Transition

Nicolet College employs a transition/placement specialist whose goal it is to help students become better educated, more employable, and more independent. Services include career exploration, educational planning, resume writing, job interview preparation, job search strategies, job placement and referral, and a host of others. Please contact our transition/placement specialist Sandy Jenkins at 365-4693.

Some Thoughts on Transitions

Life After School

High school graduation is just a step along the path. The name of the game is lifelong learning - whether on the job or in college!

An estimated 1.3 million of 12 million students in college in US have a disability. Nearly 115 students, or about 10%, identify themselves as having a disability at Nicolet.

The Top Ten Things You Need to Know or Do to Make the Transition to College

Understand your legal rights

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (doesn't apply to college education)
You have the right to receive reasonable accommodations, but you must self-identify.
You have the right to the same education/degree as everyone else; therefore, you take the exact same classes, tests, etc. in college - it's called equal access.

Develop Self-knowledge

Know exactly what is your disability and what specific accommodations work for you.
It's not enough to know you have a disability - what kind do you have? How does it affect your learning? What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Remember - Knowledge is Power!!

Become a self-advocate

You can attempt to ignore your disability, but this works for very few students.
All services are optional in college - you must ask for them.
Can you speak for yourself confidently and knowledgeably?
Teachers and Administrators are often perceptually challenged. They don't understand how it is possible to not be able to read, do math, etc. You have to help them understand that you learn in different ways.
Keep your documentation- you may need it 5 years from now even if don't need it now!

Understand that LD means "learning differently" as much as it means learning disabled.

Understand that having a disability has very little to do with how smart you are - many LD students succeed in college.
Figure out what your learning style is, and design a program that fits you.

Know what typical accommodations are available to you.

What helps you? Extended time, private room, tests read to you, taped texts, use of scribe, note taker, tutor, oral rather than written reports, take fewer credits per semester, assistive technology devices and software, etc.?

Use assistive technology

The technology that is available today is incredible. Find out what's available, try it out to see if it fits you. It doesn't have to be high tech and expensive either.

Know the process for getting accommodations

College students must request accommodations. We then meet with you individually, without your parents if you are over 18, unless you want them there. Then together we design accommodations that fit your needs - but you must have documentation of your disability!
We can help in the high school transition process with program selection, course selection, testing accommodations, etc.- but you have to ask!

Attend your IEP and Transition Meetings now!

This is your life they're talking about!
If you're not interested in your education, you have nobody to blame but yourself if you're not prepared for the adult world of work.
Plan your future as best you can.
"Luck" usually occurs to those who worked to be in the right place at the right time for luck to strike.

Work on your emotional game

A huge part of success is how you handle yourself emotionally. You need to have inner strength, self-discipline, courage, confidence, high expectations, good support people, pride, faith in yourself and others.
You may need to get rid of the "I can't do it/I'm helpless/I'm hopeless" internal dialogue. Get rid of the self-pity, and the blaming. You have free will - use it.

When you apply for college, identify yourself as someone with a disability

Otherwise you will not receive accommodations on the entrance/placement exams. You will also make it much easier to get accommodations in your classrooms from the get-go rather than when its often too late in the middle of the semester.
Visit the colleges you are interested in - set up appointments to get a tour of campus - sit in on classes - talk with other students in your program area - look for competency-based programs - meet the disability resource people and evaluate their support.

A disclaimer: College isn't for everyone, nor is it any guarantee of success.

But it ups the odds of success big time.

Life is best when you have many options and can choose between them - ife can be very confining when you have what seems to be only one option, and it's a dead end.

You have to work the next 50 years - you may as well enjoy your work, feel proud of it, and get paid well for it.

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