Battling with my university - worth the fight?

[talknerdytome]

When I went back to university in September they had introduced ID cards that you needed to swipe to register your attendance, not just once a day but for every session that day (up to 6 times a day!). If we don't have our cards we are marked absent. As a student nurse if we have more than 3 weeks off in 3 years we don't qualify as nurses, so attendance is a big deal.

I emailed the study support people and said I was going to really struggle to remember to bring this card in everyday, and was worried my attendance record would suffer even though I was actually there. I was told this was a 'life skill' I needed to learn, so they wouldn't make any reasonable adjustments. They also couldn't offer any practical ways to avoid it happening.

Surprisingly, I forgot my card yesterday and have now been marked as absent even though I was there. I emailed our head of year to explain the situation and ask if anything can be done. He said no - have I thought about putting it in my bag in the morning?

I have fired off an angry email to our head of studies, I think it's a manifestation of how fed up I am at the moment though. I feel like I am getting absolutely no help at the moment, and I'm really struggling as a result.

[mommytriz]

There has got to be some way you can make sure this card makes it with you everyday. I am the queen of forgetful and with 3 kids I cannot afford that or they miss out. I can see why this program would not alter this requirement. You will one day be in a position of great responsibility and there will not be allowances when someones life is at risk.

Could you put it with a possession that absolutely goes with you. Do you take your wallet everywhere, license etc. I know this one wouldn't work for me a s I routinely forget my wallet and license. Maybe get one of the neck loops and attach it so you can wear it. Hang that on the doorknob so you see it as you leave in the morning. Rig a way to place it on your keys if you need keys for your house everyday. If you drive, leave it in your car everyday, if you take the bus, keep it with your transit card. If you walk, take up running so you can race back home to get it. I know this won't be easy as I cannot believe the things I forget even when I've thought of it 5 minutes before I leave, but I have a small basket right by my door that I place things that need to go with me, especially things that are not ordinary.

Good luck

[lalapin]

If you really want rules to apply differently to you, you absolutely need an official Dx and a Dr's note saying you need this and this accomodation etc... Or else it's just unfair for the other students. If you don't want to ask for accomodations you can always try to think of some strategies to no forget the card. Put a post it note on your door so you always see it before you leave, or set up an alarm about this in your cell, and try to make a habit of always having it with you. Maybe you can purchase the slingy thing that clips on your clothes or inside your bag and you just have to pull it out to scan the card and it never leaves you... Or attatch it to your keys?

[talknerdytome]

lapin I have an official diagnosis of dyspraxia and dyscalculia and a statement of needs from an educational psychologist which says I have problems with this stuff, so I get long library loans, relaxed late fines, etc. I don't see why this is excluded from that.

[Flory]

it's because its a requirement of the NMC/RCN (CANT REMEMBER WHICH BODY EXACTLY) (attendance and recording of it etc) for professional registration (outside of the universities control) not just the university..
i know its sucky but all you can do is literally glue the card to you get a card holder for it etc...or keep it in your purse or some place that you wont forget it....(i did a year of Mental Health Nursing at King's fwiw, i didnt get passed fitness to practice with my dx's, by the time i did it was too late and had officially ****** up my degree)

[parliate]

Take one of these and put your neck you shouldn't worry about it anymore i think


http://i00.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/468...er_lanyard.jpg

[talknerdytome]

Thanks guys,

I have lots and lots of lanyards, I just forget to pick those up as well.

I was keeping it in the back of my phone, put I have to take it out of my phone to scan it, and then I left it in my pocket...

*sigh* I think I'm probably just going to have to put up with a poor attendance record, lol. I'll have to make sure I'm not actually sick.

[IOCharles]

At my university we have a disability resource center. They require you fill out a packet and get a doctor to sign it to confirm your diagnosis, but once a student has registered, a student can use a caseworker to make arrangements with instructors for things like extra test time, recordings of lectures, additional notes, free note-taking paid by the school, and other stuff like attendance issues. We use Turning-Point clickers and I've had problems with them related to my ADHD, and I've been able to straighten them out rather easily.

From what I understand the Board of Regents is required to accommodate ADHD students, and if you're attending a legitimate university accredited through the state, then that school is supposed to have a working program to assist you. If you think your university is inadequate with offering you resources for your ADD, then go to the organization that oversees their accreditation.

I just read that you're in rural England, so I cannot speak for how your government regulates their educational institutions, but I would imagine you can push buttons somewhere to get help. If not, take it up as a cause and write an academic paper you can get published and present in front of Parliament.

[lalapin]

Sorry talknerdytome, I assumed you were not dxd because in your signature it says "self dx:ADD" that's why I said you could not get accomodations for ADD related stuff...

[Fuzzy12]

Could you maybe ask a reliable friend/colleague to remind you every morning to bring your card and then maybe again just before you have to swipe it?

Or you could set an alarm on your mobile every day to remind you.

[demuregeek]

Is it possible to get copies of the cards such that they all work? Either by asking for them, or by saying that you 'lost' it?

When it comes to things that are interchangeable, I often use the "carpet-bombing" strategy to ensure I always have one when I need it. Example: for the longest time I could never find the hairbrush when I needed it to comb out the kids' hair after their baths, because someone had always taken it and put it somewhere else, left it in the car, left it in their backpack, or whatever. Eventually I lost my cool, went to the store, and bought like 8 hairbrushes. Now there's a couple in the bathroom, a couple in the closet, one in the van, one in the diaper bag, and one in a secret stash only I know about, so that when it comes time that I need a d*mn hairbrush, I bloody well know I'm going to find one.

If I could, I'd try and get three cards, then put one in my wallet, one in my bag, and one on a lanyard. That way, I know I'd have at least one when the time came that I needed one. I don't know if that's a possibility or not, but maybe something to look into?

[Verile]

I apologize in advance. I know I risk being treated as an ******* for this statement.

Rather than look for how you can be exempted from a basic rule, you need to find some way to absolutely remember. Why would anyone want to help you graduate if you're going to end up as an irresponsible nurse? If you can't remember to bring a card with you to work, I'd be terrified of allowing you to treat patients. Who knows what else you'd forget to do that could endanger lives.

Even with the best strategy you'll surely forget sometimes but there's no good excuse to not even try. Use some of the reasonable strategies people have offered here. Put the card in your wallet or anything else you always have with you. Leave it in your car. Put a nail by the doorway and leave it in plain sight. Set a reminder alarm that automatically resets and notifies you to look for it and put it in its place before and after work. Leave it somewhere at work, like a locker. Multiple copies. Any number of things you could possibly try to overcome this rather than demand they simply accomodate you.

[alisno1fan]

Keep going!! I'm in 5th year Medicine with my final exams in 3 weeks. Has at least the last 3 years done my head in?? Yes. Do I struggle to not kill myself (figuratively not actually lol) daily? Yes. Am I in a degree made up of normal, competitive, med students with no life experience and minimal social skills? Yes. Does the medical school, consultants, or actually anybody in my entire life (besides my family) believe in or understand ADHD? Nope.

It's hard, it sucks, it's frustrating, it's lonely and it can feel impossible pretty much all the time. But it is possible. It is doable. And I for one refuse to be another negative ADHD statistic and stereotype. I refuse to not be able to have what everyone else can have because I have a disability/condition. And when it's all said and done we will stand proud and we will show the world we will not bow to our disability or their negative views of us. I know I will stand proud, I will raise awareness and show the world an other ADHD people: Anything is possible. If I can do it, you can do it..

[AshT]

Originally Posted by talknerdytome

When I went back to university in September they had introduced ID cards that you needed to swipe to register your attendance, not just once a day but for every session that day (up to 6 times a day!). If we don't have our cards we are marked absent. As a student nurse if we have more than 3 weeks off in 3 years we don't qualify as nurses, so attendance is a big deal.

I emailed the study support people and said I was going to really struggle to remember to bring this card in everyday, and was worried my attendance record would suffer even though I was actually there. I was told this was a 'life skill' I needed to learn, so they wouldn't make any reasonable adjustments. They also couldn't offer any practical ways to avoid it happening.

Surprisingly, I forgot my card yesterday and have now been marked as absent even though I was there. I emailed our head of year to explain the situation and ask if anything can be done. He said no - have I thought about putting it in my bag in the morning?

I have fired off an angry email to our head of studies, I think it's a manifestation of how fed up I am at the moment though. I feel like I am getting absolutely no help at the moment, and I'm really struggling as a result.

Could you get a copy of the card at all and leave it nearby the entrance? Our uni has lockers in the library, do you have anything like that?

[nyandle82]

My suggestion punch a hole in the corner and attach it to your key chain if you drive. If you take a bus, than attach it somehow to your bus pass. Or you could make some sort of pocket and attache it to either your laptop or book for class (something that you bring to class every day) If you always bring a book bag buy a retractable key chain, punch a hole in the corner and attach it to your book bag. Then never remove it from your bag.

As far as your forgetting it the other day, talk to your teacher. If your nervous and you feel like you won't have the right things to say in person than send an email. I sometimes tell my teachers that I have a disability that effects my working memory rather than saying ADD because teachers are less judgemental and more understanding when you leave that out. Try not to make it sound like your making excuses. rather take responsibility and ask the teacher if they can work with you in any way because you are trying as hard as you can and this is something you struggle with. You'd be supprised at how understanding teachers can be if you come at it from this approach. They just want to know you care and are not just being lazy and making excuses for life.

Unfortunately people just don't understand that this is a major uncontrollable factor for people with add and trying harder doesn't change anything. Tell your teacher that. Tell her that no matter how hard you try its going to happen from time to time. Acknowledge the fact that you realize that you understand why their so strict but ask him/her if there she would be willing to do anything to help you with the few times of year you might forget it. Let her know the different things you've set in place to make sure you don't.

Another suggestion is...if that doesn't work...are you diagnosed? If you have a disability services counselor at school address the problem with her. I suggest printing out something from Russell Barkley about working memory and highlighting a few key sentences about how your brain is failing in this area so they realize its not something you have control of. Go in and ask your DS counselor if part of your accomodations can be something that will help you with this problem. Maybe they can set up some alternate plan where you get a few exceptions each year.

I highly suggest printing out the information regarding working memory before your meeting though. You'd be supprised how many school Disability sevices people really have no clue about ADD/HD. You might also want to email that to your teacher.

If you were rude in the email you just sent I would suggest starting your next apology with an apology that does not have any but's attached to it. Just apologize and acknowledge that you were out of line. No one is going to want to help if your disrespectful. Most people will want to help if they realize your assuming responsibility for your actions.

Good Luck. If it makes you feel any better, we ALL know how you feel. Forgetting stuff SUCKS and were hard enough on ourselves. Getting punished twice is so unfair. IF ONLY PEOPLE REALIZED!

Praying it goes well for you

Nicole