First, and most important: make an appointment – at the beginning of every term – with Disability Services. Disability Services can help you arrange the accommodations you will need to get started successfully. The accommodations you are entitled to are important; they may spell the difference between academic success and academic failure. Too often, new students are anxious to “try out” college on their own terms, without the accommodations that helped them successfully reach their goals in the past. It’s not worth the chance. Take advantage of all the accommodations and services you are entitled to; education should be challenging – not daunting. NWC faculty and staff are here to help you meet the goals you have established for yourself.
New Student Registration Process
MEETING WITH YOUR INSTRUCTORS
You are encouraged to make an appointment to talk privately with each of your instructors in his or her office during the first week of class. Disability Services can help you prepare to talk with your instructors and complete paperwork to request taped lectures, note takers, scribes, tutors, or test taking accommodations. If you are new to school and feel uncertain about talking with your instructors alone, you may request the disability coordinator to attend your initial meeting or make a call to the instructor before your meeting to break the ice. We also can practice role-playing and assertiveness skills. Some things to think about before your meeting:
Resist the urge to talk about accommodations during an impromptu hallway meeting or in the classroom. You will feel rushed to explain your situation and the instructors will not have the opportunity to give you their full attention. It is better to set an appointment to talk with your instructors privately. This provides you the opportunity to express yourself clearly and helps the instructor consider everything you have to say.