Y’all fine folks,
My “name” is merlinjones and I am soon to be making an attempt to transfer from a public university to a private one. I am doing this because I am having a ghastly time fufilling my high school defiencey in math and am soon to be asked to leave the current (public) university I attend because of a rule they have there. The rule is that if you, irregardless of ld, do not make up the math and/or english you did not take in high school in a timely fashion, you have to take the class you are defiecent in over and over with nothing else until you pass it. As I have dyscalculia like a son of a gun, and am right middle aged, this rule means that I could be taking the same one math class until I am menopausal…and then when I am menopausal, I can take everything else I need for a university degree. So I figure my best bet is to transfer to a private university where this high school defiencey rule would not apply. The cool part is that I now know Elementary Algebra, and that took a long time (three semesters of year round study, breaks included). I am stuck in Intermediate Algebra with the systems of equations and graphing, and really wish I were smarter with thsoe two things. It breaks my heart to think of how this rule harms those with low levels of literacy at university.
Now, the neat thing is that my most favorite english professor is married to the head of teh english department of the university that I would like to transfer to, but I do nto think she knows that I know that. She is sweet and I shared a bit of what I intend to do with her, but she is soo kind and smart that I am not going to tell her I know of who she is married to because she might think I am using her, which I would never do to such a sweet and smart lady like that.
So, I currently have a 3.4 gpa and shall have all A’s this semester except for in math because the developmental math classes in Tn do not recognise a D as a passing mark, so I shall have a F in that. I think that I have a fair chance at transferring except for the fact that I did not do well in high school, does being an older student help out with that when you are trying to get into a private university? At community college I had a 3.7 gpa and I used that experience to catch up on what I never learned in high school.
What I wonder is if you guys think I should include my ld in my application essay? I can compose an essay well enough to fit that in, do you guys think that would be too much? Also, if I get to attend this University, should I make an appointment with their offices of student disabilites and seek a math waiver? Or, should I try and take math and then play it by ear? What I would really like to do, in my heart, is really go full throtle during the summer studying math and take the college level exam placement test for university level algebra, does anyone know of that test?
re...
Well, on the application they have one option where you put an essay you wrote for a class in the space provided. So, I picked an essay I wrote last semester that was about “Paradise Lost”, semiotics, and East Asian thought. Then I made a preface to the essay that said that as a l.d. student in math, I have worked very hard to be most linear in my thinking and all of that (which is the total truth) and that this essay from a class was the best indicator of all that I have been able to process and apply with my schooling as of this time.
I am sorry about your brother in law, barb. The whole thing of being like almost forbidden to carry on with your schooling due to something beyond your control that impedes your learning with one academic subject is soo odd to me. I will never understand it. If I am fortunate to go to this private University, I am going to write a letter to my Board of Regents about this rule, because it is not the farest of rules at all.
What I shall never understand is that at the University I currently attend, the lady who runs the Offices of Student Disabilities has a BA in Drama and a MS in Children’s Counseling…I do not see where she has the educational background to be doing her job. And, that shows in how she swears up and down that dyscalculia does not exist…please note I have most current testing that states I totally have LD. I feel sad over that because I think that if your background is not in LD, then you should study up on things…not deem them as not existing.
Re: Info needed for a ld student transfering
Hi Merlin,
Just thought that I’d mention a new site www.dyscalculiaforum.com which you might like to have a look at?
Good luck with the new Uni.
Geoff.
Well, y'all pray for me
I got a call yesterday that this university I am trying to apply to for a transfer got all my course work and everything. So, I hope I will be able to have some good news by next week or soemthing because I honestly do not know what I will do without any realy formal schooling under my belt.
So, I thank you all and God bless…
Re: Info needed for a ld student transfering
Merlin — if this one doesn’t work out there are other options. You may feel down for a while, but you are mature and strong enough to know you don’t give up the ship because of one little setback.
I haven’t answered this thread before because other people have given good advice and I had no strong opinions one way or another; there are many ways to do these things.
If you hadn’t written that essay yet, my take on it would be to mention overcoming difficulties but not being too specitic about the math — then if they want to know more they can ask you, always better once a dialogue is started.
Good luck and talk to me any time you want some help.
[email protected]
Re: Info needed for a ld student transfering
Welp, *do* let us know :-) We’re behind ya, one way or another… and there are lots of ways to keep plugging away at the education.
While you’re stewing and brewing, have you ever read “What Color Is Your Parachute?” I found it handy when it seemed like my life’s calling had hung up on me :-) (Friends were also rather necessary…)
well...
I am still in prayer mode at this point because I have yet to have heard anything from the private university. I figure there are more than enough out there. The thing is that even though I have repsect for both of you, Sue and Victoria…I know that my life’s calling lies in literature and it is sad for me to think that I cannot continue my schooling. Because unlike, hairdressing (which I think is a nice trade), literature is something that you have to go to University for quite a while. So, since I have yet to hear anything I am still in prayer mode.
Re: Info needed for a ld student transfering
Well, if this particular university doesn’t work out this particular year, there are other universities and other colleges and other years. There is also often a back door to enter; you can register as a part-time adult student, take a few courses and have them get to know you, then bootstrap that into recommendations for entering full-time. (I did exactly that myself when going back to get my math degree, age 37 with a child in kindergarten.) Hang in there.
Well I have good news
I got in to the private university, I just found out earlier today. I even got a $7,000.00 scholarship out of them to boot! All I have to do is see what all coursework I am doing now to completion and hope for fair marks, all of my marks will be fair except for math (and I swear that is not by choice at all). I think my nerdy essay on Paradise Lost and semiotics and whatnot helped that out, and the fact that my fav lit prof is married to a big wig in the lit department of this private uni (but I did not tell her I know that because I respect her). I have a very kind math instructor for my online math course, for she is very methodical minded and simpatico because her own daughter has dyslexia. I put on my entrance essay for this private uni, a forward about my being l.d. in math…and I am honestly still working on my math. The thing is that I do not think I will earn a passing mark in my math class because my prof said I would need to earn a 80% on the final in order to earn a C in the course…because anything below a C is deemed a F in the developmental studies math.
[b]I need at least one of you kind folks to help me about this following paragraph because I have no one to talk to at all about this…Y’all try and help me figure out is this plan is logical and then you can e mail me privately about anything you figure I can help you with…[/b]
What I am thinking about doing is to have my online math prof write a letter to the admissions officer to this private uni and tell them that I really do try in math. That would be the bible truth right there, you know? Would that be overkill? I figure the online prof just simply writing out a letter stating my l.d. would not harm anything. And then during the summer, I am thinking of just taking intermediate algebra over for a fourth time because I live really close to a community college. Would that be wise or what? I think, that when I recieve my final marks next month; that I can already of had the online math prof e mail the admissions officer, and then turn in my most final official transcript along with a letter from me personally stating that I shall be attending Community College for Intermediate Algebra because I never flat out give up on anything. I have my ld testing, but the lady who runs the ld offices of my current uni does not believe that dyscalculia is a real thing, so all I can do is have the online prof at least write a letter stating that I really do try.
Re: Info needed for a ld student transfering
Right — no intention here of saying you need to revamp your career goals — just not to assume they depend on any one angle, and to recognize that there are different kinds of careers that could suit you really well, use your literature passion, and not be the path you’re thinking of. When I’ve been in prayer mode and on “hold” career wise I have looked for ways to keep learning & getting skills — and ways that translate to a resume/ school application/ discussion with a teacher.
Keep looking for those side doors…
That’s a tough one, Merlin.
My brother in law, a probable LDer, never did get his college degree because he couldn’t pass the foreign language requirement. Its sad, really.
I agree with not telling the nice teacher. She sounds like a sweetie. : )
I’m not sure about what to write on the application. **grimace** I hope others have suggestions. I certainly would contact the student office after though, about a waiver. I can’t see a down side to that?
Take care and good luck.
Barb