Oral Communication Skills Are Important for Students

BY ANTON LUCANUS

Communication skills are vital for a student’s academic success and future career prospects. In today’s challenging environment, students must not only possess academic expertise, but also the requisite skills to enhance their learning and employability prospects in the future.

Communication is a dynamic process as it involves an interaction between two or more people i.e. the sender and the receiver. The main purpose of communication is to transmit thoughts and beliefs to another person. The major components of communication are verbal communication or oral communication and non-verbal communication. Oral communication is the process of expressing ideas through the medium of speech and this plays a crucial role in the life of students.

Importance of Oral Communication for Students

An individual learns the basics of oral communication right at home. The school environment takes this learning a notch higher by teaching the student how to interact with peers and teachers alike. The quality of communication in student life will define professional communication later in life.

Good communication enables students to assimilate more from the learning process by empowering them to ask relevant questions and discuss doubts.

Effective verbal communication nurtures the process of socialization by facilitating new friendships and these in turn aid the learning process.

Productive communication is a boost to career development. An ability to convey thoughts in a clear and precise manner would help a student to make a favorable impression at an interview and get the job that he deserves.

Communication skills inculcate professionalism in speaking styles, ways of self-expression and attitudes towards others, and these traits would hold students in good stead in their professional lives.

Dynamics of Oral Communication

The hallmark of a good student communicator is that he has mastered the art of preparing, organizing and delivering successful oral presentations. Oral communication includes real-time presentations, video presentations and interviews, with accompanying visual aids such as handouts and power-points.

Message is the key to a good oral communication. The substance of the presentation should be relevant to the audience and goals of the presentation.

Self-awareness is the starting point of good oral communication. A person who is aware of his strengths and weaknesses can put in the required efforts to improve communication skills.

Confidence is another vital aspect of good communication. A person may know the subject and yet not communicate adequately if he lacks confidence.

Simplicity in messaging is indispensable for good communication as assimilation of the message is directly proportional to clarity of its presentation.

Awareness of the audience is an important tool in the hands of an effective oral communicator. A good communicator can guage the impact of the by observing the body language and feedback of the audience and adjust his approach accordingly.

Interaction is the path to effectiveness. A student oral communicator can keep the audience engaged by asking questions and soliciting opinions on the subject matter at hand. This would also help in fine tuning the message and style of presentation, based on the feedback received from the audience.

The tone of voice of the presenter carries a lot of weight in delivery of the message. A confident tone keeps the audience engaged, whereas a low and monotonous tone can be off-putting. Voice modulation can also be employed to highlight the key points in the presentation and retain the attention of the audience.

Body language is an important component of effective oral communication. The student should adopt a stable and confident posture, make appropriate gestures, avoid being fidgety and establish eye contact during the presentation.

Oral communication is not merely the ability to speak, but also the capacity to listen. A good communicator is one who is attuned to the audience and is able to calibrate his message accordingly. An aspiring oral communicator should be willing to acquire and hone his listening skills over a period of time.

 The Path to Effective Oral Communication

Oral communication is an art that can be learnt and polished through reading, presentation skills and practice.

An oral communicator should have intellectual curiosity. Reading is a means to the development of good communication skills. A well-educated mind would be able to communicate better as content is the soul of the communication process. He should also possess an attitude of discussion and deliberation as this would improve intellectual capabilities and thereby contribute to effective communication.

Effective writing skills and good verbal communication skills go hand-in-hand although they may appear antithetical to a newbie. A student with good writing skills would alone be in a position to organize and present his thoughts in a structured manner; an exposure to the nitty-gritty of essay writing would be immensely beneficial in that regard.

The age-old dictum ‘Practice makes a person perfect’ makes perfect sense in the world of oral communication. The first impression is the best impression and many students fail this test due to a various impediments such as stage fright, lack of self-confidence and performance anxiety. A student can conquer his fears and master the art of oral communication by participating in many real and mock presentations, and speech-based activities.

Active participation in the community would transform a student into a good communicator by honing his linguistic abilities. Moreover, a leadership position in an academic setting would be an important asset on the CV of a student.

To conclude, a student willing to put his nose to the grindstone can indeed make a smooth transition from a tentative speaker to an effective and seasoned oral communicator.

Byline – Anton Lucanus is the Director of Neliti. During his college years, he maintained a perfect GPA, was published in a top cancer journal, and received many of his country’s most prestigious undergraduate scholarships. Anton writes for The College Puzzle as a means to share the lessons learnt throughout his degree and to guide current students to achieve personal and educational fulfilment during college life.

 

College Safety Tips for Student Living Situations

BY GORDON SCHORR

Now that you are living on your own for the first time, whether it be in a dorm room or your own apartment on or near campus, you can’t just throw caution to the wind. Remember all of those safety tips your mother drilled into you when you were a kid? These were important things to learn, and things that you need to remember no matter where you are. Let’s take a look at some of the best safety tips for college students.

Give Someone Your Schedule 

It is a good idea to make sure that friends and family members know your routine. That way, if there is an emergency, or if you aren’t where you should be, someone will know and be able to help you if you need it, or at least get in touch with you if something should happen.

Lock Your Doors 

Even if you are in a dorm room, it is important to keep your doors locked at all time, whether you are there or not. Even if you are just stepping out to go to the kitchen for a minute, lock up. It only takes a few seconds for someone to get into your room and steal your valuables. Remember to keep your windows locked as well.

Install Door and Window Alarms 

Most dorms and apartment buildings have security alarms, but it can’t hurt to have additional alarms on your doors and windows. These are inexpensive and easy to install, and they will alert you if someone tries to sneak in. If you are not there, someone will be alerted and be able to call the police.

Get some Pepper Spray 

“If it is legal in your area, get yourself a can of pepper spray, and carry it with you at all times, especially when you are out alone at night,” suggests an expert at Pain Free NYC.  If pepper spray is not legal, carry a small can of hair spray in your purse or pocket. It can give you enough time to momentarily confuse an attacker so you can get away.

Hide Your Valuables 

Don’t leave valuables laying around for anyone to see. Get a small safe, such as a diversion safe that looks like an everyday object, to hide your valuables in. Also, don’t flaunt expensive jewelry, clothing, laptops and other gadgets, etc. The wrong people may just take notice and then try to steal them from you.

Create an Evacuation Plan 

It is important to have an evacuation plan in the event of a fire. Create a plan that is going to give you the easiest and quickest route out of the building, and include alternative paths just in case one is blocked. Practice your evacuation plan periodically to keep it fresh in your mind should you need to use it.

Use the Elevator 

A lot of violent crimes happen in dark, quiet stairwells. Always use the elevator rather than the stairs whenever possible. If there is someone in the elevator that seems sketchy, simply don’t get on, and wait for the next one. Always trust your instincts, especially when they are telling you to be careful.

Prevent Injuries 

“Look for ways that you can prevent injuries from happening. It only takes a stray item on the floor to cause a broken bone if you trip and fall over it. Pick things up and keep your space uncluttered,” says Dr. Leon Reyfman. Don’t run up and down the stairs, even if you are late. Accidents are preventable.

Avoid Using Candles 

It is a good idea to stock up on flashlights, battery operated candles, etc. That way, if there is a power outage, you will have light, but it won’t be dangerous. It is far too easy to start fires when you are using candles, and you can get plenty of cheap flashlights at your local dollar store.

Gordon Schorr is an online educator and creative writer

8 Ways to Improve Your Grades if You are Under Performing

BY LORRAINE McKINNEY

 

You may have gotten away with underperforming occasionally in high school, but you are paying for your college education, and you need to make the most out of it. This means that if you are underperforming now, you have to find ways to nip that problem right in the bud. There can be several reasons why you may not be doing as well as you would like in college. What you need to do is figure out why you are underperforming, and then look for things you can do to turn this around. Here are eight tips that can help.

Learn How to Really Take Notes – If you are just scribbling down notes in class on scraps of paper, your notes aren’t going to be organized, and it is going to make studying difficult. Even if you are using a notebook, if you are not taking notes properly, you may have trouble deciphering them later on. Type them up to make them even easier to read, and review what you have learned.

1. Improve Your Memory – It can be difficult to remember everything you are learning, especially when it comes time to be tested during exams. If you find that you don’t remember a lot of facts and figures easily, you need to work on ways to improve your memory. There are plenty of memory techniques you can use that will help you prepare for and ace your exams.
2. Brush Up On Writing Skills – Most of your courses will require essay writing, and it could be a big part of your grade. You need to learn what your teachers are looking for, and how to cover every proper aspect of writing a good essay, as well as how to respond to feedback. Don’t take criticism as criticism. Take it as a way to learn what you need to improve on, and do even better the next time.
3. Find Your Learning Style – According to Dr. Michael Ghalchi not everyone learns the same way, even though specific learning styles are drilled into us from the time we are in grade school. You may need to figure out why your current way of learning isn’t working for you, and then work on finding your own learning style that will make learning a lot easier.
4. Go to Summer School – If you need more help, you may find that enrolling in a summer academics program can really help. You are going to get a couple of extra months of learning in, and be better prepared for the fall semester. This is a great opportunity to brush up on the things you didn’t do well in during the last semester as well.
5. Ask Questions – “If you really pay attention in class and ask questions, you won’t have to study nearly as much later on, and you will retain more. Listen to what the teachers are saying instead of checking messages on your phone. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you don’t understand something, and ask for further explanations,” suggests Dr. Susan Bard.
6. Go Over Everything – Make sure that you cover all of the topics in your syllabus. The last thing you need is to end up missing something important because you weren’t studying the right things. Now is the time to go over each and every part of the syllabus, even if it means revising everything from scratch.
7. Make Learning a Game – There are all kinds of ways that you can make learning more fun. Start by studying with a group of friends, so you have others to talk to. Make a game out of your studies in order to get more out of what you are learning. The more fun you are having, the more you are going to end up retaining.

Lorraine McKinney is an academic tutor and elearning specialist.

How to Avoid Substance Abuse while in College

BY JANE HURST

For any number of reasons, substance abuse is at an all-time high on college campuses. Often, it is simply the freedom of being away from your parents for the first time, and you really want to try out as many new experiences as possible. For some students, there is so much pressure to get good grades (either from themselves or from their families) that they turn to substances to cope. Whatever the reason, there are always alternative to substance abuse. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can avoid substance abuse while in college.

• Reject Peer Pressure You may think that this is something to worry about more when you are younger, but anyone can be affected by peer pressure, and at any age. You may want to impress your new friends by showing them how much you can drink and party. After a while, you are going to get into some habits that can be extremely difficult to break. If your friends are pressuring you to abuse substances, maybe it is time to look for a new group of friends.
• Have Fun without Substances You can go to a club or a party without drinking or taking drugs, and still have a terrific time. There are all kinds of ways that you can have fun without alcohol or drugs. Throw substance-free parties with like-minded friends, explore new places, go to restaurants and coffee shops with friends, and attend substance-free events. You should be able to find all kinds of things to do on campus bulletin boards and social media pages.
• Learn to Deal with Stress According to specialists from “Phoenix” addiction rehabilitation center one of the biggest reasons why a lot of college students abuse various substances is that they are trying to find ways to deal with stress. Yes, you are under a lot of pressure as a student. But, there are many other ways to cope with the pressure instead of succumbing to substance abuse. Find other outlets, whether it be exercise, spending time with friends, or even just taking a walk by yourself to relax and clear your mind.
• Enjoy Your Hobbies If you have hobbies that you enjoy, continue doing them. Even if you are busy, try to make time for these hobbies. The more things that you are doing that don’t involve alcohol or drugs, the better. When you have free time, do the things you really enjoy rather than going to a bar or a party just because you have nothing better to do. When you have hobbies, you always have an alternative option.
• Get a Job or Volunteer Another way to avoid taking drugs or drink is to have a part-time job or do some volunteer work. When you have responsibilities, and know how to properly deal with any stress that comes with working and going to school, you will be too busy to even think about partying, getting high, or getting drunk. Of course, you need to be very capable of handling stress, so you don’t end up doing these things to deal with the stress of working and being a student.
• Get More Exercise One way to avoid getting into the drug scene is to start taking better care of your physical health. Start exercising every day, even if it is just walking to and from classes or using the stairs instead of the elevator (as long as it is not an unsafe situation). The better you look and feel, the less likely you are going to be to want to take substances that could ruin all that you have worked so hard to achieve.

Byline:

Jane Hurst has been working in education for over 5 years as a teacher. She loves sharing her knowledge with students, is fascinated about edtech and loves reading, a lot. Follow Jane on Twitter.

 

6 Apps to Help College Women Feel Safer

BY MARTHA KARN

 

We are living in a time when it is more important than ever to be vigilant about our personal safety, both on and off campus. It is not enough to simply be aware of our surroundings and to let someone know where we are going to be and what time we will be home. It is not legal to carry pepper spray or weapons in most cases, so how can you protect yourself? You can start by downloading the following safety apps that have been designed with you, the college student, in mind.

 

1. KiteString – This app was created by an MIT student whose girlfriend wanted him to know her status after walking home from work. This is a bit different than other safety apps. Instead of needing an activity to trigger it, this app works through inaction. Let the app know that you are in a potentially dangerous situation, and determine a time for the app to check with you. If you do not answer, it will send custom messages to your emergency contacts. If you are running late, you can go in and edit the call-back time.
2. SafeTrek – This app lets you notify the police when you are in an unsafe situation, but it has an extra feature, a “Safe” button. So, you can have it ready to call without actually calling. If you move your thumb on this button, and then release it, you are prompted to enter a four-digit code. If you do not enter, the police are automatically notified of your location. If you enter the code, the police will not be notified. SafeTrek is recommended by Manhattan Women’s Health & Wellness Center.
3. VthU App – There is always a chance that you could end up in a situation where you are unable to dial for emergency services when you are in trouble. This app lets you avoid having to call the number. Simply push the power button on your phone twice, and an SOS alarm will be sent to your contacts. The messages are sent out at regular intervals, who will be informed that you are in a dangerous situation, and where you are located. Each time the message sent, it is re-designed.
4. bSafe – This app has many features that are designed to help you feel safer when you are traveling. You can register one primary contact, and any number of friends. Some of the features include “Follow Me”, which lets your guardians or friends track your travels in real time, the “I’m Here” features, which lets them know that you have arrived safely, and the S.O.S. feature in case of emergency. There is also a timer feature that sets off an alarm if you do not check in at a specific time. Once the alarm goes off, it starts recording a video to collect evidence if there is a crime.
5. Safetipin – This is a free, map-based app that lets you create circles of interest throughout your neighbourhood, campus, etc. You can edit these circles to let others know where roads may be rough, lighting not good, etc., and you can even post photos and tell other users how you feel about certain areas of town. “You can give and receive information, so you are not only protecting yourself, you are also helping others to protect themselves,” says an expert at The Women’s Choice.
6. Circle of 6 – This app is designed to fight sexual assault and interpersonal violence. You can stay safe and help prevent an assault with this app by adding six friends to create your circle. When you are in a dangerous situation, you can send out automated messages such as “Come and get me. I need help getting home safely,” and “Call and pretend you need me,” so there is something that can interfere with the situation and help you get away. You can also contact the built-in hotline, which lets you state the exact nature of the situation.

 

Bio:

Martha Karn develops online educational courses and writes for students.

 

8 Ways College Women Can Protect Their Health

BY LINDA ANDERSON

 

College is a huge transition for people. From the safe cocoon of high school young adults start spreading their wings before they fly into the professional world. But in this wonderful phase a number of students, especially females, end up ignoring their health which can affect them in the long run. Here are some of the things women need to do through their college years in order to protect their heath.

Detox after parties

College parties are indeed epic and anyone who goes to college will probably spend a large part of her first semester partying. But what is important that you must detox your body when you are not partying. All that junk food and alcohol will otherwise wreck your skin and hair. Eat healthy fruits, home cooked food, drink plenty of juices and do some light workout to flush out the toxins.

Keep your clothes clean

Laundry might be the most boring thing on the planet, but it is absolutely essential. Dirt clothes are breeding grounds of bacteria which can cause rashes, boils and various skin diseases. Dirty underwear can give you painful UTIs. Therefore, if you don’t have anything to wear, it is better to buy new clothes than wearing the dirty ones!

Keep your surroundings clean

Your bed, dorm floor and bathroom can be the breeding grounds for bacteria like E. Coli etc., cold and flu virus or even bedbugs and lice if not maintained properly. Keep these places clean and dry. Change your sheets at least every week and vacuum your floors and walls regularly.

Invest in hygiene

College can be a filthy place with tons of students using the same facilities. Therefore, invest in some good anti-bacterial wipes and sanitisers. Get a toilet seat sanitiser if you have to use a shared or public bathroom. Women are far more prone to UTIs owing to a shorter urinary tract and hence it is absolutely important to ensure hygiene, especially in shared spaces.

Track your menstrual health

Ladies, your menstrual health is absolutely crucial and now that your mom isn’t on campus to keep a track, it is something you have to do all by yourself. Mark your dates on a calendar or get one of those apps which help you track your periods. From dates to pain to consistency, keep a track of everything.

Test for STDs

It is important to get yourself tested for STDs and STIs at regular intervals. A number of common STDs and STIs can be easily cured and controlled if tested at an early stage. The optimal gap for a sexually active woman is 3 months between each test.

Visit your gynecologist regularly

Don’t forget to pay regular visits to your gynecologist to rule out possible infections and other diseases. With proper care you can actually fend off or at least fight more effectively, diseases like PCOD, endometriosis etc.

Drink plenty of water

Lastly, and most importantly, if you plan on surviving through college on ramen and soda you are pretty doomed because a bad lifestyle can ruin your health big time. It is important to step up and take care of your health. Drink at least four to six liters of water every day. In order to avoid UTIs you can get yourself a water ioniser from somewhere reputed like bawellwaterionizers.com to ensure the right ph.

Health is an investment for life. If you take it for granted and ignore it in your youth, you will suffer the consequences. Therefore, take good care of your health so that you can lead a healthy life.

By line for Linda Anderson

I’m a writer and musician residing in Boise, ID in the United States, although I spent a small amount of time (about three years) living in the UK growing up, due to my father’s occupation. I graduated from the College of Idaho with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and a focus in marketing in 2014.

 

Do Not Get Sick in College: Cold and Flu Prevention 

BY PAMELA CURRIER

With cold and flu season nearly upon us, it is time to start taking steps to prevent becoming sick this year. Students seem to be especially vulnerable to colds and flus, and there are several reason for this. For one thing, there are thousands of people in one small area, and it is easy for germs to spread from person to person. Also, when you are studying hard, it can be easy for your system to become run down, and that opens the door for cold and flu germs to take over. Today we are going to look at some of the best cold and flu prevention tips for college students.

• Clean Your Computer
  There are things that you touch all the time, such as your computer, phone, stove and fridge handles, etc. Make sure that you regularly clean and disinfect anything that you or other people touch frequently to get keep germs from spreading. Don’t forget to have hand sanitizer, so you can sanitize your hands after touching things that are used by others.
• Brushing Your Teeth
  Always use different sinks for brushing your teeth and doing the dishes. If you need to wash dishes, don’t do the in your bathroom. Use the kitchen or utility room in your dorm. Bathroom surfaces are easily contaminated, and you run the risk of spreading various germs, including E. coli and salmonella.
• Do Not Share Towels
  Make sure that you always use your own towels, and don’t share it with anyone else. “Towels are a breeding ground for many germs, and if someone who has a cold or the flu uses your towel, chances are you are going to be sick within a few days yourself. Don’t share towels,” explains an expert from Integrative Health Center.
• Avoid Second-Hand Smoke
  Here is another great reason to avoid being around smokers. Not only is the smoke bad for your lungs, it can also lead to a variety of illnesses, including meningitis. It also inflames the mucus membranes in the throat, which is going to make anyone more susceptible to illnesses such as colds.
• Get a Flu Shot
  It only takes a few minutes to get a flu shot, and this is going to be one of your best defenses against the virus. Find out if your school offers free flu shots, or see if there are any local clinics where you can get yours right away. The sooner you get the shot, the less likely you will be to end up with the flu this winter.
• Avoid Close Contact
  Whether someone is sick or healthy, it is best to avoid close contact with them in order to prevent the spread of germs. This is especially important if you have a compromised immune system, in which case it is best to avoid large crowds, especially during cold and flu season.
• Stock Your Medicine Cabinet
  “No matter how many ways you try to avoid getting sick, chances are that you are going to end up with a cold or the flu at some point during the year. Make sure that you are prepared by having a fully-stocked medicine cabinet that has things like cough syrup, throat lozenges, nasal spray, decongestant,” suggests Dr. Shawn Khodadadian.
• Don’t Touch Your Face
  You know how your mother always told you to keep your hands away from your face or mouth? It wasn’t just to keep you from getting pimples. Touching your eyes, nose, and mouth is not only a great way for germs to get into your body, but if you already have the germs, it is also a great way to spread them to others.

Pamela Currier helps recent grads land the jobs of their dreams, she is a career coach and educator.

 

3 Tips to Keep Up With Studies Through Life-Changing Events

BY SYLVIA KOHL

It’s often hard to keep up with your studies even while you are a regular university student. It gets even harder when you are going through some life-changing events. Stressful situations have a significant impact on your health and cognitive ability, so it’s imperative to find a way to deal.

What Are ‘Life-Changing’ Events?

Literally, ‘life-changing’ means ‘one notably altering a person’s life’. Insurance companies call them Qualifying Life Events (QLEs) and have a detailed list of what’s considered ‘notably life-changing’. The most stressful of those experiences are:

• Death of a loved one
• Divorce/marriage
• Moving (or some other sudden changes in circumstances that has a profound effect on one’s life)
• Disease
• Birth of a child

There are two essential things that every student must understand about life-changing events. One is that they don’t have to be bad to have a negative impact on your studies potentially. For example, the birth of a child, moving to a better residence, or getting married, are all happy events. Yet, they are stressful and will mess up with your study schedule.

The other important thing is that the majority of life-changing events are out of your control. Therefore, the only way to get through is to learn how to deal with them most efficiently. Developing coping mechanisms is essential as studies prove that stressful events are incredibly detrimental to one’s health. This undoubtedly contributes to why only about 60% of students graduate with bachelor’s degrees.

3 Practical Tips on How to Deal with Life-Changing Events

1. Accept the Things You Can’t Control

Start with identifying the primary stressors in your life and rationally analyzing the measure of control you have. Be sure to take into account all factors. For example, it might seem like it’s possible to stop divorce of your parents proceedings through couple counseling. However, this will require equal investment from both sides. If negotiations fail, you must accept that you can’t bear the burden of sustaining the relationship.

As being rational and unbiased is almost impossible in this situation, you should see a counselor.

Your studies are something you can control. Therefore, you can benefit from using them as an anchor to focus on while trying to accept the inevitable.

2. Take Up Meditation

It’s a scientifically proven fact that mindfulness meditation is useful for stress relief, coping, and reducing the symptoms of anxiety. There are numerous meditation techniques you should try to find the one that would work for you.

Note that you should always start with the help of a qualified and experienced guide. This will boost the efficiency of the procedure.

3. Change Your Attitude

The way you perceive the issue affects the impact it has on your life. Remember that ‘life-changing’ isn’t necessarily bad, even when the event is adverse. Trying to see it from a positive angle will help you embrace more effective coping strategies.

The most effective trick for an ‘attitude switch’ is to see the problem as a step up in your education. You can also try to perceive it as not an end to your happiness, but as creating an opportunity for a new beginning.

No matter what happens, never forget that studies are necessary for your future.

Sylvia Kohl is an IT teacher with more than 8 years of professional experience. Her main spheres of interest are e-education and she convinced that learning process doesn’t stop after years in school and university.

 

What Students Need To Know About the Disabilities Laws

BY DANIKA KIMBALL

When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law over 25 years ago, the college environment was forever changed. Legal mandates under the ADA require that postsecondary institutions make reasonable accommodations in order to provide disabled students an equal opportunity to participate in courses, programs, and activities — including athletics programs.

While most people think of the ADA as legislation that helped those with visible disabilities, the ADA has also impacted those who may have “invisible disabilities.” As highlighted by The Atlantic, a number of students with dyslexia and other learning differences (LDs) have also benefited greatly by the passing of the ADA.

Accommodations come in many forms, from academic adjustments or modifications like extended time for test taking or completing coursework; substituting specific courses to help students fulfill degree requirements; modification of test taking or performance evaluations. These accommodations can also include classroom aids such as sign language interpreters, note takers, readers, braille, large print, and electronic formats of required texts.

Because of the passing of the ADA, students like Rae Jacobsen, a person who has been diagnosed with ADHD and dyscalculia, a condition that makes it difficult to make sense of numbers and mathematical concepts, was able to earn a master’s degree from Loyola University in New Orleans. Today, she is a writer for the New York-based Child Mind Institute. “It doesn’t mean you can’t learn,” Jacobson writes about her learning differences. “It just means you haven’t been taught in a way that makes sense.”

Although the ADA has made things easier for students with both visible and invisible disabilities, there are still a number of challenges when it comes to accessing higher education spaces. Students with LDs attend four-year colleges at about half the rate of the general population, and only 41 percent of those students graduate from four year institutions in a 6-year time frame, compared to 52 percent of all students.

The reasons for this are abundant and can range from a lack of funds to trouble satisfying the documentation requirements necessary in college offices. In college students are required to self-identify as disabled, and accurate documentation of their disability must be provided. This process is easier for some than it is for others.

“In the end, it means that college students must be academically prepared, ready to live independently, understand the nature of their learning differences, be able to describe the services and accommodations they may need and have the ability to advocate for themselves,” Laura Castaneda writes for The Atlantic.

Peter A. Eden, president of Landmark, an institution which specifically serves students with LDs, agrees.

“For some students, when a parent is no longer helping them at a the kitchen table like in high school, a student may need a more robust system and set of resources to help them succeed in college,” he argues.

The good news in all of this is that colleges are more prepared than ever to help students with disabilities succeed. Schools with structured programs that have a director and staff certified in learning disabilities or related areas have been cropping up in schools around the country. And while schools that exclusively teach students with LDs are rare, there are traditional schools like Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, and the University of Arizona in Tuscon, Arizona that each have robust disability services programs.

Still, while these accommodations are readily available at many institutions, it’s important that those who intend to use ADA services do their research and that they start early — from finding programs that help disabled individuals save money to finding a college environment that is right for them.

Over the past 20 years, the ADA has transformed the educational system, providing more opportunities for individuals than were available before. While there are still a number of improvements that could be made, this legislation provides students with both visible and invisible disabilities with equal opportunities when it comes to education.

Danika is a writer and musician from the Northwest who sometimes takes a 30 minute break from feminism to enjoy a tv show. You can follow her on Twitter @sadwhitegrrl

 

Tips to Retain Academic Information for Better Learning and Grades

BY AVA J. AVASDEN

Most students in the US today have to juggle multiple tasks including jobs, sports, and studies. On top of this, if you are a student studying a subject only to get credits without actually being interested in the subject, you are likely to battle stress as you forget most of what you had learned. Every time you have to write an essay, you would probably find it easier to jump off a cliff with your eyes closed.

This is not the ideal scenario and it can easily be dealt with. You only need to be mindful of the following tricks.

Make the most of your lectures

It may sounds like the biggest cliché circulating lecture halls and dorm rooms, but this advice has stood the test of time. The most effective memory-building skills don’t appear magically overnight. They begin from the day you start attending your lectures and being mindful of the content being taught. It is easy to remember things you have experienced or done, i.e, if you were mentally and physically present for a lecture, recalling it before an exam is not going to be a challenging task. Now, there is a difference between sitting in a class and being an active listener. To make sure that everything taught by your professor is locked and registered in your mind follow these helpful steps:

• Be an active listener. Keep your mind focussed on the lectures. Refrain from day-dreaming. Think about the concepts being explained and ask doubts. If you think your doubts haven’t been resolved, meet up with your professor after the class.
• Take fast, short notes by hand. As much as you can. Writing things down helps the creation of long term memories. We register and understand complicated things much better when we have penned them down.
• Some professors allow their lectures to be recorded by students. If your professor allows this, you have hit the jackpot. You can record the content and listen to it when you are free or even just before your exams. Listening to the same thing multiple times will facilitate better retention.
• Try to occupy the front rows in the class.

The method of loci

Or in other words, memory maps.

It is a simple memory technique that has helped Cicero in ancient Rome to Sherlock in modern-day London. In this technique, you imagine a building or street and fill it with details such as parks, rooms, paintings, boxes, etc. Assign each of these entities a set of information you would like to retain for your exams such as elements of the periodic table or historical dates.  When you want to recollect the information, just take a walk down the memory lane, and voila, you will be able to recall each bit of data successfully.

Other memory building techniques could include the use of mnemonics and anagrams to remember larger chunks of information.

For example, if you are trying to memorize the order of taxonomy for biology tests, just remember – “Kids Prefer Cheese Over Fried Green Spinach” -(Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species) or  for remembering the bones in the skull try –  “Old People From Texas Eat Spiders” –(Occipital, Parietal, Frontal, Temporal, Ethnoid, Sphenoid).

These techniques work because they are funny and eye-catching. They relate relatively serious and mundane things with humorous ideas. And as you know, it is easy to recall a funny one-liner, especially when you are stressed for exams.

When revising texts and information, it is best not to cram everything one night before exams. Instead, have a planned routine of revisiting topics in regular intervals. Keep a mix of subjects and topics; don’t keep studying the same subject/topic for hours and hours. Bringing variety will definitely add spice here.

Attain the state of flow

There is nothing more helpful than writing and making notes. It works for most people. Whenever you get a writing task or whenever you want to learn something new and complex, start with writing a rough draft. Accumulate all the information concisely at one place with its sources underneath. You can always sort out the sources later on. Stay focussed on the topic at hand. Livia, the co-founder of Lifesaver Essays- a writing service advises students that they should avoid all kinds of distractions while writing, take short breaks, and attain the state of “flow”, which is the highest level of concentration one can achieve. She advises getting completely immersed while writing as this is likely to give a boost to your retention and maximize your productivity.

The background details

In addition to the above, there are a lot of activities we can do on a daily basis to build our retention power gradually:

• Develop a genuine interest in your subjects. Make efforts to go to the library and sit with your academic books at least once or twice a week. The more you involve your mental faculties, the better you remember things.
• Motivation, like showering, is a thing that needs to be done daily. Keep an eye on the goal and build a “can-do” attitude. Optimism will fill you with energy and concentration. And these will have a dramatic impact on memory power.
• Try to get good 8 hours of night-time sleep every day. Even before your exams, research Studies have shown that a good sleep will help you retain information much better. Pulling an all-nighter is counter-productive to remembering things. Make sure that before exams you are well-rested.
• Our brain, like any other organ, thrives when supplied with proper nutrients. Your diet has a big impact on your cognitive functions. Eat a brain-healthy diet which includes lots of eggs, fish, nuts, berries etc. Don’t skip exercises.

 

Ava is an avid reader and is intrigued by topics such as student motivation, performance, and education systems around the world. She had recently started writing and would like to cover topics related to education, learning, and poetry.