May
30
2008
This week I went to see my psychologist at school. He had prepared a letter of support for a petition I began some time ago, with regard to having two courses removed from my transcript. My psychologist seems to be very much like me, which probably has a great deal to do with why I feel comfortable talking to him, but I think we possess some of the same weaknesses as well. He is a very forgetful and absent-minded person. This was my second or third visit meant partly to pick-up the letter and he did not have it at hand. However, he said he would send it directly to the Undergraduate Advisor; she needs to sign the petition before I can submit it to the Committee That Decides Your Academic Future. I can’t remember exactly what their name is…
There are a couple of my incomplete courses that I am not able to finish, and that is what this petition is about. One course was taught by a visiting professor, who has since returned to her own university. It was a Middle English Literature course, considered to be somewhat of a language course as a great deal of it involved translation. A large portion of your mark was derived from class participation and a presentation at the end of the term. Since I barely went to class and completed very little of the work, I don’t think it would be worth it to seek out this professor in an attempt to somehow finish the course. Nor would I relish such a task. The other class I am hoping to have removed from my transcript is an English Grammar course that was also meant to entail a great deal of class participation. Continue Reading »
May
11
2008
Tonight I am briefly going to touch on the services available to disabled students at post-secondary institutions.
When I began university, I came prepared with letters from both my psychiatrist and family doctor. One was an official diagnosis of my condition, and both requested accomodations I may need in order to succeed at university. I was not aware at this time that there was an Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD) at my school, nor that I fell into the group that could access the resources there - no one had ever mentioned the word disability to me. As I was not sure where to go with my letters, I took them to the registrar of my small university college. The college does not have a policy for sharing information with the large main campus, so I was never directed to the OPD. Eventually I wound up there, a few years later, and my life has been better ever since.
As a student with a mental health issue, the resources that have been most helpful to me through the OPD are my access to a psychologist, exam accomodations and the assistance of the learning strategist. Other accomodations are available to students with other types of disabilities. If I were not registered as a student with a disability, I would have to go through a separate office (Counselling Services) to access the help of a psychologist. This could easily mean a wait of several months/most of the school year. However, once I became registered at the OPD, I was able to visit a pyschologist at both Health Services and his OPD location. I realize that there may still be a wait for individuals to see a psychologist or psychiatrist even if they are registered through the OPD at their school; it just so happened there was no waiting list when I arrived at the office. I was also assigned a student advisor, to help me maneuver through the forms and formalities of being a student with specific needs on campus. Continue Reading »
May
04
2008
My sister asked me the other day where I was at with school. I have a number of incomplete courses that I need to finish and she was wondering how many were left. Presently I have 6 left to complete. One is in the process of being finished, so it will soon be 5. After this, I will need another 1-3 classes to graduate with a three year degree in English Language and Literature.
Several things have factored into the development of where I am at present: uncertainty as to whether I even wanted to be in university, a lack of enthusiasm for my work, anxiety(!), and side effects of the depression (and medication). Of course, each of one of these plays off the others. I know a few people who despise their education or work and yet continue to carry out the tasks expected of them in an efficient and professional manner. Unfortunately, I am not one of these people who can “force” themselves to complete something if they are miserable. Sometimes I have wished I possessed this quality - I’d be finished school by now, at any rate. Continue Reading »