I think that it's interesting to share my experiences of trying to successfully make it through college. Using this blog, I am able to share my stories of things I like and how college has been such a big change for me- especially going to a college away from home and trying to live independently.
There are often people who have thoughts about people before they actually meet the person. Prior to meeting someone with a disability, people might think- "Oh, that person is crippled," or "She won't be able to succeed in college because she's disabled". People who first see me from afar might whisper various comments to each other. Little kids might also ask their parents, "Why does she walk like that"? These are the comments I often hear as I'm walking or even as I'm entering new places for the first time.
I also think that it's very interesting what people might think of me when I first meet someone new. . . or when they first meet me. People, upon first look at me, sometimes think that- just because I have a disability-I won't be able to acheive success. Growing up was quite difficult at times, especially if people "assumed" that I needed help all the time. Growing up in a society that doesn't really know a lot about disabilities- especially my disability, CP- really makes me want to educate them about it. I have tried just talking about my disability; however, I haven't really had much success with that. I mean, people sometimes don't want to listen to what I have to tell them about my disability.That's why I have resorted to sharing my disability through my writing. By writing about my disability, I am able to share my personal story of what it's like to have a disability that constantly presents itself in many challenges to my crazy life.Sure, my life is crazy, but that's all a part of being a college student. You know, the one thing in my life that's extremely crazy is actually being able to handle many courses at once. Not very easy! Because of my physical disability, my muscles wear out quite easily, making it nearly impossible for me to really be able to carry a heavy backpack (which I'm not supposed to do, anyway) full of very heavy textbooks."You're not supposed to carry all those books," my high school teachers used to say to me.I knew that, but what was I supposed to do. Now that I'm in college, I feel like I'm the only person who actually realizes that I'm not even supposed to carry any heavy books. However, I have had to carry the textbooks to and from my classes, and my back muscles have told me that they don't want me to carry those heavy books. Sometimes, I wonder if I should ask a fellow classmate to carry my heavy backpack for me. . . however, not all of my friends have the same class schedule as I do