Studying

Anything to do with studying at University or college, from classes and coursework to classmates and student life

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Gracemc96
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Studying

Post by Gracemc96 »

I am 23 year old dyspraxic recently began attending college , I’m currently experiencing difficulties maintaining concentration in class as I do two a levels, and the classes are two and a half hours at a time and we are required to do additional study outside of the class I just leave feeling overwhelmed and that I have not taken anything in. Inspite of only working 10 hours a week by the time I’ve finished each day I find myself feeling emotionally exhausted, by the end of the day comes, which has resulted in me unfortunately failing my assignments. If anyone has any suggestions I would be most grateful.
Tom fod
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Re: Studying

Post by Tom fod »

What A Levels are you studying?

Are your college lecturers aware of your condition and that you're having difficulty?

Appreciate that asking for help is v difficjult as it means admitting you're not understanding the content and that you feel fearful you may be asked to leave or something. (This is unlikely!)
Tom
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With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
Gracemc96
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Re: Studying

Post by Gracemc96 »

I’m doing law and sociology the issue that I’m having is the indervidual who is supporting me doesn’t have a great deal of knowledge in law. So I’m finding it difficult to ask as I’m concerned my work may be in correct.
Tom fod
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Re: Studying

Post by Tom fod »

Has the individual who you supports you been able to help you with skills such as how to find answers from online resources as well as in libraries. I'm not really that up on modern syllabus' as was 91-93 when I did A Levels. I didn't have the internet back then but can well imagine how you can be overwhelmed with info from a lot of sources very quickly.

Appreciate he/she isn't there to do work for you and likely may have little or know knowledge of Law or Sociology. I'm not really that expert on Law but believe a lot of it rests on precedent and providing evidence in support of/making a case for a particular argument? Not always easy for us as we're big picture thinkers but can also find ourselves going of course and getting lost in the detail. Do you make any use of mind maps to create outlines for essays, presentations etc?
Tom
Moderator/Administrator

With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
pixiewithdocs
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Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2016 10:55 am

Re: Studying

Post by pixiewithdocs »

Hey Grace,

I'm really sorry to hear that you're having a tough time, studying can be really overwhelming and there's a huge element of self-blame that is typical for us, making it even harder to cope or ask for help when things snowball out of hand.

Props to you for coming for advice and help.

Practical things that have really helped me include:
- 'Cornell' note-taking (https://bobbiprintables.blogspot.com/20 ... plate.html)
This helps you immediately review and also to highlight areas for further study, resources for assignments, and a place to summarise the notes to make review easy
- A good diary. I'm a passion-planner convert and I earn no commission for this plug ;)
- A good relationship with your personal tutor/form tutor. This is the person who needs to know most about your needs and requirements. Sod the class teacher first of all - your key person has to represent you. If you don't have a personal tutor find out who is responsible for SEN and SPLD supervision and get them to be your advocate. If you have got the official assessment make sure you've gone over it with the college with a fine tooth-comb to show them why you're amazing and what you need to be your most amazing.
- Plan yourself rest time, contingency time, and hard-no-I'm-not-going-out-time where you definitely do x amount of work in a set period.
- Take advantage of space at college to study if possible. Space is HUGE for many of us, the place we have to study and keep our stuff organised can be paramount so find wherever it is that works for you, whether it be home, library, college or cafe.
- BE KIND TO YOURSELF. Dyspraxia makes it harder to study. End of. You are dyspraxic and we have to find ways to make it work. End of. It is not you, it is something you have to work with.

Keep asking us, we want to help!

xxx
Aorta/tattoo the artery/with acute artistry
pixiewithdocs
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Re: Studying

Post by pixiewithdocs »

I just remembered another helpful thing that a diamond of a tutor suggested to me - specifically for essay subjects.

When you've got your research notes for essays (including all your referenced sources) print off your notes and cut them up into strips of one quote or one point you want to make.

Then take an A4 sheet for each of your points and blutac on the strips that will help you with that point - that's a paragraph. Rearrange the quotes and points until it flows well and you can rephrase it into one solid structured paragraph. This will help you to figure out what you want to quote, what you want to summarise, and what order to arrange things in within one part of an argument.

You can then arrange your paragraphs into a sensible essay format.

Just make sure you don't do a pixiewithdocs and lose all your strips.... if you're putting them in a plastic pockets SELLOTAPE THAT B*TCH CLOSED!!!!


In terms of being knackered and maintaining focus for an extended period of time, it might be worth asking whoever ends up being your advocate (or directly to the class teacher) that you need a 2-minute break twice per class and why. Reasonable adjustments are okay to ask for and if you get told no, take it further with the college's SEN/SPLD coordinator. You deserve to get reasonable adjustments that will help you with your course.

xx
Aorta/tattoo the artery/with acute artistry
The new luddite
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Re: Studying

Post by The new luddite »

Hi Grace,

Firstly I'd make sure your college are made aware of your disability at uni I got extra time on exams and coursework and they gave me a Dictaphone to record the lectures and play them back when I needed.

Might be worth asking your tutors if they can video their lectures I found most of them were happy to and it proved popular with other students.

Also do you write your notes or type ? I started writing and then ended up typing I found I was just way to slow writing, if you have a diagnosis you maybe entitled to a laptop.

You say you have an individual supporting you are they a SEN Tutor (Special Educational Needs) or just your assigned course tutor ?
If you have have a diagnosis your entitled to both, my SEN tutor was awesome she taught me lots of techniques, two I found especially useful were mind maps and the 20-10 rule i.e 20 minutes study with a 10 minute gap.

You mention some of your lectures are 2 and a half hours ? Do you get any breaks ? I'm surprised others aren't struggling, even people without Dyspraxia will struggle with concentration and information retention after about an hour.

Also make the most of your disadvantage, most educational institutions have targets and statistics that they have have to meet in terms of getting people with special educational needs through there system I've found it doesn't always hurt to gently remind people of that (I probably came across as a bit of a *ick at times but hay it worked).

Most of all (and I know how easy this is to say) try not to worry to much we've all been in that overwhelmed by it all position, you can do it you might have to push for support but just keep nagging till you get it.
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