Tips for Entering Albion College Students with Disabilities

A great study skills book for incoming students with disabilities is Learning Outside the Lines, by Jonathan Mooney and David Cole. The authors graduated from Brown University. The book contains irreverent, down and dirty survival tips. The book is so good I recommend it to all students.

If you question your reading skill, consider enrolling in a summer reading course at your local community college. Look for a course that teaches strategy based reading or active reading strategies.

If you take medication, particularly medications that are controlled substances, make plans now for how you plan to get your prescriptions filled. We encourage students to continue receiving the prescriptions from their current physician to preserve continuity of care.

The Academic Coaching Program is highly recommended for entering students. The coach is an upper class student, often one who has a disability. He or she meets with the student on a regular basis during the term, usually once a week. In addition to helping the student manage academics, the coach is a valuable source of information on basic college survival tactics. The program involves support in the areas of:

• Time management
• Procrastination
• Analyzing course demands and predicting work-load
• Utilizing effective college level study strategies
• Test Preparation 
• Monitoring progress and avoiding digging holes