[Ncabs] question about NC grad schools

Tue Oct 29 02:01:05 UTC 2013

Great, what do you want to study? In grad school, the program is so
much more indicative then the school itself.

Cindy

On 10/28/13, Shickeytha Chandler <shickeytha at gmail.com> wrote:
> Wow, thanks Cindy. This is helpful and definitely the type of
> information I am seeking about these schools. And you are lucky living
> in Seattle! I would love to live in a place with great transportation
> like Portland or Seattle. I was in a Baltimore suburb for a couple of
> years, but was not close enough to DC to benefit from the Metro, so
> transportation options were relatively limited. And we will not even
> speak about what transportation is like in rural western NC. (smile)
>
> Alan, I will also be interested to hear of your experiences at these
> universities.
>
> I am definitely feeling just a tad nervous about grad school, but I
> know it can be done. My current challenge is preparing for and taking
> the GRE, which will be the first seven-hour exam I have ever done.
> (That is with the extended time accommodation, of course.)
>
> Thanks again, and I look forward to further discussions with members
> of this list.
>
> Shickeytha
>
> On 10/28/13, Cindy Bennett <clb5590 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi Shickeytha,
>>
>> I grew up in Asheville, graduated from UNC Wilmington and now live on
>> the west coast in Seattle.
>>
>> I personally had a great experience at UNCW! The disabilities office
>> was great although I feel that I did not need a lot of accommodations,
>> so my experiences with them were pretty minimal. They scanned my books
>> and provided a reader for math-related classes which was super nice.
>> They even allowed me to choose my reader and bring them in to fill out
>> paperwork so they could get paid. I had a few old-timey professors who
>> insisted that I take tests in the disabilities office. I prefer to
>> take my tests with the students so I can ask questions of the
>> professor if I need to, but I picked my battles and did not argue too
>> much, because in these particular classes, the tests were rather
>> straight-forward. I did take tests separately for math-related classes
>> when I needed to use my reader. However, if that is an accommodation,
>> the office will work with you. Overwhelmingly however, my professors
>> were willing to work with me directly and we did not typically need to
>> involve the disabilities office.
>>
>> When you sign up, you will see a list of accommodations. I would just
>> check all of them even if you do not plan to use one. For example, I
>> didn't think I would need a reader, but the process of getting one was
>> so much more seamless because I had checked it off from the beginning.
>>
>> I will say all of this with the disclaimer that I have not been to
>> UNCW since 2011 so staff may have changed, but I hope that they still
>> exhibit the positive and not overbearing qualities that I enjoyed as a
>> student.
>>
>> The campus itself is beautiful and walkable. However, the bus system
>> really sucks. I did not have a lot of independent travel experiences
>> when I went to UNCW and was ok with getting rides and such. But now
>> that I have had blindness training, I wouldn't give up the big city if
>> someone paid me. So if public transit is super important to you,
>> especially if you will have a lot of practica, you might want to think
>> twice about UNCW.
>>
>> There is a DSB office in the area, and you can get some O&M on campus
>> before if you would like. However, you probably know from your
>> undergrad experience that you will ultimately just have to get out
>> there and explore, because O&M can't teach you everything. I do not
>> think the campus is overly confusing by any means. From my experience,
>> everything was accessible. When I moved into my freshman dorm and
>> asked for braille signs, they installed them immediately. So if there
>> is a need like that that arises, the university seems to consider
>> improvements.
>>
>> Grad students can live on campus, but as of last time I checked, there
>> is no dedicated grad housing. there are apartment complexes in walking
>> distance from the university. Unfortunately, many of the streets with
>> shopping centers near UNCW are not very walkable.
>>
>> I am not familiar with being a grad student as I am applying to grad
>> school myself, but I know that the grad programs tend to be well
>> acclaimed, not quite as hard to get into as some other universities,
>> and that the community of professors and students is still small and
>> intimate.
>>
>> I am most familiar with the psychology department and have maintained
>> contacts. If you are pursuing one of the masters programs in
>> psychology, then feel free to email me offlist with your interests,
>> and I will be happy to introduce you to faculty that I know if they
>> fit with your interests. They just got a great new building, and when
>> I was an undergrad research assistant, I worked on a cohesive team
>> that respected my strengths; blindness was never a big deal.
>>
>> And best of all, it is near the beach!
>>
>> HTH!
>>
>> Cindy
>>
>> On 10/28/13, D Minter <cmin79 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I would love to hear these responses also.
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>>> On Oct 28, 2013, at 11:31 AM, Shickeytha Chandler
>>>> <shickeytha at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hello all,
>>>>
>>>> I live in the western part of the state and received my undergraduate
>>>> degree several years ago. I am now looking at a few graduate programs
>>>> and would like to see if any of you can give feedback about any of the
>>>> following schools: UNC Wilmington, NC State University, and UNC
>>>> Greensboro. I know that having a strong Disability Services office and
>>>> a campus culture that is open to people who are blind can make life so
>>>> much more pleasant when one is trying to focus on studies and does not
>>>> need distractions such as worrying about getting appropriate
>>>> accommodations, etc. And I am sure that will be even more important at
>>>> the graduate level. So do any of you have any experience at any of
>>>> these schools? Also, I would be open to any insight any of you have
>>>> about being a blind grad student in general. Thanks in advance!
>>>>
>>>> Shickeytha
>>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Cindy Bennett
>> Secretary: National Association of Blind Students
>>
>> B.A. Psychology, UNC Wilmington
>> clb5590 at gmail.com
>>
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-- 
Cindy Bennett
Secretary: National Association of Blind Students

B.A. Psychology, UNC Wilmington
clb5590 at gmail.com