I applied to a uni for Occupational Therapy BSc and I wrote to the disability office at the uni this week to let them know my issues. This is the responce:
Dear XXXX
Your email has been forwarded to me as I am the mental health adviser in the Disability and Dyslexia Service.
I agree that it is best to be honest about your diagnosis and, providing you are well and fit to study and practise, this will not affect your chances of being offered a place on the course.
Hopefully the episode you had will not recur but should you find that you have further psychotic symptoms or any other mental health issues it is good to be aware of the support available.
If your mental health did start to impact on your studies, you may be entitled to some adjustments and additional support. Further information is available here: xxxx
If you are successful in securing a place at xxxx then it would be a good idea for us to meet, once you have enrolled, to discuss whether you may benefit from any support at university, be that in lectures, exams or any other element of your course.
If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Kind regards,
XXXX
I thought this was quite a thoughtful responce. I would love to be able to get onto the course more than anything.
That is so COOL. Instead of getting just written off your being offered accommodation and support. It is very encouraging to see that things are starting to get better. Thank you for sharing you letter. It really brightened up this day and helped strengthen my faith in schools. I also hope you get in.
That is awesome! I havent filed disability or anything but I tell some of my Psych profs about my schizophrenia. Last semester I turned in a paper a day late and had my pdoc write a letter explaining that I was knocked out by my meds (which I was, I napped without trying and wrote the paper when I woke up) and I was given an extension.
Great job going for a higher education! I wish you the best of luck, you’re gonna do very well for yourself by going to school!
Thanks guys. If I do happen to get the place I do worry because I am much, MUCH older than most students. I will be 29 soon and 32 if I graduate. I already have a degree but it wasn’t something i wanted to make a career of. Big mistake I made when I was young.
Remember that Univ. care about two things you can afford it and that you will be able to graduate. So once you get accepted they will try and help you a lot if needed. Sounds like a great career.
What a nice letter. good luck in your studies Ish! my sister is an OT and she LOVEs her job and makes good money. She wanted me to do it too back when she went to school. I now wish i would have.
The mental health ot’s i think is what i would want to do. Although i don’t think there is alot of jobs in that and it pays less i believe.
I can understand the hesitation but I’m pretty confident that you’ll do really well. I’m 29 now and I’m in my first quarter of college ever. I’m going to try for horticulture so I can apply it to my job.
The campus I’m at there are a LOT of older students. People have been down sized, off shored, laid off, and all other manners of unemployment. People are going back in droves to retrain.
There are a lot of 30 and over going back to school. We’re not the only ones.
