[nabs-l] Is It just Me: Academic Challenges

Mon Jul 18 21:58:16 UTC 2016

Oh that's a good point with the extended time. I never take extended
time except on the SAT and AP tests. Not on regular tests, not on
assignments ... But I'm a bit of an overachiever because I think that
if I can't do it in the same amount of time as the other students,
then I'm not a good student. Obviously, that isn't necessarily true,
but I have dreadfully high standards for myself. How you deal with
extended time is up to you. Some people like it, some people don't. I
don't, but I would never say that people shouldn't have it because
hey, some day I might need it. And other people have different
circumstances, work ethic, etc.

On 7/18/16, Ashley Bramlett via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Jameyanne,
>
> I agree. You said it nicely to summarize the challenges of research. I also
>
> found all that to be the case. I know some NFbers are against extended time,
>
> but   I find it necessary to do well. I use extended time on exams. For
> assignments, I sometimes get extentions particulary for research.
>
> For research, databases are a mixed bag. Yes, jstor is fairly usable but the
>
> pdfs are usually scanned images.
> I have had the same difficulty citing sources because I don't always know
> the page numbers since that does not scan well or if I use a reader, the
> reader forgets to announce pages.
> I also take extra time in the library finding print material such as books.
>
> Time management is a good thing to master. For me, I did my homework and
> reading late afternoon and evening. II t also depended on my reader's
> schedule. Typically, my readers were available at 3:30 or later. Often, I'd
>
> use a reader right before dinner or right after dinner at 7:30.
> Like some of you, I also threw my energy into academics and neglected
> sleep.
>
> Great discussion. I always took less credits than most students and took
> longer in college. I thought I was the only one though as many blind
> students here take 18 credits and double major.
>
> So, yes its challenging but you have to find what works for you.
>
> Ashley
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jameyanne Fuller via NABS-L
> Sent: Monday, July 18, 2016 4:33 PM
> To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'
> Cc: Jameyanne Fuller
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Is It just Me: Academic Challenges
>
> My answer is also yes and no. I find I can search within a textbook or
> article faster because I can use a search function to find exactly what I'm
> looking for. On the other hand, I've also found that I take in and remember
> information better if I read it in Braille than if I listen to it using
> JAWS or the speech on my BrailleNote. It's faster to listen, but I
> inevitably lose focus or fall asleep. Like Cricket, sleep is always like my
> last priority, which is a bad idea. On the other hand, I don't read Braille
> quite as fast as my sighted peers read print, so sometimes listening
> becomes the only option if I want to keep up. One solution I've come up
> with is to have something to do with my hands while I'm listening to an
> article or textbook. I make gimp lanyards, fiddle with a puzzle, draw with
> my tactile drawing board, knit, wander around cleaning up my room and
> folding laundry and such. It's not a perfect solution, but it helps.
> In terms of research, I think that definitely takes me more time,
> especially since I need assistance finding books in the library and then
> have to wait for the disabilities services office to scan them. Databases
> can be a mixed bag. I've found JSTOR to be pretty accessible.
> One problem I've had a lot is the lack of page numbers in scanned documents
> or even page numbers in strange places so I could never tell what was on
> which page and it was never consistent across the scanned documents from
> disabilities services. I usually figured it out for each book and made sure
> to make my professors aware of the problem so they wouldn't take points off
> if my intext citations cited the wrong page or so they would give me a
> phrase to find in the book rather than a page number when discussing things
> in class.
> Take all of this with a grain of salt, because I was last in school two
> years ago, and things might be different for me when I start up again this
> fall.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NABS-L [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Karl Martin
> Adam via NABS-L
> Sent: Monday, July 18, 2016 3:55 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Karl Martin Adam <kmaent1 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Is It just Me: Academic Challenges
>
> Well, the answer to this is yes and no.  I find that I read significantly
> faster than cited people because my text to speech set to the top speed is
> faster than they can read, and it's significantly easier for me to find
> things in the book because I can search while they have to flip through
> their paper copy.
> Doing research on the other hand is much more time consuming for me because
> of the difficulty of using databases and because of the inaccessibility of
> print books in the library that sighted students can use.  I also have
> usually needed a sighted person's help getting my papers correctly
> formatted so everything looks right on the page.
>
> HTH,
> Karl
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Christina Moore via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Date sent: Mon, 18 Jul 2016 15:21:59 -0400
> Subject: [nabs-l] Is It just Me: Academic Challenges
>
> Hello Everyone,
>
> I am wondering if it is just me or do other blind people have challenges
> academically that are due to their blindness.
> Does anyone else find it challenging to search for information in a
> textbook? Do you feel it takes longer for you to complete assignments
> because it takes you longer to read information that is given to you
> utilizing text-to-speech software? Does anyone else find it challenging to
> take online tests/exams in the allotted time?
> I know that is quite a few questions but I?셫 wondering if it is just me or
> if other people have these experiences.
> What do you do to manage your assignments, papers and research
> articles/information?
> Thanks for any and all responses.
> Christina
> P.S. If I am set to no mail will I receive the responses to this question
> since I posted it?
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