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There's something I'm contemplating and need advice

Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2013 10:52 pm
by disneyboy20022
There's something I'm thinking about doing in the spring of 2014 but am hesitant.

Elementary School and High School was a pain in the rear end. Not just the kids who can be cruel, but even some of the teachers can be even more cruel. I was teased a lot and was betrayed just as many times. People I thought were my friends just liked me for my stuff. Also my Inflammatory Bowel Disease didn't hep things of having belly aches, sometimes missing classes, fellow classmates treated me like Rudolph.

Some of the people I knew in High School I don't know about them much and since then have distanced myself from meeting other people since a few of my friends stole from me and lied to my face

Because of my negative experiences in School I declared I never wanted to to college. Ever. However I did have a lot of good expereinces, but the most good was in 7th and 8th grade. My Special Education Teacher told my math teacher that he was violating an IEP order and that parents have sued for far less than what he was doing. She was a great teacher sadly though she died a few years ago. In elementary school I had another Special Education Teacher and she recently died also. I'm just concerned that the teachers at college will be just as bad. I can probably go to the Department of Human Services through the State of IL to get me a grant and arrange a college version of an IEP at a local community college. I've always thought Marketing sounded amazing.

What made me think of this is that currently I'm on disability, and with the new health care law if I were off disability I could utilize the stuff in The Affordable Heathcare act and If eventually I started working a job, my medicaid and medicare would go away and I'd have to pay for my pills out of pocket which is not something I want to do.

I'm currently 26 years old, and when my parents leave this world for heaven, I want to be able to maintain the house I currently live in that they own. I think in the fall I will be talking to the Department of Rehabilitation rep I saw a couple years ago. His Name is Chuck Jones :wink:

I'm scare if I have an Ulcerative Colitis flare up, how will I be able to do my classes. All my life I've admittedly said I don't want college as for reasons I stated above, but I feel I might need to take that leap and chance. I'm very good at marketing techniques even though I've never taken a class

In 8th grade I participated in a community play of Guys and Dolls. The director sent people out to have local stores pay money for their business to be in an ad for the program. I probably brought in close to $500. Also in High School I sold tiddly winks out of a magazine and the first time I sold the most stuff than any other student in the entire school and probably got $250 in cash as a prize. The following year I came in 2nd. I wasn't there for a third year as I decided to be home schooled after having IEP meetings with teachers where they primary subject would be whether or not I fart on purpose :facepalm:

However I Did in 2005 receive a ceremony at the church and the Regional Superintendent did sign my diploma my dad printed out in great quality. Many colleges have said that they would recognize it as a full bonafide diploma.

So my question is, should I try to do it? Or should i play it safe and just leave things the way they are.

Also sorry for the sloppiness of my typing. It's almost midnight and I need some sleep

- Michael

Re: There's something I'm contemplating and need advice

Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 4:12 am
by ajmrowland
I'd say you should do it. There are lots of mature and understanding people in the world. I happen to know a lot i went to HS with. Some of these issues are mostly local

Re: There's something I'm contemplating and need advice

Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:26 am
by PatrickvD
You can only ever advance in life by forcing yourself out of your comfort zone.

College could be incredibly healthy for you. Meeting new people, learning new things. Like you said, your parents aren't going to be around forever, so you need to learn to stand on your own sooner rather than later.

I say: do it.

Re: There's something I'm contemplating and need advice

Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 4:46 pm
by disneyboy20022
A couple years ago I went to the IL Department of Human Services which helps people with disablities get a job or assitance with college. I met with one guy a couple years ago but since my Colitis was in a severe flare up mode, we decided it would be best to close my case but it can always get re opened. The guy who I talked to was named Chuck Jones. I asked him he drew Tom and Jerry and he says his kids tease him all the time about that. Those are smart kids if you ask me :P

This song kinda describes what I need to do and quit worrying about the what If scenarios in life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giA_B_PfvWs

Re: There's something I'm contemplating and need advice

Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:45 am
by milojthatch
Just a thought, but have you ever thought about getting a degree online? You'd be surprised how much online schooling has been picking up in the last few years.

Re: There's something I'm contemplating and need advice

Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 8:58 am
by disneyboy20022
milojthatch wrote:Just a thought, but have you ever thought about getting a degree online? You'd be surprised how much online schooling has been picking up in the last few years.

My girlfriend has went through many Christian Colleges and failed, and then she went to the local community one and she failed. Now she's doing an online one and she's doing great. However in her colleges she didn't communicate well with her teachers or ask questions about assignments.

She as Asperger Syndrome and so do I

However my version of Asperger Syndrome is a little differ. My mom took me out of school after in 10th grade to home school me after we got sick of IEP and teacher meetings to determine whether I farted on purpose or not. We told them that I had inflammatory bowel disease but apparently they were morons. I was already very knowledgeable in academics but lacking on social skiils and empathy due to my Aspergers. So my mom home schooled me more on social skills double meanings, how to know empathy and to be in touch with my feelings (which is something a lot of people with Aspergers struggle with). She also took me grocery skill of comparing prices and learning how to live and take care of myself with all of my medical stuff. I did get a home school diploma which my dad got the regional superintendent of schools to sign it, which many colleges said they would acknowledge it as a full bonafide High School Diploma.

The reason I want to try the local community college is because I want to be around people more. Some Aspies avoid large groups of people like the plaque, but I'm ready to take a leap of faith. Now I plan on first going to the IL Department of Human Services, as I did a couple years ago but due to my Bowel Disease in a flare up we decided to close the case but it can always be re opened. Also through that Department they can make a college version of an IEP.

One thing I am afraid is going to the college and meeting new people since it seems when I meet some people, I'm just a pawn in their game of chess. But there will always be people like that and I feel I need to this now while I'm still young (26). Also next week I'm picking up my driver's license study book to get a permit.

I was going to get a permit last year but then my herniated disc went to hell preventing that. In the next week or so I'm calling the guy who works at the Department of Human Services, his name is Chuck Jones :P Even when I brought it up, his kids say they pull that joke on him all the time. :lol:

Re: There's something I'm contemplating and need advice

Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 9:56 pm
by RyGuy
Can you start at a community college? Most of the time class sizes are smaller and in my experience, the instructors WANT you to succeed. Take advantage of the services your school offers to get the help you need, be it math lab, tutoring, etc. and go at your pace. If you need more than 4 years to complete a four year degree, take more time.

Also, make an appointment with the counseling office at the school to find out what happens if you get really sick mid semester. They should be able to help you formulate an action plan upfront, and then you don't have to stress about the "what ifs." And get to know your instructors at the outset of each class. More often than not, they will bend the rules to help someone who really is trying, but life just seems to be kicking them in the butt.

I was 32 when I finally finished my bachelors degree and a good portion of my classmates were older than me. Ask yourself where you want to be 26 years from now? Still thinking about it? Or finished? That helped me find the motivation to face my fears, excuses, etc. and finish.

Good luck with everything!

Re: There's something I'm contemplating and need advice

Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 2:02 pm
by disneyboy20022
RyGuy wrote:Can you start at a community college? Most of the time class sizes are smaller and in my experience, the instructors WANT you to succeed. Take advantage of the services your school offers to get the help you need, be it math lab, tutoring, etc. and go at your pace. If you need more than 4 years to complete a four year degree, take more time.

Also, make an appointment with the counseling office at the school to find out what happens if you get really sick mid semester. They should be able to help you formulate an action plan upfront, and then you don't have to stress about the "what ifs." And get to know your instructors at the outset of each class. More often than not, they will bend the rules to help someone who really is trying, but life just seems to be kicking them in the butt.

I was 32 when I finally finished my bachelors degree and a good portion of my classmates were older than me. Ask yourself where you want to be 26 years from now? Still thinking about it? Or finished? That helped me find the motivation to face my fears, excuses, etc. and finish.

Good luck with everything!
Yeah I plan to start at a local community college that is 5 miles away from where I live. Also by going through The Department of Human Services they can arrange to have an IEP type of rules at the college since I'm disabled and have various things. An IEP stands for Individualized Education Program which is something that is usually done in Grade School to High School where if a person has a disability there are rules set up to help accommodate the student that the teachers must abide by and to help the student have a better shot at succeeding. This is a link on what an IEP is

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individual ... on_Program

I will consult first with that guy at The Department of Human Services who will then talk to the community college to help accommodate me and I'll discuss with him my options of college.

Also I'll talk the the guy about online college.

Re: There's something I'm contemplating and need advice

Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 8:22 pm
by disneyboy20022
I've got some studying to do in a book I picked up. If I do well on my test, I get a Driver's Permit. The Plan was to get my license at age 25, but a herniated disc prevented me.

Also next week I'm going to call the department of rehabilitation to talk about setting up an IEP setting at the local community college. I was thinking about marketing but I think I'll start with some basics

This is a big step and it's somewhat scary. I've avoided it for so long, because I'm afraid of change, well my Apseger Syndrome side of me is, however logically I know change will happen no matter what, and I can pretend to not see the change and sometimes I want to, but it's something I can no longer ignore. h Not all people with Asperger Syndrome can be in touch with my feelings as much as I am. One reason I can is because my mom took me out of High School at age 16 to hard wire empathy and social skills into me. Shortly after I met Roy Disney, the whole Eisner thing happened and my mom took that example and it was my business class so to speak. I wish things could feel the same.