HAVING LEARNING DIFFICULTIES AT UNIVERSITY
WHAT'S IT LIKE TO HAVE DYSLEXIA AS A STUDENT?
“Having a learning difficulty at University may make you feel that you’re automatically at a disadvantage to your peers. However, utilizing the help offered by the Uni and getting into good habits early you don't have to feel that way.
As someone with Dyslexia, I found Uni really hard to begin. I struggled to keep up at first but then I found good methods and resources to help me get through seminars and lectures and things became much easier.”
Lily Mitchell (President & Co Founder of BAME Sussex)
SKILLS HUB
Sussex Skills Hub is a helpful tool that is there to give students advice about a range of topics.
Each section offers help, examples and techniques so please use it if you need extra help.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO CONTACT TUTORS
Your Tutors and Academic Advisors are there to support you with advice and help when you require it - naturally, we might feel some hesitation to ask for help but this will come as a great benefit to you!
I recommend telling them you have a learning difficulty, this way, they are aware and can assist you with any additional help you may require.
ATTEND WORKSHOPS AND DROP-IN SESSIONS
Sussex also offers a range of Drop-ins / Workshops that are there to offer you advice on things like; “How to Reference”, “Exam Tips”, “Academic Writing”.
More information on these sessions will be given during term time. They repeat throughout the term so if you miss one, don’t worry. The best thing about them is that the sessions are FREE - so make the most of them.
GOOD HABITS TO DEVELOP
Study Method:
It’s important to learn how to study - what methods work best for you? How long should you spend reading? Where in the library do you revise best?
It is good to figure this out early on so you can be properly prepared for exams and essay deadlines.
ESSAYS
Go by your own essay deadlines. If you know you need to start your essays earlier than others, that's okay. We all do things at our own pace. After you write your essays, it's good to have it read back to you to check for spelling or grammatical mistakes. There are apps that can read it outloud back to you so you can spot mistakes you may have missed.
EXTRA HELP
Ask for extra help if you need to - you are paying at least £9k per year so do make the most of the services offered!
STUDENT LIFE CENTRE
If you feel you are falling behind or anxious, contact the Student Life Centre. They have round the clock specialists who are ready to give you advice and help.
NOTE TAKING
Have two sets of notes - I personally found it good to take rough notes during lectures and then at home I’d watch the lecture again in order to add to my notes and make them neater so when it comes to revising for exams, my notes would be more detailed and the content would be easier to follow.
DO THE READING EARLY AND MAKE NOTES! Trust me, it makes so much difference and makes following the lecture easier. You’re better off doing the reading before lectures rather than trying to read 12 research papers the night before the exam.