How do you know if you’d need these to succeed in college? I feel like I could handle college well if I keep my workload reasonable. I’m pretty stubborn about accepting help I could probably use, though. Is it just better to ask for accommodations even if you’re unsure if you’ll use them? I’m guessing so, but I don’t really know how they work. Seeking input. 
Thanks for reading.
I didn’t ask for any. I did fine.
It probably wouldn’t hurt to have some sort of accommodations in place just in case. College can be stressful at times, and having some accommodation could help alleviate that-- knowing that you have a safety net just in case things hit the fan a little bit.
I think my main concern would be confidentiality-- I don’t need my professors to know the specifics of my illness.
I would simply call up the college you’re interested in and ask them if they have some kind of disabled students services. I’ve been to two community colleges that have these and I bet many other colleges do too. If they have a disability department then call it up and ask for information and see what kind of help they give. They may ask you to come in person for information though. One disability office I went to helped me by registering right there in their office, thus avoiding long lines. The counselor helped me pick classes and they paid for all fees except the cost of each unit I took. They are confidential too.
The counselors in the disability office are just like regular counselors you might see but they are trained to work with disabled people.
I don’t know all the accommodations but I know that they can arrange for you to take tests alone in a classroom so you have no distractions and they will also arrange with your teacher to give you more time than usual to take quizzes and tests.
I would just talk to them, it’s good to register for those accommodations even if you don’t use them because they are a safety net in case you get behind in a class or run into other trouble. I’m not positive but I’m pretty sure that if the office notifies your teacher that you need accommodations that they won’t disclose your diagnosis.
So it wouldn’t hurt anything to just talk to the disability office and get an idea of what they offer in the way of help.
Listen. Special accommodations aren’t some nice thing colleges do out of the goodness of their heart. They are your legally protected right. That is because the dropout rate for college students with schizophrenia is around 40%. Take the accommodations. Maybe you will be fine without them. Maybe you won’t. But don’t be the guy in the marathon who refuses to stop at a water station because he doesn’t want a “free handout.” Accommodations exist so you’ll have an even chance with the rest of the students.
Thanks guys. You’ve convinced me to go for them. My stubbornness will not win this time.
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