Going back to school (university)

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So I'm toying with the idea of returning to school and finishing my degree. I'm about 3/4 through a computer science B.S. I crashed and burned part way through my junior year.

I was wondering about what experiences any of you might have working through the disabilities offices of high education institutions. What types of accommodations did you need? How receptive are faculty to these things?

I am assessing the things that precipitated my flame out. I've identified a few:

1) executive functioning: planning and execution of plans is really a problem
2) distractions: WAY too much going on. People, noise, too many books to read (Has anyone ever prowled the library just looking at random journal articles in unrelated fields?)
3) Disinterest in courses unrelated to my obsessions. To the point were I can't engage any cognitive energy in trying to master the material
4) Processing delay? This is a tough one. I seem to have strange off and on abilities when processing new information. Sometimes it flows so easily I know what is coming next before the professor brings it up. And sometimes my brain locks up. It seems that this is worst with symbolic representations, especially in math. I can't process the symbols fast enough to keep up with the flow. But once I actually have processed it, I own it.
5) Tests. I hate tests. I would rather write a 10,000 word essay than take a test.
6) Stress. I seem to be very sensitive to stress. My brain seems to shut down once stress reaches a certain level.


In my perfect world, I would never go to class and never take a test. I would work on specific tasks in the framework of independent study, writing papers to demonstrate mastery rather than regurgitating answers on exams. The time frame of a semester would be largely discarded, instead, applying structure to my education geared towards a progression of understanding, not an adherence to graduation schedules.

Hey, I can dream, right?

The school I go to has a great disability services dept. The only issue is your need current documentation proving you have a disability. Also, in your case you will need to consider if the school you are planning to finish your degree at will take your any/some/all of credits. The school I go to accepts very few or no transfer credits. But I think its great that you want to finish your degree .

Bueler?

I hope that you pursue your goal and if you do get there, don't take a crap from the students who are yonger than you. If you go that route, good luck.

Well, you seem to know yourself pretty well, and know what stopped you from finishing your degree on the previous try. Is there any reason to think it will be different this time? Have you established coping mechanisms and workarounds for all the difficulties you listed? Accomodations alone are not going to do it for you.

If you are already employed, it is not a good time to leave the workforce to go back to school--there aren't enough jobs right now as it is, and newly minted BAs are not in high demand. If you are not employed, getting school loans to live on for a year or two could be a way to support yourself, but whether or not you graduate you'll still have to pay them back with interest.

Wavefreaks, I have all the same problem in school as you listed! I can relate a lot!

I don't know what options you have since this is specific to your university. So first, I'd ask the school counselor about what help you can get. For eg: If I knew I had asperger sooner I could have had those helps from my school :
- 1.5x more time for my exam
- Can ask for a different class and be alone for the exam
- Can get a tutor paid by the school
- Can have a laptop computer (paid by the government) and different type of software to help a student life (planning, corrector,...)
- Can take less cours in a semester and still be considered full time student
- Optionnal class with a neurolog
- With AS diagnosis, student loan are transfered into student grant (no more debt related to this)

1) You could ask help from a psy or anykind of specialist that will follow you through your planning

2) Smoke weed ... that's the only way I found to be able to concentrate 3h00 in a classroom without my brain wanting to blow. Also, in computer science you will not need that much books, well I barely use books, only power point presentation and resumé of theory

3) I've discovered that the more advanced you get in your degree, the more interesting the courses gets, so you may check the abstract of available classes and see what you want to do.

4) Here's an advice my neuro told me... After each class, take 30min 1 hour to pass over what you've just done in class. This will help memorize the step by step process. Don't do example you can't do, keep this for later. You just need to keep your memory alive. When you'll get back to it, it will be easier for you. Even if you don't understand, don't try, just read. Many people with much lower IQ can relate on their memory to have greater results!

5) - Don't stress out! Stress kills exam!
- Read your entire exam before begining. This will help you focus on the most important question (more points). Also, often their's a pattern in the questions the teacher asks. Some begin at the end since the theory is the latest studied
- A girl in my class who got amazing result does this, and I found it interesting. She begins by doing the exam in a flash. Answer what come first through her head, it takes her 1 hour to do the entire exam. Then she takes the 2 hours left to review her test. This is a good way, since you'll get at least some points for trying, even if you get the wrong answer, and because she's often disctracted, she knows she'll have to review her exam anyway.
- Always remember that you keep thinking even if your not conscious that you think. So when you freeze at one question, more than 30sec-1min, pass to the next one. By the time you'll be done with the latest question, you might found your answer (happen to me A LOT)
- Studying after every class will help diminish by a huge amount the stress of exam and you'll find a pattern, their's always a structure in a teachers way to teach!

6) Give you the best help possible and you'll get over it, stress is a state of mind, so the more you lower the source of stress, the less stressed you'll be

I sincerly recommend you to go back in school. Younger student won't be crappy about this. We're not in high school anymore. In fact, most over-40 students I know can give their experience and is always welcome. Unless you act disturbing!

Also, I don't know about demographic tendancy in your region, but here in Quebec, we have a majority of employee that will go in retirement soon. So they're will be A LOT of new job.