Struggling Freshman Year

[goldberry]

I wish I knew how to help DD.  She has a scholarship she has to keep a 3.0 GPA for.  Her degree is biology and she has Cell Biology and Bio-Chem this semester.  She loves the classes, but is working her tail off to barely keep a B.  She meets with professors (not much help there), goes to tutoring, completes all the homework, studies furiously.  She does well on assignments and quizzes but exams are hard and she has made Cs on the last two.  When she works with the tutors, they say she seems well prepared.  No real problems.  She just feels like the exam questions never seem to match up with studied material, or are some obscure random fact the teacher mentioned once, etc.

 

She is getting terrified now of losing her scholarship.  I keep reassuring her to just keep working...I know this kid and know when she's slacking, she's not slacking.  But it really will be ugly if she loses the scholarship.

 

She's scared and so am I even though I'm not showing her.  Also, a lot of people say these are "weeding out" classes and things should get a bit easier down the road.  Is that true??

[TCB]

I don't really know too much about this as my dd is still in high school, but I wondered if she might be able to find a class mate to study with. Maybe they could help her hone in on what is likely to be on the test. Sorry she's having to worry about the scholarship, that must be nerve wracking.

[Frances]

It sounds like your daughter is working really hard and making good use of the resources available for help. Is she also part of a study group? Sometimes explaining concepts to others is a good way to solidify them in your own mind. Do the profs provide old exams as study aides? Hopefully she has some easier classes to balance out the tough bio ones and boost her GPA. Does her school allow a grace period for bringing the GPA up if needed? If they do, knowing that might help reassure her.

 

As for whether they are weed out classes and things get easier, I think that is very school and major specific. Maybe she could talk to some upper level bio students and get their perspective (maybe some of them are TAs for her class?). At my son’s school, most don’t even take general bio classes until sophomore year after a full year of general chemistry and then don’t take biochemistry until junior or senior year after organic chemistry.

 

I’m sending good thoughts to both of you. I know how hard it is to watch our children struggle and worry about them. It sounds like she is working hard and hopefully all of that hard work will pay off in the end. I have a friend who struggled mightily his first year as a chemical engineering major, but things finally clicked, and he did very well the final three years. He went on to get a PhD and has a great job in industry.

[OneStepAtATime]

:grouphug:

 

Does she know how classmates are doing?  In some classes a 'C' is actually not a bad grade at all.  Some professors grade hard, deliberately pick fairly obscure questions, etc.  They don't expect most students to make anywhere near an 'A' or even a 'B'.  Of course, they may not be thinking at all about how that might affect scholarships...

 

If the bulk of the class are getting A's then maybe she needs to reevaluate how she is studying.  If most of the class are getting the same grades she is, then it is probably just a REALLY hard couple of classes.

 

I agree with getting into a study group, preferably with students who are doing well in the class.  [One a side note, my dad actually starting dating my mom because she was one of a very few students who ever made an A in a particular class.  He needed help getting through the class (good student but this class was HARD), he asked her to help him since she had done well, and boom they started dating.  She helped him to better understand the expectations of the professor and how to handle the material.  Mom just really got that class (unlike the bulk of the students).]  Perhaps your DD could find people like that to study with?

[katilac]

She's doing the right things. I agree with tcb that she might want to find a classmate to study with, although I'd actually say a whole study group. 

 

Is she reading the textbook even if nothing is specifically assigned? Some professors expect this, or they "recommend" reading that is actually required to get a good grade. If she has copies of her tests so far, she should see if what she missed matches up to these readings. If so, she has her answer. If she starts that study group and they all do this, all the better. They might find a pattern as to where the seemingly random questions are coming from. 

 

Can she ask around for a student who did well in prior semesters? 

 

Definitely she should keep going to office hours even if it's not helpful so far, for good will purposes alone. Has she very specifically asked, "What is the best way to prepare for your exams?" 

 

Best of luck to her. It can be very stressful!

[Bootsie]

As far as how this might impact her GPA, what is the weight of exams versus the assignments in determining the course grade?  What is the distribution of grades on the exams?  

[8filltheheart]

Do her textbooks/courses have an online option for additional practice? If she currently isn't using something like Mastering________ or OWLsomething, that supplement might help. They typically have questions for each section, practice tests, etc. The wording of those questions might help her master the different wordings she might encounter.

 

Here is an example https://www.cengage.com/c/biochemistry-6e-garrett/9781305636255

 

When I was looking over that link, I came across this https://www.cengage.com/unlimited . I am unfamiliar with it, but it might be worth researching.

[regentrude]

First of all, struggling during freshman year is very normal. 

It sounds like she is doing a lot of good things. If she is already putting in two hours outside of class for every hour in class, she is spending enough time on task and the problem will not be solved by studying more, but by studying differently.

 

I would strongly recommend finding study groups. The best way to learn is to explain things to somebody who is on a similar level; this is superior to tutoring where the student is on the receiving end of instruction. Does the school have a framework for peer instruction? If not, she needs to find students who are in the same classes and just form a study group.

 

As others already suggested, she should find out what the grade distributions on the exams are and whether there is usually curving. Some professors give exams where the average is very low and then curve the grades at the end.

 

Does she suffer from test anxiety? Does she blank on the test and forget things she knew in a non stress situation? If so, I recommend making an appointment with the counseling center of her college to discuss this; this is a common problem, and the school psychologists should have tips and workshops for these students.

 

Also, does the pressure about the scholarship GPA affect her? Is she afraid of having to leave school, which can be paralyzing?Run through scenarios. What happens if the falls below GPA? Is it all-or--nothing, or is there a lower level of scholarship for a lower GPA? Is there a grace semester? Will the scholarship be reinstated when her GPA recovers?

 

Best wishes - this is tough.

[skimomma]

Does she get her exams back?  I ask because sometimes students do not.  If she does, I would recommend she go through each missed question and track down where it came from.  As in, where the holes seem to be in her study habits for each class.  If she cannot figure that out, she should make an appointment with the professor and go through each item to figure it out.  I have my struggling students do this and going through this with them helps me identify how to advise them for future study methods.  What seems like covering all of the bases to the student is sometimes vastly different than what I would recommend.

 

That said, it is pretty normal to have a freshman adjustment period and also quite normal for a class average to be in the Cs.  

[snowbeltmom]

I wish I knew how to help DD.  She has a scholarship she has to keep a 3.0 GPA for.  Her degree is biology and she has Cell Biology and Bio-Chem this semester.  She loves the classes, but is working her tail off to barely keep a B.  She meets with professors (not much help there), goes to tutoring, completes all the homework, studies furiously.  She does well on assignments and quizzes but exams are hard and she has made Cs on the last two.  When she works with the tutors, they say she seems well prepared.  No real problems.  She just feels like the exam questions never seem to match up with studied material, or are some obscure random fact the teacher mentioned once, etc.

 

She is getting terrified now of losing her scholarship.  I keep reassuring her to just keep working...I know this kid and know when she's slacking, she's not slacking.  But it really will be ugly if she loses the scholarship.

 

She's scared and so am I even though I'm not showing her.  Also, a lot of people say these are "weeding out" classes and things should get a bit easier down the road.  Is that true??

I do think it does get easier down the road, not because the course work gets easier, but because the kids have honed their study skills. Some colleges don't even give letter grades for the first semester of freshman year because they want to give the students an opportunity to adjust to the demands of college classes.

 

Good luck to your daughter.

[Lecka]

This has been years ago, but when I was in college they had a probationary period.

 

Also my understanding of the probationary period was they looked at grades for that semester and not a cumulative GPA.

 

It can be impossible to bring up a cumulative GPA in one semester after a bad semester, I think.

 

Anyway my understanding was that the probationary semester didn’t have to bring the cumulative GPA back up, just be good grades that semester.

 

Then over time I think it went back to cumulative GPA, but I’m not sure.

 

One of my good friends lost his scholarship, but he was really checked out from school and often skipping classes. He was checked out from the second semester of his freshman, but he still had his scholarship through sophomore year.

 

I knew quite a few students who got warning letters 2nd semester of freshman year (or 1st semester) and then brought their grades up over a year and got off of probation and everything worked out well for them.

 

The thing is I think, they wanted students to take it seriously and improve. But then they still gave my friend an extra semester of probation iirc, they were willing to work with him and give him a 2nd chance.

Edited March 15, 2018 by Lecka

[Bootsie]

It may get easier in that she may know more of what to expect, but depending on the school and the major, she may have to continue to work her tail off to maintain a "B."  Remember that she needs to maintain a "B" average--she can make a "C" in a class as long as she has an "A" to offset it in another class.  would

 

If I were meeting with a student who felt she wasn't doing as well on the exams as she should be I would consider the following:

1)  Is the student missing a little bit across the exam or are most points being lost on a few questions/problems?

2)  Is there a pattern to what the student is missing (usually definitions, usually calculations, usually applications,etc.)?

3)  Is the student missing more at the end of the exam (running out of time)?

4)  Does the student have a lot of changed answers?  Was the student correct and then second guessed herself?

5)  How did the student do compared to the rest of the class?

6) How does the student's work compare to where I have seen students at this point in the semester in previous years?  Some classes tend to be "harder" for students until they get basic concepts down and students tend to do much better at the end of the semester.  Also, some topics in a class may be harder than others for students.  I have some exams that I know before I give the exam that the average will be lower than other exams I give in the semester because of the material included in that section.

7)  I would ask the student to bring her study material/class notes to meet with me so that I could see if I can suggest a different approach.

8)  Does the student's grade on the exam reflect what I think the student knows when I talk to her?  Is this a testing issue or a knowledge of the material issue?

 

[goldberry]

. Is she also part of a study group? Sometimes explaining concepts to others is a good way to solidify them in your own mind. Do the profs provide old exams as study aides? Hopefully she has some easier classes to balance out the tough bio ones and boost her GPA. Does her school allow a grace period for bringing the GPA up if needed? If they do, knowing that might help reassure her.

 

 

 

She is part of a study group.  2 really strong students, then DD and another average student.

 

They do not give back exams, which is really hard.  She goes over them with the prof, but usually it is very rushed.

 

We will check out on the probation or grace period, I didn't know that was possible.

 

 

 

 

Does she know how classmates are doing?  In some classes a 'C' is actually not a bad grade at all.  Some professors grade hard, deliberately pick fairly obscure questions, etc.  They don't expect most students to make anywhere near an 'A' or even a 'B'.  Of course, they may not be thinking at all about how that might affect scholarships...

 

 

 

There are a few kids with As but not many.  The last exam the group average was 61.  The teachers don't curve, her school is encouraging no curving.

 

 

As far as how this might impact her GPA, what is the weight of exams versus the assignments in determining the course grade?  What is the distribution of grades on the exams?  

 

They are weighted heavily, that's why she's afraid.

 

 

 

First of all, struggling during freshman year is very normal. 

It sounds like she is doing a lot of good things. If she is already putting in two hours outside of class for every hour in class, she is spending enough time on task and the problem will not be solved by studying more, but by studying differently.

 

I would strongly recommend finding study groups. The best way to learn is to explain things to somebody who is on a similar level; this is superior to tutoring where the student is on the receiving end of instruction. Does the school have a framework for peer instruction? If not, she needs to find students who are in the same classes and just form a study group.

 

Does she suffer from test anxiety? Does she blank on the test and forget things she knew in a non stress situation? If so, I recommend making an appointment with the counseling center of her college to discuss this; this is a common problem, and the school psychologists should have tips and workshops for these students.

 

Also, does the pressure about the scholarship GPA affect her? Is she afraid of having to leave school, which can be paralyzing?Run through scenarios. What happens if the falls below GPA? Is it all-or--nothing, or is there a lower level of scholarship for a lower GPA? Is there a grace semester? Will the scholarship be reinstated when her GPA recovers?

 

 

She uses that technique with the tutors, explaining concepts to them and letting them comment or correct her.  She wants to be a teacher, so that's a natural method for her!

 

She does have test anxiety.  I'm not sure on those scholarship details, I guess it's time we find out!

 

I'm starting to think a large part of the problem is reading comprehension.  She has always been a science and math kid and hates reading.  She NEVER reads for pleasure and is a slow reader with ADD..  She told me she is reading the textbook sections but can rarely get all the way through them in the time she has.  Just now we were talking about her study group.  She said that their multiple choice questions are like a paragraph long.  The strong kids in her study group whiz through the question and pick out the relevant points while she is still reading and thinking what even is the question here...

 

We worked a lot on reading comprehension before she took her SAT.  She ended up with a 750 in math and a 650 in reading, and that was after a lot of practice work.  She knows the tools and can GET the information but it requires lots of effort and it's not quick. I don't know what we can do about that more than what she is already doing.

Edited March 15, 2018 by goldberry

[goldberry]

I did recommend setting an appointment with the prof and specifically asking for enough time to go over the test in detail.  

[OneStepAtATime]

With regards to reading comprehension, does she do better if she is hearing the words as she reads?  DS does better with comprehension if he hears and sees the words at the same time. Maybe her text is available in audio version?

 

Also, I know there are resources out there for helping with picking out relevant material from long passages, especially for tests.  I can't remember any off the top of my head but I will dig a bit and see if I can find anything.  Hopefully someone else will post with some resources along those lines.  Being able to do that is a skill that can be challenging to acquire.  She isn't the only one that struggles with this.  Maybe even on campus there are general training sessions for study skills?

[regentrude]

.  She NEVER reads for pleasure and is a slow reader with ADD..  

 

Does she have a documented diagnosis and testing accommodations at the college???

This is the first avenue I would pursue.

[goldberry]

With regards to reading comprehension, does she do better if she is hearing the words as she reads?  DS does better with comprehension if he hears and sees the words at the same time. Maybe her text is available in audio version?

 

Also, I know there are resources out there for helping with picking out relevant material from long passages, especially for tests.  I can't remember any off the top of my head but I will dig a bit and see if I can find anything.  Hopefully someone else will post with some resources along those lines.  Being able to do that is a skill that can be challenging to acquire.  She isn't the only one that struggles with this.  Maybe even on campus there are general training sessions for study skills?

 

I've been digging too.  A lot of it just requires time and practice.  General study skills she is good at, good at note-taking (her teachers have had her share her notes), using variable resources (flash cards, videos, tutors, etc) Most of the "study skills" training focuses on a variety and not specifically on the reading part, which seems to be her main issue. 

[OneStepAtATime]

I've been digging too.  A lot of it just requires time and practice.  General study skills she is good at, good at note-taking (her teachers have had her share her notes), using variable resources (flash cards, videos, tutors, etc) Most of the "study skills" training focuses on a variety and not specifically on the reading part, which seems to be her main issue. 

True.  I know there are resources out there for honing that particular skill, though.  People mention them on the Learning Challenges forum.  Maybe post over there?

[goldberry]

Does she have a documented diagnosis and testing accommodations at the college???

This is the first avenue I would pursue.

 

No.  We tested her when she was in 6th grade at a learning center, and the doctor took that info and prescribed her medication.   She was on the medication for a long time, but her senior year she stopped taking it because she was having some adverse reactions (really bad "downs" when the medicine wore off that were putting her into depression). 

 

We actually have a doctor appointment on Friday and she is going to discuss possibly a different ADD medication with the doctor.  She is on college insurance now, and previously some of the other recommended medications were not affordable for us.  :sad:  I hate to say that, but it was just true.  Those might be an option now though since she has decent insurance.

[goldberry]

True.  I know there are resources out there for honing that particular skill, though.  People mention them on the Learning Challenges forum.  Maybe post over there?

 

Oh, great idea! I'll try that.

[goldberry]

Does she have a documented diagnosis and testing accommodations at the college???

This is the first avenue I would pursue.

 

What do testing accommodations for ADD look like?  Would that be worth pursing at this point?  Time is definitely a factor for her.

[OneStepAtATime]

What do testing accommodations for ADD look like?  Would that be worth pursing at this point?  Time is definitely a factor for her.

Most common?  Extra time for taking a test.  Also, having someone read the test to the student, if that helps them.  Someone else taking notes for them is also an accommodation that is common but it doesn't sound like she needs that at all.

 

If she already has an official diagnosis then she may just need to bring in the paperwork to whatever department handles this on campus.  If the diagnosis is not recent, though, they may require retesting.  A lot don't though.  In fact, apparently there are a lot of campuses that have great support systems for students with challenges like ADD that are woefully underutilized.  Students either are too embarrassed to ask for help or don't even know that they can.  Frequently these departments are happy to help out if the student would only ask.

[regentrude]

No.  We tested her when she was in 6th grade at a learning center, and the doctor took that info and prescribed her medication.   She was on the medication for a long time, but her senior year she stopped taking it because she was having some adverse reactions (really bad "downs" when the medicine wore off that were putting her into depression). 

 

We actually have a doctor appointment on Friday and she is going to discuss possibly a different ADD medication with the doctor.  She is on college insurance now, and previously some of the other recommended medications were not affordable for us.  :sad:  I hate to say that, but it was just true.  Those might be an option now though since she has decent insurance.

 

She does not need to be on medication in order to qualify for accommodations at the college!

Find out what the college needs for documentation, so that you can bring this up with the doctor and receive the correct format of the diagnosis. Accommodations can make a huge difference!

[regentrude]

What do testing accommodations for ADD look like?  Would that be worth pursing at this point?  Time is definitely a factor for her.

 

Distraction free testing in a separate room and extended time. Typical is one and a half times as much time, or, in extreme cases, even double time.

 

I would pursue this before anything else!

 

Edited March 15, 2018 by regentrude

[OneStepAtATime]

She does not need to be on medication in order to qualify for accommodations at the college!

Find out what the college needs for documentation, so that you can bring this up with the doctor and receive the correct format of the diagnosis. Accommodations can make a huge difference!

 

 

Distraction free testing in a separate room and extended time. Typical is one and a half times as much time, or, in extreme cases, even double time.

 

I would pursue this before anything else!

 

 

What regentrude said.  Honestly it sounds like your DD is functioning pretty darn well without meds.  Whether she needs them or not I can't say since I am not privy to the whole picture and frankly I think that is sort of a separate issue.  What she seems to be struggling with right now in these classes is potentially not having enough time to carefully read through all the test questions and analyze what is being asked, as well as efficiently extracting the relevant data.  Look into accommodations that give her extra time for taking these tests as well as ways to hone that skill in particular.   I absolutely agree that getting proper paperwork in place for her to receive accommodations should be pursued right now, regardless of trying out meds.  She may or may not need additional paperwork from a doctor so I would look into it this week and see what they actually require.

Edited March 15, 2018 by OneStepAtATime

[goldberry]

Her college requires an initial consultation with the accommodation department.  Online info said if you don't have the proper documentation, they can direct you to local resources for that if needed.  So she is going to ask the doctor on Friday if there is anything he can provide and then she will set up an appointment with the college accommodation office.

[Bootsie]

 

There are a few kids with As but not many.  The last exam the group average was 61.  The teachers don't curve, her school is encouraging no curving.

 

If she made a "C" on the exam and the average was a 61, it sounds as if she is doing well in the class.   Even if there is not a curve on each exam, her standing in class must be above the average.  

 

I teach a class for which the school has a policy that the class average has to be a "B"--for that class I would not curve each exam but would wait until the end of the semester to see how grades fell out.

 

One surprise for many freshman is that doing well in a class and learning a lot does not always equate to an "A" on all items.

[8filltheheart]

When she goes to the Dr on Friday, what I would recommend asking for is a letter requesting specific accommodations. Typical ones are sitting up front, quiet testing environment, extra time on tests. If the Dr will write the letter, your meeting with accommodations should be simple.

[MerryAtHope]

We actually have a doctor appointment on Friday and she is going to discuss possibly a different ADD medication with the doctor.  She is on college insurance now, and previously some of the other recommended medications were not affordable for us.  :sad:  I hate to say that, but it was just true.  Those might be an option now though since she has decent insurance.

 

Agreeing with the others about pursuing accommodations first--the doctor should be able to help with that. She may not need meds at all. That said, there are lots of different medications and they can be helpful if a student needs more than accommodations to function and focus. If her insurance doesn't cover one she is wanting to try, see if it's covered by GoodRx. (Google the med and GoodRx to see). We've had good success with that discounting a med by 50% or more.

[hornblower]

In addition to getting a psycho-ed and possibly accommodations, I would suggest she find old exams and use those as part of her studying. 

I found old exams have always been the best way to prep for exams. You get better at taking exams by taking exams. This can be a bit of a challenge because some profs recycle exams and don't want to give them out. My profs were fortunately generous with old exams. They weren't trying to trick anyone. We knew what was potentially on the exams - the only trick was trying to memorize and understand it all because there would be like 200 potential questions/topics on each exam and they'd ask 75....

When we talk about 'studying furiously' I found with some of my peers in my classes the last 2 terms, some were spending a lot of time but not seeing results & needed to learn different techniques. That might be mindmapping, watching youtube videos explaining the concepts, then explaining something out loud (that was key for me - with big picture things I struggled with (certain hormonal pathways for ex) I had to learn it well enough to explain things out loud & 'teach' it. Some people were spending lots of time reading & highlighting or making paper flashcards or re-writing notes but that wasn't translating to success in exams. 


If she's not already, I would also consider using Anki flash cards. For every point on a powerpoint slide or handout, think about the concept & make up a question for an Anki flash card. That thing you mentioned about the obscure point mentioned once on a slide - that was how I crammed all those things into my ongoing learning. I reviewed my Anki cards daily according to the review schedule Anki used.  Anki helped me remember all the details. Fake lecturing (the dog learned a lot about anatomy and physiology lol) helped me cement the big picture processes. 

 

[goldberry]

In addition to getting a psycho-ed and possibly accommodations, I would suggest she find old exams and use those as part of her studying. 

 

I found old exams have always been the best way to prep for exams. You get better at taking exams by taking exams. This can be a bit of a challenge because some profs recycle exams and don't want to give them out. My profs were fortunately generous with old exams. They weren't trying to trick anyone. We knew what was potentially on the exams - the only trick was trying to memorize and understand it all because there would be like 200 potential questions/topics on each exam and they'd ask 75....

 

When we talk about 'studying furiously' I found with some of my peers in my classes the last 2 terms, some were spending a lot of time but not seeing results & needed to learn different techniques. That might be mindmapping, watching youtube videos explaining the concepts, then explaining something out loud (that was key for me - with big picture things I struggled with (certain hormonal pathways for ex) I had to learn it well enough to explain things out loud & 'teach' it. Some people were spending lots of time reading & highlighting or making paper flashcards or re-writing notes but that wasn't translating to success in exams. 

 

 

If she's not already, I would also consider using Anki flash cards. For every point on a powerpoint slide or handout, think about the concept & make up a question for an Anki flash card. That thing you mentioned about the obscure point mentioned once on a slide - that was how I crammed all those things into my ongoing learning. I reviewed my Anki cards daily according to the review schedule Anki used.  Anki helped me remember all the details. Fake lecturing (the dog learned a lot about anatomy and physiology lol) helped me cement the big picture processes. 

 

 

 

Yeah, the teachers won't give out exams and seem to have very limited time for her to go in and review them.  She makes flashcards but on Quizlet, I don't think she's used Anki before.  She makes her own and then looks for other sets already on Quizlet (although you have to be careful with that because sometimes people have the wrong answers on their cards.)  She watches Khan academy videos, etc. She explains concepts to her tutor and has them quiz her as well.   We're stumped.  That's why I'm thinking it's a testing/general brain issue.

[JanetC]

The need to keep a minimum GPA combined with her disappointment with her previous results could very plausibly cause or increase test anxiety.

 

Has she tried talking to a counselor?

[Bootsie]

 

 

I'm starting to think a large part of the problem is reading comprehension.  She has always been a science and math kid and hates reading.  She NEVER reads for pleasure and is a slow reader with ADD..  She told me she is reading the textbook sections but can rarely get all the way through them in the time she has.  Just now we were talking about her study group.  She said that their multiple choice questions are like a paragraph long.  The strong kids in her study group whiz through the question and pick out the relevant points while she is still reading and thinking what even is the question here...

 

.

If she is not reading all of the textbook information, I would start there.  

 

If she is scoring in the 70s on exams and the average is a 61, she is probably scoring n the top 20% of the class.  I often find what separates the top 5-10% of the class is that they pick up on the details and nuances of the subject that come from total immersion into the vocabulary, language, and thinking of a subject.  Things like flashcards help with the memorization of facts, but those facts are out of context.  Reading the textbook puts those facts into context   

[goldberry]

The need to keep a minimum GPA combined with her disappointment with her previous results could very plausibly cause or increase test anxiety.

 

Has she tried talking to a counselor?

 

She has.  But she just got a job (12 hours a week) and now will be mostly working or in class during counseling hours.  But she needed a job... even though that will add more stress though.  How do you balance these practical needs???

 

The dr appt went well, he did give her a letter but it's pretty general, "she has been diagnosed with ADD and will benefit from testing accommodations".  We'll give it a shot and see.  

 

I'm helping her with some strategies to try to fill in the holes and get through the reading faster.  She also brought up on her that she just may not be able to graduate in 4 years.  She said it is worth it to her to take extra time if she needs to and maybe back down to 12 credits a semester. She had 12 last semester and 15 this semester.  She has never been a kid who worked well under pressure or time crunches.  I know there are kids who can do it and take even 17 credits.  She's just not that kid.  And she does need to work some.  Not a whole lot, but some.

[goldberry]

UPDATE:  They accepted her doctor's letter!  She will get 25 extra minutes on exams and a quiet room.  She is very happy, apparently the distractions have been bothering her also but she never said anything. She said people tap their pens and she wants to run over and rip it out of their hands!

 

Also, she had a great meeting with the bio teacher where she finally got time to review some of her test questions in detail.  DD explained how important this is to her. The teacher said she can tell by the class discussions that DD gets the material, so it's just understanding the questions.  The teacher actually helped her pick apart the questions, etc.  DD used to do this at home, go through and circle or underline important words from the question.  I asked her why she didn't do that anymore and she said she didn't have time, she would never finish the test. She just had to look at it, pick something, and move on.   So I'm thinking the extra time she will have is really going to help her.  

 

She also has a good plan in place for getting through the material if she can't get all the reading done, picking out the important info, etc.  I sat with her and we looked at both of her online textbooks, and I helped her look at the format, etc, so she could figure out how to approach it.

 

Thank you guys so much for recommending she look into accommodations!  I don't know why we didn't think of it.  I guess she had gotten to the point in high school where she was handling things pretty well, it's almost like we forgot about it.  But obviously it doesn't "go away", and I don't think either of us realized how much it was affecting her with the increased work load.  

 

 

[katilac]

  DD used to do this at home, go through and circle or underline important words from the question.  I asked her why she didn't do that anymore and she said she didn't have time, she would never finish the test. She just had to look at it, pick something, and move on.   So I'm thinking the extra time she will have is really going to help her.  

 

 

The extra time should help. If she still doesn't have enough time, she needs to compare how many points she gets from a thorough, correct answer versus how many points she gets from going through it quickly with less complete answers. It is entirely possible that she would score better by answering fewer questions in depth, and doing so will also improve her long-term understanding. 

[Frances]

I’m so glad she’s getting the accommodations she needs. As for needing quiet, my son is a bit like that, and always carries earplugs, just in case he needs them. Where appropriate, he also has noise cancelling headphones he can use.

[regentrude]

I’m so glad she’s getting the accommodations she needs. As for needing quiet, my son is a bit like that, and always carries earplugs, just in case he needs them. Where appropriate, he also has noise cancelling headphones he can use.

 

Just be aware that headphones of any kind may not be permitted on tests, because they could be used to transmit information.

[GoodGrief]

That's a really great update. The disability office at my daughter's college was so helpful, and it made a big difference in getting her through school. They even had some tools that she could borrow while in school; one I remember was a special electronic note-taking pen. The profs were very helpful once they understood the situation.

[goldberry]

Her attitude has also improved... she messaged me a video last night I just HAD to watch (because it was SO COOL) showing mold forming under a microscope. I was going to bed and she said she would send me another one today about wounds healing. 

 

That's definitely my girl.  :laugh:

[Frances]

Just be aware that headphones of any kind may not be permitted on tests, because they could be used to transmit information.

Of course, that’s why I said where appropriate (e.g. studying in the library). He takes earplugs to exams, not headphones.

[regentrude]

Of course, that’s why I said where appropriate (e.g. studying in the library). He takes earplugs to exams, not headphones.

 

I understood this; my comment was intended for the OP reading your comment :)