>> is the most expensive cover charge to a fun event you will ever pay and
>> continue to pay for 4 years or more!!!
>>
>> Here is a quote I love from Thomas Edison:
>> "I have not failed I only found 10,000 ways that wont work"
>>
>> You will never fail if you try, you will only fail if you do not try or if
>> you give up! Good luck Kayla and I want to see you on the stage during a
>> national convention receiving a national scholarship some day soon!!!
>>
>> Go Devils!
>>
>> Bryan Duarte
>> ASU Software Engineering
>> QwikEyes CEO
>>
>>> On Aug 5, 2015, at 10:23 PM, Mary Fernandez via nabs-l
>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Kayla!
>>> First, take a deep breath. And grab a bar or truffle of your preferred
>>> chocolate before continuing. If there is no chocolate, ice-cream will
>>> do in a pinch. If you are really running low on options, jam and
>>> toast?
>>> Anyway, everyone has a bit of a breakdown before heading to college. I
>>> did. I mean, you have to live on your own, you have to do your own
>>> laundry for crying out loud! You have to feed yourself. You have to
>>> get up and ready and show up to class, all on your own. You have three
>>> tests in the semester and that's what your grades are based on. OH
>>> yeah, and then there is the socializing, and finding your people. And
>>> have I mentioned the academics?
>>> So, yes, college is very different than high school. But think about
>>> it this way. I am not sure if you are going out of state, and moving
>>> into campus, or whether you are commuting. But college gives you an
>>> opportunity to expand your mind and way of thinking in a way that you
>>> have not yet experienced. Yes, there are those exams, but honestly,
>>> professors teach because they actually love teaching. And professors
>>> like few things more than having a student come to them with
>>> questions. They actually want you to succeed.
>>> Socializing is also a chance to build new and awesome relationships
>>> which will probably last for decades to come. Let's put it this way,
>>> in August countless 17 and 18 year old across the whole of America,
>>> are having this same freaking out moment. Everyone will be just as
>>> lost as you are when they get to campus. They won't know where any of
>>> the buildings are, and they’ll be scared to death about the unknown.
>>> But then two weeks will go by, and you find that your French class
>>> partner is kind of cool, and you have lunch together.
>>> I'm sure you have questions about accommodations, and materials, and
>>> books, and these are very legitimate and real concerns. Work closely
>>> with your professors and disability services office to make sure that
>>> you get the materials you need. You'll have to be a strong advocate
>>> for yourself. Also, be as prepared as possible. Go on Bookshare and
>>> see if some of the texts you'll be using are there. Use NLS, learning
>>> Ally, etc. Google articles when all else fails. Chances are, if it was
>>> in an academic journal you should be able to access it through your
>>> school’s library.  Be resourceful, and ask questions. Always ask
>>> questions! And don’t forget, you have all of us on this list serve when
>>> you have questions.
>>> Most people recall college with great fondness. It is a time when you
>>> start to really grow into the contributing member of society that you
>>> will be. It is a time of discovery, of intellectual stimulation, of
>>> making friends, of partying too much and regretting it the next day.
>>> And then, three years after you graduate, you’ll wonder how you were
>>> ever able to pull an all nighter, take an exam the next day, and
>>> manage to pass… All of that is to say, that you too will survive!
>>> Warmly,
>>> Mary Fernandez
>>>
>>>
>>> On 8/6/15, Kayla James via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>> I have just registered for courses in this fall semester. People, I am
>>>> freaking out!! Do you hear me? Freaking out! I am so nervous and so
>>>> scared that I am going to fail. Again, I repeat, I am FREAKING
>>>> OUT!!!!! Advice, encouragement, and chocolate are required (and not
>>>> exactly in that order). Freaking out!!!
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Mary Fernandez
>>> "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will
>>> forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them
>>> feel."
>>> —
>>> Maya Angelou
>>>
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>>
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>
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