Student Resources

Resources found here are for incoming and established college students on a wide variety of topics.  Additional  resources on these and other topics can be searched for in “Posts.”

Advice From Other Students

Advice for New Students From Those Who Know (Old Students):  The August 2, 2015 Education Life section of the New York Times offered some advice to new college students, from “old” college students, students who’ve weathered a year or two of experience in being a college student.

Navigating College is a project of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network and is an introduction to the college experience from those of us who’ve been there. The writers and contributors are Autistic adults, and we’re giving you the advice that we wish someone could have given us when we headed off to college.

Diabetes

Going to College with Diabetes: A Self Advocacy Guide for Students: This guide provides  useful self advocacy tools. It is also an authoritative and comprehensive guide on the rights of people with diabetes in college and a wide range of other post-secondary institutions. It is designed primarily to provide strategies for you, the student, to work with your college, testing agency, internship site, employer, and others to ensure that your diabetes does not prevent you from having an equal opportunity to participate and succeed. Whether you are an applicant or currently enrolled, this guide can help you navigate a wide range of post secondary institutions.

Humor

Dr Phil for College Students: In this  flysheet, Learning Specialist, Elizabeth Hamblet, borrows three pithy responses from Dr. Phil McGraw to offer college students some practical advice about being successful in college. Ms. Hamblet is a consultant and Learning Specialist at Columbia University.

 The Real Skinny on Freshman Year:  Congratulations on getting into school.  You’re about to experience the best four, five, six or whatever years of your life. But you’ve heard that already. And let it be the last piece of conventional wisdom you take to heart. The stuff you’ve been told all summer about freshman year is well intentioned, to be sure. But there’s a huge amount of misinformation and disinformation out there. This humorous piece gives freshmen the “skinny” on college life.

Financial Aid

A Guide on How to Get Scholarships and Grants for Students with Disabilities:  Many schools and organizations offer assistance to help students with disabilities reach their goals. But finding these resources and applying for them can be overwhelming.  This guide from MoneyGeek.com lists a wide range of scholarships, grants and tips on how to apply for them.

2014_2015 HEATH_Financial_Aid_Publication : While education beyond high school in the United States is optional, it has become a necessary investment in future employment and life satisfaction for many people. To all families and youth with disabilities looking for information on financial aid, please check out the different options in grants, loans, work-study, and scholarship opportunities. Prepared by the HEATH Resource Center in 2015, this resource guide explains financial aid as well as highlights various scholarship resources for youth with disabilities listed in the back of the publication.

Other financial aid resources are listed at the Parent Resources page of this site under “Paying for College.

Should I Disclose My Disability?

Should I Disclose My Disability?: The decision to disclose a disability belongs only to the person with the disability. Disclosure is a very personal choice and should be done only after careful thought. If you have a disability, there are no requirements that you disclose your disability to anyone at any time, but in order to receive accommodations at work or in college, you must disclose. This Brief discusses the pros and cons of disclosure.

Job Seekers with Disabilities:  The Rochester Institute for Technology has a well-0rganized resource at its Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education site which explores the following topics: Work-related Accommodations;Disclosing a Disability;Your Employment Rights;Social Security Disability Benefits while on Co-op; Interviewing Tips;Job Search Resources; and Employment Perspectives Video Series: Recruiting, Hiring, Retaining People with Disabilities. 

Frequently Asked Question About Disability Disclosure Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): DisABILITY Rights IOWA has prepared a one-page handout for job seekers in a Q and A format to answer common questions about whether a job-seeker should disclose a disability.  A very helpful resource.

The Why, When, What, and How of Disclosure in an Academic Setting, After High School:  The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)  has developed a resource that briefly discusses the Why, When, What and How of disability disclosure in an academic setting.   Includes a link to the 411 on Disability Disclosure workbook, discussed below.

The 411 on Disability Disclosure – A Workbook for Youth with Disabilities: Every job seeker with a disability is faced with the same decision: “Should I or shouldn’t I disclose my disability?”  The 411 on Disability Disclosure is designed to help young people make informed decisions about whether or not to disclose their disability and understand how that decision may impact their education, employment, and social lives. Based on the premise that disclosure is a very personal decision, the Workbook helps young people think about and practice disclosing their disability but does not tell them what to do. Rather, it helps them make informed decisions about disclosing their disability, decisions that will affect their educational, employment, and social lives.  NOTE: Also available is a MS Word versions of the 411 on Disability Disclosure Workbook The Word versions are designed specifically for those visitors using screen readers and/or braille translators.s

Student Rights

Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities:  The information in this pamphlet, provided by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the U. S. Department of Education, explains the rights and responsibilities of students with disabilities who are preparing to attend postsecondary schools. This pamphlet also explains the obligations of a postsecondary school to provide academic adjustments, including auxiliary aids and services, to ensure the school does not discriminate on the basis of disability.

Student Veterans

So You Want to Go Back to School?: This document, written in July 2008 is a letter from the Asst. Secretary for Education addressed to returning service personnel, particularly those with disabilities.

Test Taking

Strategies for Taking Exams in College:  This downloadable pamphlet prepared by WINAHEAD, is adapted from material initially prepared by for students at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and from  materials originally available from  the U.S. Department of Education, Educational Resource Information Center (ERIC).

BYU Career and Academic Success Center – Test Taking Strategies: Brigham Young University’s Career and Academic Success Center has prepared a resource on test-taking. In addition to general guidelines, the site includes guidelines for taking true/false, multiple choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank, and essay questions.

Tips and Hints

Tips for Escaping Transfer Shock If you enroll in a community or junior college, you may be planning to transfer to a four-year institution to continue your education or finish your degree. (Sometimes students that enroll in a four-year institution also change schools, transferring to a different college or university. Reasons for doing so will vary from student to student.

Unofficial Explanation of College Vocabulary:  The vocabulary used at the college level can be confusing and intimidating. High schools can do all students a favor by introducing and explaining these terms. . . .The explanations provided here are not dictionary definitions and should not be considered official, but are provided simply to help demystify the terminology.