Hi y'all, I hope everyone had a good week! Mine was uneventful but busy- I'm really feeling that finals week crunch, but I'm super excited for winter break and to be home with family. My roommates and I got some Christmas decor put up in our apartment this week.
This week, as I was preparing for my finals, I was thinking about how important academic accommodations are- and how they're a resource some people don't even know exists! I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was around 5. I also have an anxiety disorder that makes testing in particular really difficult. I dealt with those things through basically my entire academic career, from the time that I was in elementary school. But I didn't know I could receive accommodations until my senior year of high school. After I found out, I worked with my school counselor and my doctor to set up a 504 plan. This is a document that establishes that you have disabilities that make you eligible for certain accommodations. I personally am eligible to receive some extra time on tests, as well as a separate testing environment with reduced distractions.
If you come to LC with a 504 plan, rest assured: it will carry over. I scheduled a meeting with the office of Student Accessibility within a couple of weeks of arriving on campus my freshman year. Their staff members are the ones who handle everything related to academic accommodations. They looked over my 504 plan, explained how the accommodations I already had would transfer over to the college environment, and the testing process.
But what if you don't have a 504 plan or something similar? Not to worry! OSA staff can help you take the steps to establish accommodations for the first time as well.
What does taking proctored exams with accommodation look like at LC? Well, for most accommodations, unless you have a private environment accommodation, you'll be taking your test in the testing center. The testing center is quite nice. You get your own little "cubicle" to work in. The test proctor sits outside the room where they can observe through the glass, but you don't feel like they're hovering or anything like that.
Besides accommodations for academic reasons, you can also get accommodations that extend to housing and other areas of on-campus life. I have an accommodation that gives me priority for a single room, and some people I know receive accommodations that create some flexibility with their dining options.
Accommodations are meant to help students who need them have an equal opportunity to their peers to perform well in an academic environment. They're such a helpful resource, and if you think they might be helpful for you too, you should look into them :) I know they made a huge difference for me!
I hope everyone has a great week, and I'll talk to you soon!
xo
Ashleen