It’s a known fact that students with learning disorders graduate at a significantly lower rate than their peers. Is it because students with LD lack intelligence and the ability to succeed in college? This is not the case. According to McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine Learning Disabilities is defined as “a suboptimal capacity to read (dyslexia), type (dysgraphia), use mathematical operations (dyscalculia), otherwise cognitive skills in a child of presumed natural intelligence”. If you are looking for quality disability support services anywhere and under any circumstances, you can find them on disability service providers Melbourne.

This author was a college learning specialist for 13 years. He has identified six behavior patterns that are consistent in causing freshmen to slide downhill. They are:

* Failure to reveal – Students who decide not to divulge often do it to end the stigmatizing LD label they have worn for so many years. It is often their first serious error. Students with learning disabilities can attend college in the same classes as others and must meet the exact same academic requirements. The information provided is completely confidential. Teachers and the disability services office are the only ones to know. IEPs provide academic support for students in high school. IEPs on the college level are non-existent. Students who fail to disclose suddenly discover they are no longer protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act and are ineligible for the accommodations/services recommended in their documentation. The student then goes from having a safety network with lots of support in highschool to being on the tightrope without one in college. This dramatic shift can be very overwhelming and difficult to overcome.

* Always begin with a full-course load. This is another major error. Students are taught to believe that if they had five subjects in highschool, then they can handle that college load. They fail to realize that a full textbook can be covered during a 15-week college term. High school students with disabilities usually do very little homework and have only a few hours of studying each week. The expectation for college students is that they will be expected to complete two to three hours of extra work for every hour they spend in class. Given a 15 credit full-time load, students might have 30 to 45 hours per week of homework or study, in addition to the 15 hours they spend in class. Students should limit their load to what they can manage, rather than taking on an entire load. It is better not to rush things and lose confidence, but to start slow and build your confidence. Students who take fewer courses are more likely get high GPAs. It is easier than raising a low GPA. In addition, a high GPA encourages enthusiasm for school and an “can-do” attitude. The only way that a student can reduce his course load and still be covered by their parents’ insurance is if the provider of disability services writes a letter saying that Joe is “considered a full-time student with nine credit due to a documented disability in learning.” Before you submit the letter, make sure to call your insurance company anonymously. Send the letter to the insurance company only if they ask for proof of fulltime student status.

* Low time management and organizational skills. A daily planner is one of the most essential elements in college organization. For college students, a high school assignment pad is sufficient. However, they have many more tasks to track. Students must ensure that they keep their academic, social, or work responsibilities in one planner. This will prevent them from double-booking. An academic planner is best, as it runs from August until August and has M/W at the cover. This means it has weekly, and monthly views. This guarantees that students can see both long-term and short-term views.

* Too many job hours – In a perfect world students would be able not to have to work while at college. Many students don’t have this luxury. Students shouldn’t work more than 15 hours a week because of the unique challenges college presents. Students who work at the same time as school can often not be able to switch gears. Colleges have long winter and spring breaks, which allow students to work full-time while saving money for the following school year. But maturity is needed to live in a simpler lifestyle and delay gratification for the ultimate reward: a good education. Ideally, school should not be considered the student’s only job.

* Inability say “NO”- Because of the unique structure in college classes, students might only have two hours per day. This can give the impression that there is more time than in highschool. This deceitful because college time is not necessarily “free”, but structured. Students can be tempted by the lack of structure to put off school work until the very last minute and say yes, to invitations that don’t align with good grades. Many students who commute to college retain their high school mentality and leave school as soon as classes end. Then they return home to a disorienting environment with computers, TVs, and family. Resident students are more likely to return home to their noisy dorms once classes have ended. There is a lot of temptation. Students who succeed have the self-discipline and ability to work in a calm environment like the library. Even if they cannot concentrate for more that 30 minutes at a given time, they can take 5-minute breaks to refresh their brains and then resume work. All places have their own connotations. In the school library, “This is where you should work” is one example. Furthermore, it can be much more difficult for someone to feel sorry if they are surrounded in study with them.