For college students with learning differences, enrolling in classes can be a critical factor for success. Students who choose their own classes may end up with excessively heavy or unbalanced course loads. Some students register with general college advisors, who are unaware of the presence of learning differences and have no knowledge of student learning styles.

Course registration should be done carefully for students with learning disabilities, so they are prepared to succeed even before they enter the classroom. A well-balanced schedule, built around one’s biological clock, with engaged teachers teaching in a multi-modal way, goes a long way toward facilitating focus and minimizing stress.

Here are eight tips to remember when registering for classes:

• Listen to other students’ recommendations for interesting teachers and/or courses. Then look for more information to decide if these courses will work for you.
• Does your university offer priority enrollment to students with disabilities? In other words, are you allowed to choose classes before do your peers make the instructors/sections compatible with your learning style? If so, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT!
• Look up your proposed area of ​​study in the paper or online catalog (Note: In the interest of going “green,” many colleges are discontinuing paper catalogs). Check the options you have within your specialization. If you’re undecided about your future career goals, it’s not unusual. Liberal arts major is fine; it’s a well-respected specialization that offers the opportunity to try different disciplines to see what appeals to you.
• Make a list of courses that appeal to you and meet your specialty requirements. Delete courses with prerequisites that you have not taken.
• Decide what time of day you are most alert. That’s when you should be in class. From the list above, choose the courses that are currently meeting. Write down the sections/teachers you would prefer.
• Now, be more specific. Divide up your classes so that the most challenging meet on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and the easiest meet on Tuesday and Thursday. It’s easier to sit through three 55-minute sessions of a difficult course than two 90-minute sessions.
• OF FIRST IMPORTANCE – Take your proposed schedule to the Office of Disability Services and see a professional who is familiar with you and your learning style. Review all the options on your list and a learning advisor/specialist will help you narrow down your options and select the teachers that best fit your needs.*
• Sign up as soon as possible to ensure you get the time slot you want.

* How many credits should you take?

This is an individual decision. However, for college freshmen who received academic assistance in high school, a full course load represents a large increase in the amount of work charged to these students and a pace that is more than twice as fast. ; it’s almost always overwhelming. Students may feel as if they have jumped into a 12-foot pool of freezing water.

This is exactly how students begin a downward spiral and begin to doubt their ability to handle college. If only they had started slow and built their confidence before handling so many credits!

Err on the side of caution. For some students, two courses (Math and English) can be considered a full-time load. As soon as you master a reduced load, talk to your advisor about taking an additional class the following semester. Dip your feet in slowly. It’s much smarter to set yourself up for success with fewer credits and build gradually as you get used to the college system.** You’ll likely earn a higher GPA, feel empowered, and be excited about college!

** How can you stay on your parent’s insurance plan with a reduced course load? The Disability Services coordinator can write a letter for parents to send to their insurance company stating that “Jane Doe, student of __________Colleagueis considered full time with (___) credits due to a learning disability. This letter should not be submitted until requested by the insurance company. It is rare for an insurance company to deny this request, but if this exclusion is written into your policy, there is a surreptitious way students circumvent it. They simply sign up for a full course load, and during the first week of the semester, while they are still eligible for a 100% tuition refund, they drop a course or two. When the insurance company requests the student’s schedule to confirm full-time status, parents submit the original list. Please note that this is No an endorsement of that tactic!

© 2007 Joan Azarva