School is not just for learning things in textbooks. Students also learn from having experiences outside the classroom, such as being involved with extracurricular activities.
I cannot stress enough how important extracurricular activities are for students with learning disabilities. Extracurricular activities give opportunities for students to shine who are not strong in academic subjects.
As a student with a learning disability, being apart of extracurricular activities has actually helped me have a positive outlook on attending my academic classes each day. In addition, extracurricular activities gives me the motivation to work hard in my academic classes. Some of my activities that I am apart of in school require that their members have at least have a 2.5-3.0 GPA each semester.
Currently, the extracurricular activities that I am involved with at my school Michigan State University, are MSU Hillel (the Jewish student center on campus), Sigma Alpha Iota (a women's music fraternity), and a peer mentor for the Resource Center For Person's With Disabilities. From each one of these groups I have been fortunate to gain a lot of leaderships skills, create wonderful friendships, and learn life skills that hard to teach in a classroom.
Below I have posted an article about the importance of extracurricular activities. I encourage everyone to read it. In addition, I encourage parents and teachers who have or work with students with disabilities to assist them in finding an extracurricular that may be of interest. It will make school a lot more enjoyable for the student.
Extracurricular Participation
Good luck on finals and have a great winter break!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
Getting The Most From Academic Advising
One thing I have learned being in school for awhile now is the importance of getting to know your academic adviser. Since school can be difficult for me at times, it is nice to have an adviser to sit down and talk to about planning to take classes early that may be challenging. In addition, I also like to meet with my adviser to make sure that I am taking the right classes for my major and make sure that I am on track to graduate.
Below I have listed some tips about preparing for advising and getting to know your academic adviser.
Cheryl's Tips on Getting the Most of Academic Advising
1. Meet with your adviser before "the big rush" Plan Ahead- You should make an appointment with your adviser at least three times a year in the beginning of the year, in the middle of the year, and at the end of the year
2. Come prepared with questions/concerns you want to discuss- it makes the meeting be much more effective and productive for both you and your adviser
3. Bring in your program materials from your department/major such as list of course requirements . This will help you and your adviser plan out courses for the upcoming year
4. Make sure you get your advisers contact info such as email or telephone number so you can contact if there is a problem, if you need an override for a class, or if you have any questions that pop up throughout the school year
5. Don't be afraid to SPEAK UP!!! For instance, if you are not comfortable with taking 5 classes in one semester or having to take 17 credits in one semester let your adviser know. Only you know what's best for you as a learner
6. Be open to the suggestions that your academic adviser makes to you. Don't push them away until you try them!
7. Know the location of where to meet your adviser for your appointment. They may have multiple offices
8. Arrive early to your appointment! Better to be early than late!!!!
Good luck to everyone who is finishing up the first semester of the school year!
Below I have listed some tips about preparing for advising and getting to know your academic adviser.
Cheryl's Tips on Getting the Most of Academic Advising
1. Meet with your adviser before "the big rush" Plan Ahead- You should make an appointment with your adviser at least three times a year in the beginning of the year, in the middle of the year, and at the end of the year
2. Come prepared with questions/concerns you want to discuss- it makes the meeting be much more effective and productive for both you and your adviser
3. Bring in your program materials from your department/major such as list of course requirements . This will help you and your adviser plan out courses for the upcoming year
4. Make sure you get your advisers contact info such as email or telephone number so you can contact if there is a problem, if you need an override for a class, or if you have any questions that pop up throughout the school year
5. Don't be afraid to SPEAK UP!!! For instance, if you are not comfortable with taking 5 classes in one semester or having to take 17 credits in one semester let your adviser know. Only you know what's best for you as a learner
6. Be open to the suggestions that your academic adviser makes to you. Don't push them away until you try them!
7. Know the location of where to meet your adviser for your appointment. They may have multiple offices
8. Arrive early to your appointment! Better to be early than late!!!!
Good luck to everyone who is finishing up the first semester of the school year!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
There's No Place Like That Special Study Spot, There's No Place Like That Special Study Spot....
One of the toughest things I feel that student who has an Learning Disability has to go through is really getting to know yourself and finding the best study environment that is right for you. In order to find this study spot, you may have to explore around your learning environment such as your school, where you live, or college campus. Below I have listed some of my favorite study spots that I frequently go when I want to get away from distractions in my environment.
Cheryl's Favorite Study Spots
1. The Library- If you are looking for a place that is completely quiet, the library is the best place on campus to guarantee that any of your work gets done! The library at MSU has a lot of comfy couches, chairs, multiple printers and computers to get all of your work done. In addition, if you need to work on your lap top, the library has a lot of outlets to plug in your computer (free Wi-Fi included). The nice thing I love about our library is that it is generally open 24hrs. During finals week, it is open 24hrs beginning the Sunday before finals and up until the end of finals on Friday.
2. MSU Union Women's Lounge (Sorry Boys!!!!) This is a great lounge located in the MSU union and is for women only. The nice thing about this lounge is that it is the only spot in the union that is a designated quiet area. So you are guaranteed to get a lot of work done here and if you are hungry you can grab some food from the union food court and bring it back to the Women's lounge. Free Wi-fi is included!
3. The Gilchrist Lounge in the West Circle area- I use this lounge quite often when I am not in the mood to escape from my dorm complex. This is one of the few designated quiet areas in my dorm. They have nice chairs and comfy couches so you can be a bit relaxed while doing your work. In addition, there is free wi-fi available!
4. Starbucks on Grand River- I like to come here if I want a little bit of noise while doing my work. I usually grab a nice cup of coffee and sit back in the back of the Starbucks and start doing my work. When do decide to take a study break while at this Starbucks it is fun to people watch !!!! Free Wi-Fi is included here!
Finding that special study spot takes a lot of time and effort. It took me at least a year to find these study spots at MSU. My advice to all students is to explore and be patient; that special study place will come in time.
Good Luck To All Students On Their Finals!
Cheryl's Favorite Study Spots
1. The Library- If you are looking for a place that is completely quiet, the library is the best place on campus to guarantee that any of your work gets done! The library at MSU has a lot of comfy couches, chairs, multiple printers and computers to get all of your work done. In addition, if you need to work on your lap top, the library has a lot of outlets to plug in your computer (free Wi-Fi included). The nice thing I love about our library is that it is generally open 24hrs. During finals week, it is open 24hrs beginning the Sunday before finals and up until the end of finals on Friday.
2. MSU Union Women's Lounge (Sorry Boys!!!!) This is a great lounge located in the MSU union and is for women only. The nice thing about this lounge is that it is the only spot in the union that is a designated quiet area. So you are guaranteed to get a lot of work done here and if you are hungry you can grab some food from the union food court and bring it back to the Women's lounge. Free Wi-fi is included!
3. The Gilchrist Lounge in the West Circle area- I use this lounge quite often when I am not in the mood to escape from my dorm complex. This is one of the few designated quiet areas in my dorm. They have nice chairs and comfy couches so you can be a bit relaxed while doing your work. In addition, there is free wi-fi available!
4. Starbucks on Grand River- I like to come here if I want a little bit of noise while doing my work. I usually grab a nice cup of coffee and sit back in the back of the Starbucks and start doing my work. When do decide to take a study break while at this Starbucks it is fun to people watch !!!! Free Wi-Fi is included here!
Finding that special study spot takes a lot of time and effort. It took me at least a year to find these study spots at MSU. My advice to all students is to explore and be patient; that special study place will come in time.
Good Luck To All Students On Their Finals!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
When All Else Fails.... Know Your Resources
So, you are sitting in class and the professor has just taught you new material. However, near the end of class you still feel completely confused with the material that was just taught to you so you decide to go to the professors office hours that are held right after class. After visiting your professor office hours you still don't feel like you don't have good grasp on the material. Now, you are stressed out. What are you going to do next?
This is the point in time when knowing other resources to use in your school or outside of school can be very helpful. At Michigan State University the college at which I attend I am very fortunate for the amount of resources we have. As a student with LD I prefer material and concepts to be explained to me a few times and multiple approaches so that I can make sure that I actually understand the information and not just memorizing. In addition, I feel that resources are very useful to me when my professor of a class has a hard time trying to teach me a specific concept that he expects me to learn.
Below I have listed some of the resources that I use at my school, Michigan State University. For any student with an LD , I encourage you to do some research and find resources that can be available to you in your school so that you can go to this place or places to get extra support in academic subjects that are challenging for you.
Cheryl's Brief List of Resources She Uses At MSU:
1. MLC - Math Learning Center: Open Monday-Friday (Hours change frequently and vary day to day) and Sundays. This is a great place to go if Math is a difficult subject for you like it is for me. Here, you can get help from undergraduates and graduate students who are either math majors or have taken at least calcus and 4.0 most of the basic math classes at MSU. In addition, I have occasionally gotten help from some of my professors in the MLC who hold their office hours in the MLC.
2. The Writing Center- Open Monday- Friday and Sundays. The writing center is by far my favorite resource on campus. All of the consultants are very friendly and they can help you with pretty much any written assignment out there. Many times the writing center has helped me edit resumes, critical response papers, persuasive papers, research papers, powerpoint presentations, and even just to brainstorm what to write for a specific paper. Most of the consultants in her are undergraduates and graduate students who have a lot of experience with writing or are writing majors.
3. The LRC- Open Monday-Friday. Learning Resource Center is the place to go on campus if you would like one-on-on tutoring in an academic subject. The have a total of about four specialists that can help you in Math, English, or Science. The nice thing is that this tutoring is free and you get to make an hour appointment each week.
Best of luck in your future academic studies !
This is the point in time when knowing other resources to use in your school or outside of school can be very helpful. At Michigan State University the college at which I attend I am very fortunate for the amount of resources we have. As a student with LD I prefer material and concepts to be explained to me a few times and multiple approaches so that I can make sure that I actually understand the information and not just memorizing. In addition, I feel that resources are very useful to me when my professor of a class has a hard time trying to teach me a specific concept that he expects me to learn.
Below I have listed some of the resources that I use at my school, Michigan State University. For any student with an LD , I encourage you to do some research and find resources that can be available to you in your school so that you can go to this place or places to get extra support in academic subjects that are challenging for you.
Cheryl's Brief List of Resources She Uses At MSU:
1. MLC - Math Learning Center: Open Monday-Friday (Hours change frequently and vary day to day) and Sundays. This is a great place to go if Math is a difficult subject for you like it is for me. Here, you can get help from undergraduates and graduate students who are either math majors or have taken at least calcus and 4.0 most of the basic math classes at MSU. In addition, I have occasionally gotten help from some of my professors in the MLC who hold their office hours in the MLC.
2. The Writing Center- Open Monday- Friday and Sundays. The writing center is by far my favorite resource on campus. All of the consultants are very friendly and they can help you with pretty much any written assignment out there. Many times the writing center has helped me edit resumes, critical response papers, persuasive papers, research papers, powerpoint presentations, and even just to brainstorm what to write for a specific paper. Most of the consultants in her are undergraduates and graduate students who have a lot of experience with writing or are writing majors.
3. The LRC- Open Monday-Friday. Learning Resource Center is the place to go on campus if you would like one-on-on tutoring in an academic subject. The have a total of about four specialists that can help you in Math, English, or Science. The nice thing is that this tutoring is free and you get to make an hour appointment each week.
Best of luck in your future academic studies !
Monday, December 5, 2011
Cheryl's Survival 101 Guide For Finals.... To Prepare For Glory
Oh..... It's that time of year again. Time to sharpen those number two pencils and be ready to fill in those scantron bubbles! Finals are almost here!
When you mention the word final to a college student this is probably on their list of what they cringe in fear at. This particularly occurs with students who have an LD and are extremely bad at test taking (Like myself).
A finals week approaches (and believe me, it is approaching!!!!) It is important to take the time (at least the week before) to prepare yourself for all of your exams. Below I have created a survival guide for finals that will prepare you for glory and ace those finals!!!!
Cheryl's Survival 101 Guide To Surviving Finals
1. Be Healthy! Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night. In addition, try to eat healthy as well. During your meals be sure to add some vegetables, fruit, protein, and whole grains. Your body will thank you !!!
2. Review class notes, lectures, and textbooks. Some professors tend to be very sneaky on exams and use the textbook to create exam questions, particularly on multiple choice tests.
3. If your TA/Professor is holding a final exam review session, GO TO IT!!!!! They will give you hints and tips of advice on how to study for their exam. Need I Say More? Just GO !!!!
4. Make sure during final exam day to bring extra pens, pencils, and erasers. I can't tell you how many times during an exam one of my pencils has broken and I wasn't allowed to get up and sharpen my pencil!!!
5. Exercise!!! Exercise helps the brain to function and help you be more alert while taking tests!!! Attend a group exercise class or do some strength or cardio workouts on your own.
6. Set an multiple alarms the night before your final exam so you will not be late for your exam!!!
7. Arrive early for an exam. Make sure you have enough time to get to the exam location and have enough time to get settled once at the exam location
8. Plan a schedule of when you will review for each class. Remember to also plan for study breaks!!!!!!
9. Make sure you know the exact location of where your final exam will be held. If you are even the slightest bit unsure contact your TA/Professor IMMEDIATELY!!!!
10. TIME MANAGEMENT IS KEY !!!! make sure in your schedule you have time to socialize with friends and also have room to study for those finals exams.
Stay Strong, Don't Give up, Have confidence in yourself. YOU WILL SURVIVE !!!!
AND NOW....
A little YouTube video to enjoy and be ready to start studying for finals.
Happy Studying!
When you mention the word final to a college student this is probably on their list of what they cringe in fear at. This particularly occurs with students who have an LD and are extremely bad at test taking (Like myself).
A finals week approaches (and believe me, it is approaching!!!!) It is important to take the time (at least the week before) to prepare yourself for all of your exams. Below I have created a survival guide for finals that will prepare you for glory and ace those finals!!!!
Cheryl's Survival 101 Guide To Surviving Finals
1. Be Healthy! Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night. In addition, try to eat healthy as well. During your meals be sure to add some vegetables, fruit, protein, and whole grains. Your body will thank you !!!
2. Review class notes, lectures, and textbooks. Some professors tend to be very sneaky on exams and use the textbook to create exam questions, particularly on multiple choice tests.
3. If your TA/Professor is holding a final exam review session, GO TO IT!!!!! They will give you hints and tips of advice on how to study for their exam. Need I Say More? Just GO !!!!
4. Make sure during final exam day to bring extra pens, pencils, and erasers. I can't tell you how many times during an exam one of my pencils has broken and I wasn't allowed to get up and sharpen my pencil!!!
5. Exercise!!! Exercise helps the brain to function and help you be more alert while taking tests!!! Attend a group exercise class or do some strength or cardio workouts on your own.
6. Set an multiple alarms the night before your final exam so you will not be late for your exam!!!
7. Arrive early for an exam. Make sure you have enough time to get to the exam location and have enough time to get settled once at the exam location
8. Plan a schedule of when you will review for each class. Remember to also plan for study breaks!!!!!!
9. Make sure you know the exact location of where your final exam will be held. If you are even the slightest bit unsure contact your TA/Professor IMMEDIATELY!!!!
10. TIME MANAGEMENT IS KEY !!!! make sure in your schedule you have time to socialize with friends and also have room to study for those finals exams.
Stay Strong, Don't Give up, Have confidence in yourself. YOU WILL SURVIVE !!!!
AND NOW....
A little YouTube video to enjoy and be ready to start studying for finals.
Happy Studying!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
"A Thesaurus Is a Girl's Best Friend ! "
When writing an essay for one of your classes do you ever find yourself using the same word multiple times throughout your paper?
I know I do !
For students who have a learning disability like myself, one of the biggest issues we face when writing a paper is syntax in the English language. Syntax is the study of the rules for the formation of a grammatical sentences in a given language. As a student, often when I am writing an essay for a class I have a tendency to struggle with the formation of putting words in order and using proper grammar to make complete sentences in the English language.
The best example I can give is that a lot of times in my essays you may see words or phrases that I have already used or other times I may switching from past to present tense in one paper.
In order to help prevent this situation I look to a thesaurus, which I have nicknamed a "girl's best friend".
I can't tell you enough how grateful I am that my mom introduced to a thesaurus as a young child. If she hadn't shown me this wonderful tool, let me tell you my papers would be bloody awful!!! From using a Thesaurus over the years, I can tell you that it has helped make my writing much more precise and descriptive.
Below I have posted the link to my favorite online Thesaurus. It is free and I encourage any student with an LD who struggles with writing to use this tool. In addition, I also would recommend any teachers or parents use the Thesaurus with any child they know who has an LD and struggles in the area of writing.
Cheryl's Favorite Thesaurus Website (It really is a "Girl's Best Friend ! ")
Stay Strong and Keep On Writing !
I know I do !
For students who have a learning disability like myself, one of the biggest issues we face when writing a paper is syntax in the English language. Syntax is the study of the rules for the formation of a grammatical sentences in a given language. As a student, often when I am writing an essay for a class I have a tendency to struggle with the formation of putting words in order and using proper grammar to make complete sentences in the English language.
The best example I can give is that a lot of times in my essays you may see words or phrases that I have already used or other times I may switching from past to present tense in one paper.
In order to help prevent this situation I look to a thesaurus, which I have nicknamed a "girl's best friend".
I can't tell you enough how grateful I am that my mom introduced to a thesaurus as a young child. If she hadn't shown me this wonderful tool, let me tell you my papers would be bloody awful!!! From using a Thesaurus over the years, I can tell you that it has helped make my writing much more precise and descriptive.
Below I have posted the link to my favorite online Thesaurus. It is free and I encourage any student with an LD who struggles with writing to use this tool. In addition, I also would recommend any teachers or parents use the Thesaurus with any child they know who has an LD and struggles in the area of writing.
Cheryl's Favorite Thesaurus Website (It really is a "Girl's Best Friend ! ")
Stay Strong and Keep On Writing !
Friday, December 2, 2011
Want To Read Great?.... Annotate!!!!
When Assigned to Read a Book for Class Do You.....
Struggle to find the main idea in the story?
Have trouble identifying vocabulary?
Often have trouble organizing the important information from the details of a text?
Have trouble identifying the genre or main themes of the novel
Struggle to write an essay on that specific text for class?
Struggle with connecting passages of the text to your real life?
If you answered yes to any of the following questions above then annotating maybe an excellent tool for you to use when reading any piece of literature.
Growing up with a learning disability I always struggled with reading comprehension particularly finding the main idea of a story and also writing papers on particular texts. If it wasn't for my 8th grade teacher who introduced me to annotating I probably would still struggle with reading comprehension today.
Everyone has different ways that they like to annotate. Over the years I have come up with my own process which I have listed below.
Cheryl's Annotating Guide
Materials: Post-it notes (small square kind, 3-4 different colors maximum), a highlighter, a pen or pencil
1. Annotate (write) characters, setting, plot, throughout the text - first post-it color
2. Annotate (write) themes that the author uses throughout the text- second color post-it
3. Annotate (write) passages that seem to connect to your life- third color post-it
4. annotate (write) questions that come to mind while reading the story/ also annotate (write) new vocabulary that you are unfamiliar with - fourth post-it color
* in total you should have four different colors of post-it notes throughout your text that you are reading. The highlighter is optional, but remember you need to write down information on the post-it and then bookmark that page of the text.
After reading my annotating method above, I'm sure you think this is probably time consuming, but if you follow all of these steps annotating is really useful. This will make you a better critical reader and responder to any piece of literature.
So, feel free if you are a person that struggles with reading like myself to try this approach out. In addition, below I have also added a few articles that I found online about annotating.
CollegeBoard: Annotating Vs. Note-Taking
Colorado State article about annotating
Buck's County Community College Guide To Annotating
Happy Reading!
Struggle to find the main idea in the story?
Have trouble identifying vocabulary?
Often have trouble organizing the important information from the details of a text?
Have trouble identifying the genre or main themes of the novel
Struggle to write an essay on that specific text for class?
Struggle with connecting passages of the text to your real life?
If you answered yes to any of the following questions above then annotating maybe an excellent tool for you to use when reading any piece of literature.
Growing up with a learning disability I always struggled with reading comprehension particularly finding the main idea of a story and also writing papers on particular texts. If it wasn't for my 8th grade teacher who introduced me to annotating I probably would still struggle with reading comprehension today.
Everyone has different ways that they like to annotate. Over the years I have come up with my own process which I have listed below.
Cheryl's Annotating Guide
Materials: Post-it notes (small square kind, 3-4 different colors maximum), a highlighter, a pen or pencil
1. Annotate (write) characters, setting, plot, throughout the text - first post-it color
2. Annotate (write) themes that the author uses throughout the text- second color post-it
3. Annotate (write) passages that seem to connect to your life- third color post-it
4. annotate (write) questions that come to mind while reading the story/ also annotate (write) new vocabulary that you are unfamiliar with - fourth post-it color
* in total you should have four different colors of post-it notes throughout your text that you are reading. The highlighter is optional, but remember you need to write down information on the post-it and then bookmark that page of the text.
After reading my annotating method above, I'm sure you think this is probably time consuming, but if you follow all of these steps annotating is really useful. This will make you a better critical reader and responder to any piece of literature.
So, feel free if you are a person that struggles with reading like myself to try this approach out. In addition, below I have also added a few articles that I found online about annotating.
CollegeBoard: Annotating Vs. Note-Taking
Colorado State article about annotating
Buck's County Community College Guide To Annotating
Happy Reading!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Ommm.... Yoga's Magical Healing Powers
This week I wanted to do a post on one of my favorite types of exercise, yoga. Yoga is a mind-body exercise that brings the physical and mental disciplines together so your body can be stable and calm. There are many styles, forms, and intensities to yoga.
For about four years I have been practicing yoga. As a student with a learning disability, Yoga is an exercise that has been very beneficial to me when I need to let out my frustration that I have from a class, homework, or a teacher. In addition, I often use Yoga as a nice 30 minute study break so that I can regain my focus and attention.
One of my favorite styles of Yoga is called Kundalini which focuses more on breathing exercises then actually poses. One of my favorite breathing exercises in Kundalini Yoga is the breath of fire. If I am having a very rough day in a class, this exercise really helps relieve the stress.
Below is a demo of breath of fire I found on Youtube. (Note this video may seem strange, but this technique really helps get rid of all the stress that's in your body!)
Below I have listed some articles about the specific styles of yoga and research that is being done with yoga and learning disabilities. Feel free to take and look and maybe go to your local gym and try taking a Yoga class! You may like it!
Yoga Style Guide
Yoga Article from Mayo Clinic Website
Learning Disabilities and Yoga Article
Yoga and Learning Disabilities (Article 2) -This gives you a yoga routine to practice
Namaste!
For about four years I have been practicing yoga. As a student with a learning disability, Yoga is an exercise that has been very beneficial to me when I need to let out my frustration that I have from a class, homework, or a teacher. In addition, I often use Yoga as a nice 30 minute study break so that I can regain my focus and attention.
One of my favorite styles of Yoga is called Kundalini which focuses more on breathing exercises then actually poses. One of my favorite breathing exercises in Kundalini Yoga is the breath of fire. If I am having a very rough day in a class, this exercise really helps relieve the stress.
Below is a demo of breath of fire I found on Youtube. (Note this video may seem strange, but this technique really helps get rid of all the stress that's in your body!)
Below I have listed some articles about the specific styles of yoga and research that is being done with yoga and learning disabilities. Feel free to take and look and maybe go to your local gym and try taking a Yoga class! You may like it!
Yoga Style Guide
Yoga Article from Mayo Clinic Website
Learning Disabilities and Yoga Article
Yoga and Learning Disabilities (Article 2) -This gives you a yoga routine to practice
Namaste!
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