Transitioning to College: Student Perspective Slide 1

Sam’s Adventure

From High School to

College of Southern Maryland to

My Four Year Adventure

Slide 2

Frank A. Clark

“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere”

Slide 3

In High School

• 
  Continue with Math
  
• 
  Write as many papers as you can
  
• 
  Advocate at my IEP meetings
  
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  Tried to get more independent as possible in doing schoolwork because if you don’t you become independent on others: “Even though I could do it myself” I remember always asking my teachers for help, it took a long time to believe in myself”.
  

High School con.

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  Study and get accommodations for SAT
  
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  Go to try College for a Day and information Night
  
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  Learn how to explain your disabilities to the professor
  

High School Con.

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  Realistic Expectations in how your disabilities impact you in college:
  
• 
  Quote: “My learning disability made learning some things extremely difficult, Finally, I woke up and began to make the right choices”
  
• 
  I felt I was Unprepared for a four Year
  

College of Southern Maryland Adventure

• 
  Documentation-DORS
  
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  Interview with Mrs. Bacchus
  
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  Must get your forms in early each semester
  
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  Keep copies of your forms
  

CSM con.

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  Learned to Advocate for myself with her and my professors
  
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  When I missed an assignment in my English class since I was out of the room taking a test, I had to get myself.
  
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  Advising and Graduation I had to do on my own
  
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  Only took four classes at a time getting good grades with a reduced course load: Quote: “During my first semester, I took 5 courses, I couldn’t keep up- and I failed”.
  

Accommodations that helped me

• 
  Scribe
  
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  Extended Time
  
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  Different Room for Exams
  
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  Computer for Essay Exams
  

Expectations for CSM

• 
  Learn Writing Process
  
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  Learned how to reference papers
  
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  Constantly Edit Papers
  
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  Go to a good Math Tutor and a good English tutor
  
• 
  CSM has both
  

Expectations con.

• 
  Learned public speaking
  
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  Learned to love math and science even when I did not want to
  
• 
  Learned how to do research
  

Transition to A Four Year Adventure

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  Started doing laundry, Mom is happy!
  
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  Registered for courses and go to advising myself
  
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  Spreadsheet on application due dates, ADA contacts
  
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  Criteria include Small size
  

Transition to Four Year con.

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  Close to Home
  
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  Good ADA
  
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  Recommend Visiting Admissions, ADA, and going on a Tour
  
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  Recommend Dressing Nicely and writing thank you notes
  

Transition to four year Con.

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  Recommend joining CSM Honor-Scholarship offers Got $18,000 from McDaniel College of Maryland Got $17,500 from Washington college in Chestertown Maryland.
  
• 
  Keep Your grades up
  

Decision Making

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  Rate Schools by Clubs, Academics, ADA Support
  
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  Decided not to go one of my four year choices since it did not have scribes and did not put effort in accommodations for disabled students.
  

Decision Spread Sheet

What I learned so far…