I am going to reenroll in college this fall after schizophrenia disrupted my education. I was wondering if anyone had any tips for coping with schizophrenia as a college student?
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don’t skip classes
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If you can sign up for academic accommodations with your school, that will be really helpful. I opted in for extensions, like extra time for exams and alternative testing rooms.
You can also choose to study from home or go to classes, or both. I think a lot of people on the forum successfully go to class but just know that correspondence study is possible, if you think that would be helpful.
Also seek out financial AID like scholarships for folks with SZ/MI. This will lesson the financial stress. I was able to get a scholarship and it has been a huge help. I still have to pay out of pocket for a portion of my tuition but its manageable.
Goodluck!
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It depends on what issues you have, but I recommend going in with a good strong attitude. Be sure to have a backup plan like knowing the withdrawal date or what services are available. Don’t try to study like you used to where you pull off a whole day of studying. Take few classes. Do one hour, go for a run, come back and do another hour.
It helps to find the right combo of meds so you can function. How stable are you?
Yes. Take a ton of notes.
Set aside segments of your books to read per night/morning. Like for example tell yourself “today I’m going to read 5 or 10 pages of chapter 1.”
Stick to a schedule like that everyday.
Ask the teacher questions. Don’t ever feel bad for asking questions. Geniuses like Einstein preached the importance of questions.
Ask for help, if you ever need it.
If you take in person classes, try and socialize with the other students, like small talk etc. etc.
I can only speak for myself that I can’t do in - person classes. Online is more of my thing. Whichever method you choose I send you good vibes and I wish you the best!
I am pretty stable on meds now.
When I reenrolled, I moved off campus and mostly stayed to myself. I went to the gym everyday after my classes then went home to study. Unfortunately, my social anxiety was through the roof and didn’t make many new friends. I also didn’t utilize any of the school’s disability services. I suffered in silence for most of the time I was there but achieved my goal of earning a degree. Something I would change looking back-- being more approachable for friendship and utilizing the university’s services to enhance my class performance.
My best advice would be to prioritize your goals and act accordingly. My college experience wasn’t particularly memorable in large part because I was ill. My goal was to get a full time job with a degree and I achieved that.
get enrolled as a guest student and take it one course at a time until your comfortable and tested in handling that… then consider taking more on.
It is 100% that you pass all of your classes… there is no sense in taking a course that you walk away from with a c or lower…
Other than that… expect that academics are meant to stretch and challenge you… not just in an intellectual sense… but in the sense of raw work ethic and doing the ■■■■■■■■without wasting time questioning why.
If you are getting student loans, don’t borrow more than you need. Payback is a real pain. And don’t forget about Pell grants, you don’t have to pay those back.
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yeah grants are notoriously larger for adults
Try to have some spaces between classes to relax your mind , do exercise it helps you to distract your mind, try to make friends ( I know is hard) but talk with other people could help you when you are having some troubles, and the best advice NEVER lose the passion to study!!
When I went, grants were based on total household income if you were under 25 years old. Over 25, they were based on only your income. Either way, the grants stopped when you had a certain number of credits. 130, I think.
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