# A few questions for college students

Category: Cram Session

## Post 1 by nikicat235 (Veteran Zoner) on Tuesday, 17-May-2011 13:54:52

I have a few questions for those of you who are in college. First, has anyone ever taken a biology class? If so, how did you have it accessible? Next, has anyone ever had to pay for their textbooks or has the adaptive services at your college paid for them?

## Post 2 by Twinklestar09 (I've now got the bronze prolific poster award! now going for the silver award!) on Tuesday, 17-May-2011 18:00:16

I did have to take a biology class myself. As far as accessibility, some of the things we were studying, like the plant and animal cells, a starfish, an annelid (a worm), were already available in the lab as plastic models. To understand the units of measurment, my teacher used number magnets (I wish I had remembered what she did exactly to teach me that). And there was one concept we were learning where she used a box, a bag, and marbles (I wish I could remember if it had to do with cells or atoms). But yeah, I liked her because I honestly learn better through models, pictures, etc, and she was willing to work with me with that. For the microscope part of the lab, I don't remember doing too much of that at that time. Most of my thing there was just remembering vocabulary, possible results of certain experiments, and names of parts of the mentioned models.

## Post 3 by Twinklestar09 (I've now got the bronze prolific poster award! now going for the silver award!) on Tuesday, 17-May-2011 18:11:59

I also took part of an anatomy/physiology class as well; didn't finish but will be retaking it this fall semester. It was a bit harder because although there were some models to study, I think there were so many things to remember at one time and I had 3 other classes as well so didn't spend very much time in the Science building to study. What we tried for that though so I could study at home, was to have someone draw some of the things I had to learn, using a raised-line drawing board. We also had worksheets for that class that we had to do online. But I honestly didn't get anything out of that and couldn't use it for studying, because the person helping me would have to move the mouse pointer to the appropriate places for me to label them, so I got the spelling but not where everything was at. DSS had started sending the worksheets to be put into Braille, but by that time, it was near the end of the semester, so I ended up dropping the course.

## Post 4 by Twinklestar09 (I've now got the bronze prolific poster award! now going for the silver award!) on Tuesday, 17-May-2011 18:20:19

I think in general, learning the vocabulary would be pretty easy just by taking notes and asking the professor how to spell the words so you can study all that. For the visual stuff or things you might not understand just in writing, though, it'd probably be best to see if your Science lab or the tutoring area for science has 3D models, if the professor/tutor and you can improvise models with whatever objects would help, and/or if you can get a raised-line drawing board or something else to make tactile graphics and have someone copy some of the pictures if possible and then you can label the areas with Braille or something.

## Post 5 by Twinklestar09 (I've now got the bronze prolific poster award! now going for the silver award!) on Tuesday, 17-May-2011 18:28:51

OK, last post here. *smile* As for textbooks, either the student or the Division for Blind Services would pay for the textbooks. For accessible ones though, you'd have to either scan them yourself or sometimes DSS staff will do it for you (it depends on the office or school), or you can get the textbooks from RFB&D, Bookshare, or the publisher itself. (For the last one, DSS would need to fill out a form, the publisher would send it to the school, and then you'd get it from DSS.) Hope all this helps. *smile*

## Post 6 by HauntedReverie (doing the bad mango) on Wednesday, 18-May-2011 9:33:26

I haven't taken bio yet, but I'm going to have to. From what I hear, the office of disabilities at my school assigns you an assistant in class who will help you take notes and who will explain the diagrams. Each school is different though.
As for paying for books, each state's services for the blind is different, and if the state will pay for your college, you need to speak with your worker about it. Here in NC, services for the blind gives everyone 500 dollars to spend on books each semester.

## Post 7 by UniqueOne (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Wednesday, 18-May-2011 15:26:31

GemiMoonTwinkleStar you've been a great help! Thanks! :)
As for the textbooks, when I went to school the state paid for them but if I remember correctly I think I had to pay for like 1 or 2 of them..but please don't quote me on that. I'm thinking of going to school in the fall as well.

## Post 8 by tequila sunrise (Account disabled) on Sunday, 29-May-2011 14:10:52

here in canada, there is no service which pays for your texts.
My boyfriend is in engineering, and most of his books cost well over 400 dollars. He had fought with the college and disability services and they refuse to pay.

## Post 9 by Miss M (move over school!) on Sunday, 29-May-2011 15:02:54

I took a non-lab biology, and my state gave me a voucher for the textbooks.

## Post 10 by tequila sunrise (Account disabled) on Monday, 30-May-2011 20:02:41

oh wow, I didn't realize they had a non lab biology

## Post 11 by brandonmcginty (Generic Zoner) on Tuesday, 31-May-2011 10:38:58

I have not needed to take biology.
On the book front, I had to purchase my books, granted, with $250 from the state's pell grant. I'd buy the texts used off of EBay, (majorly cheap), and send those receipts to my disabilities office. The disabilities office pulled the books off of NIMAC, and provided my receipts as proof of purchase. As the print copies I purchased didn't even have to be readable anymore, the prices were insanely cheap. Just a possible course of action.

## Post 12 by Miss M (move over school!) on Tuesday, 31-May-2011 14:47:58

Check out your school's Gen Ed requirements and make sure to talk a lot with your adviser. It took me a while to find the non-lab bio at my school, and not schools have it, but there are generally replacement classes you can take.

## Post 13 by tequila sunrise (Account disabled) on Wednesday, 01-Jun-2011 23:27:58

how exactly is it possible to have a non bio class. a large aspect of bio is the partical and I don't know how taht could be measured with out having labs

## Post 14 by Siriusly Severus (The ESTJ 1w9 3w4 6w7 The Taskmaste) on Saturday, 03-Sep-2011 9:51:22

nope siences at the moment it's my first semester but rehab is taking care of my textbook cost. but they were thinking of a lab assistant for me or something like that.