As the new school year is approaching I was wondering if anyone out there have tips on how they deal with lupus and school? Study tips how they get through a day at school etc... I was just dx. the middle of my freshman year of college, school is something i look forward to and I dont want this to take away something I love. The lupus has caused me to have seizures and i often loose concentration. and have difficulties finding my words. I know it wont be the easiest thing to do but I am determined to not let this ruin my life.....
I live in the UK and have just enrolled with Open University, that way I have a maximum of 16 years to complete my degree (I’m only intending to take three though!) which seemed perfect incase anything drastic happened with my health and it allows me to continue to work too.
If I were in your situation, I’d speak to your course leader and see what help is available to you which may help you with your studies.
I spent two years in college with the same problems I have now and the best thing you can do from my experience is plan, plan, plan!
Make yourself a ‘plan of action’ for all your assignments and work - give yourself a timetable almost, and work one assignment at a time if possible to reduce the stress of having a big workload. When I used to do written assignments, I’d look at the question, write notes of everything I wanted to cover and then do the write it - it helped me to focus on what I needed to include as i can get easily confused and forgetful. Recording lectures is a good way of storing info if you struggle taking notes cause of concentration too!
I struggle to work in big groups of people when writing assignments and stuff, so when I did work at college, I used to pop my headphones in to block out noise from the class and it helped me focus massively - that may just be me though! Everyone’s different but it’s worth a try!
I also suggest you try to get yourself in a daily routine (if your not already) that works around your studies and gives you plenty of time to rest and have down town when you need it. Try to get as much work done In the day as you can so youre not working through the night and fit in naps if possible and if you’re feeling tired/or having a bad flare. This is where I found my plan of action really helpful!
I always try to look positively at things - that’s not to say I don’t have days where I feel sorry for myself or I’m a bit mopey - but like you, I’m determined to not let my illnesses ruin my life, you have to fight for what you want in life and although its not always easy, the challenges make you stronger as a person. Make sure your surrounded with people who support you for when you need support and just keep fighting - you can do anything you want to, you just have to find ways to suit your needs!
Sorry for this being so long - I got a little carried away so sorry if I’ve rambled on and not made sense in some places but I hope I’ve helped a little 
Chlo x
Thank you so much for all the info! It is nice to get ideas on how other people deal with it and what works for them. It may not work for me but it gives me something to try. :) This semester I am only taking two classes and are only on tues and thurs and the first one isnt till 2 in the afternoon so I will have time earlier in the day to study or rest up before class. The hardest thing for me adjusting to is that I cant push and go go go like I used to do. I have noticed a huge increase in my sound sensitivity and with huge crowds I feel like everyone and everything is attacking me! So I could see how putting in the ear buds might help. I seem to study well with classical or light piano music on in the background.
I have those mopy days too, been having them the past few days. It doesnt help being stuck in the house all day. As for me I am unable to drive and cant get around without a wheel chair or scooter that I have to wait for my mom to come home to get anywhere. My mom is the best support system ever she has been by my side since this all started and told me she will do this until she now longer can. It means the world to me that she is so willing to give up on things to take care of me. She totally understands what I am going through and always has a shoulder for me to cry on. :) As everyone else things since I look so fine that I am not sick and that I just want the attention. SIGH!!
No worries on the rambling I am not a huge writer, but have found it helpful to just ramble and vent. You defiantly helped and gave me somethings to try and think about. Do you use any certain thing or program for taking notes in class? Someone had told me about a computer program that would record lectures but I cant seem to remember what it was called.
I was diagnosed right at the end of college. I had problems remembering what I studied. I would take notes while studying and then type them on to my laptop. It helped to have the repeatitive action. I went to college for paramedic and I also did notecards. During the school day I focused on what I had to do and often took a short nap in the evening. Just make sure you pace yourself and you’ll done just fine.
Chloe pretty much nailed it! Yes recording lectures was a big thing for me when I was in school. I was diagnosed the middle of my junior year of college. Just be sure to take good care of yourself! I had an issue with letting my health fall to the background and that was never a good thing. Make sure you’re able to recognize your limits. Sometimes you may have to just break down and take that nap and the get back to studying or writing that paper. It will help your body and your work in the long run. I went to a school a couple hours from home so I was able to travel back home to see my doctors on a regular basis and then when I ended up having to have iv infusions for meds we set them up at an infusion center right there near my school so didn’t really have to miss too many classes.
Also don’t fall into the procrastination trap. I watched a lot of my classmates wait to the last minute and pull all nighters. I tried and my body just doesn’t do well with all nighters. I had to learn to make a plan for those 8 to 10 page papers and use the time the professor gave us to do the work.
I know it’s not much but I wish you lots of luck! I believe if you want it then you can do it just be smart about it but by coming here and asking for advice I think you have that under control!
Erin
Ive been in a cast for the past four weeks because of torn ligaments in my ankle so i completely understand how crazy being stuck inside can drive you!
My first year of college was a nightmare, the college totally messed up our course, I had a lot of horrible personal problems going on and I made myself really ill letting it all get on top on me. Luckily I had a very good friend who pulled me through and we both smashed the second year by being organised and staying on top of our work load.
You can record on pretty much any smart device going nowadays - phones, tablets, iPods, MP3 players ect, a lot of the time all you have to do is download a app so no need for anything fancy!
There’s also a computer program, ‘dragon’ I think it’s called or something like that, that works using a microphone that you can use to write your assignments, you basically talk and it’s writes it for you. Not sure of the price/availability but my dad used it for his dyslexia when he was doing his teaching quals and it really helped him and I think it’s an excellent idea anyway! x
Before anything else, contact your school's disability advisor. There are a lot of unique and unexpected tools available for you.
Best of luck, you go girl!
1. Eat well! School will destroy your eating habits, but make sure you continue to eat healthy. All those good vitamins can help give a little boost to prevent you from getting colds and helps with some of the fatigue.
2. Don't cram. I know so many people who don't have lupus, but wait until the last minute to complete an assignment or study for an exam. They'll stay up all night and it ruins their sleep schedule and puts a dent in their health... and that's "normal" people. For us, it'd be so much worse. Leave yourself plenty of time to complete assignments and start studying days in advance.
3. Rest. Going along with #2, get plenty of sleep at night. Sleep can help improve some concentration. I have a rule where I cannot do anything school related after 8pm. This allows me an hour to relax and unwind before I go to bed. If I do school work after 8pm, I'm tense and can't fall asleep.
4. Use what you're good at. There are three different types of learning styles (auditory, visual, kinesthetic). Find out which one you work the best with and run with it. I'm a very visual learner so I have to write notes, draw diagrams, color-code/highlight things, look at pictures and charts, watch videos, read all those painfully long textbook chapters, etc. Auditory learners do well with recording lectures and listening to them again. Kinesthetic learners do well when they do hands on activities to learn the materials (sort of like labs or internships). Or, use a combination of everything. Most college professors will allow you to record their lectures, just ask for their permission.
5. Stick to as much of a routine as you can.
School with lupus CAN be done! I'm currently in nursing school and I've learned to use so many tools with my lupus, tools that I never knew would help me. Understand that yes, it may take you longer to study or complete an assignment than other classmates, but don't let that get you down. It takes me twice as long to study for an exam than it used to when I did my undergrad because of the lupus fog, and it drives me crazy, but the sense of accomplishment when I get a good grade is sooo worth it.
You can do it! Wishing you all the best!
Hi Louters,
What I found worked best for me during school is Strattera. It was a wonder drug for me. Suddenly, I started getting more A's and B's versus D's. I cannot tell you how frustrating it was to study for hours on end only to end up with a D. I actually broke down in school and sobbed because of the stress. I would look into the strattera (or other ADHD meds since strattera can be pricey). It was relatively easy for me to get my psychiatrist on board since she knew I had lupus and that the meds I was on can easily affect my ability to concentrate and remember. I would talk to your Primary Care Physician about it since they can prescribe psychiatric medicine.
I also found that talking myself through the book helps. If you try to explain what you just read to yourself piece by piece, it is often easier to understand and remember. Repetition is very helpful as well. Don't be afraid to address the issue with your professors. It can actually help you if they understand your predicament since they often can offer a bit more leniency when it comes to due dates and they may be able to help offer alternative study methods. But it will only hurt you if you do not tell them since they cant read your mind to know that (for example) you had trouble finishing a paper that was due because your lupus flared and you passed out from exhaustion.
A word of caution though, try to not use the extended due dates unless you absolutely need to. Otherwise they may think you are taking advantage of the situation and that certainly wont help you.
(I have had a lot of experience with this)
I wish you the best of health and luck!
Teenlupus101
I WISH YOU THE BEST. MY LUPUS IS BAD AND I HAD TO DROP OUT OF COLLEGE TWICE AND AM SCARED TO GO BACK- A LOT OF WASTED MONEY. HOPEFULLY YOULL HAVE A BETTER OUTCOME THAN I DID.
Thank you all for the input! :) Lots to think and try out. I became ill in the middle of this past spring semester, so I have not finished the courses I was taking. As the summer has been spent in and out of the hospital and adjusting. I am using the fall to take time to finish those courses. It will be nice to have those classes to adjust to doing school with lupus. I have a meeting with the disability counselor so I am anxious to see how that goes. I have seizures on top of the "brain fog" so it gets difficult some days to think and even talk. My mom has gotten really good at finishing my sentences or figuring out what I want from my pointing. :)