College Survival Tip #1: Talking to Professors

It is always hard to disclose your medical condition / disability.  You never want to be seen as less than, or unable to do what is asked of you.  You do not want to disappoint or let down those who count on you.
There comes that time every semester where you have to talk to professors. This can be very scary.   While it may seem unnecessary at times, you never know what is going to happen in the future.  Is something going to go wrong in class?  Are you going to end up in the hospital?  The possibilities for this are sadly endless.
Before talking to your professors make sure to talk to disability services. Often times they are going to be your biggest advocates. They are also somebody you can turn to in a time of crisis or if professors are less than understanding. Helping students get accommodations is what they do, there is not much you can say to surprise them.  
Know that professors legally cannot ask you about you specific disability, however you are welcome to disclose as much or as little as you want.  You are even allowed to disclose different amounts to different professors. Your disability, your choice.
The two of us have to present forms that state our accommodations to be signed by our professors at the start of each semester.  With this, you always get one professor who wants to ask questions.  This gets uncomfortable fast, and you never seem to know what to say.  

Tremors:
What I always do is explain without giving an exact diagnosis.  I always say that I have muscle spasms and require treatment every few weeks.  I stress that I schedule my treatments so I will not miss class, but things can always go wrong.  If I was ever worried that I would miss a class due to my treatments, I would send an email reminding them where I would be.  

Nemo:

Informing professors is always really scary for me because I have so many accomodations. I want the professors to believe that I can handle everything, but that can be hard when I have to explain that I could be in the ER or hospitalized at any time. Sometimes it can be hard for me to remember that I am a good student and it is okay to have accommodations. Even though asking for accommodations can be hard it can be the difference between struggling and succeeding.  

5 Tips for Talking to Professors
  1. Be confident: professors are more likely to believe you if you seem to know what you are talking about
  2. Prepare Ahead of Time: Think of questions that you professors might ask you
  3. Know Your Rights: Professors need to work with a student that has a documented disability
  4. Know What you are Asking: Be sure that you are clear on what you would like the professors to know and what they can do to help you.
  5. Be Understanding: Especially if your condition is rare, teachers may not completely understand what you have. Be patient and work with them.

WE BELIEVE IN YOU!

-Nemo and Tremors

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