And you thought your studies were tough
by Mark Kaeppler
With midterms quickly approaching and study sessions running earlier and earlier into the morning, life for University of Wisconsin sophomore Craig Schiller is more challenging than usual. Yet, unlike the vast majority of students on this campus, Schiller must also cope with a condition called Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD, during his studies.
ADD is a learning disability that Craig was born with. It is classified by a difficulty in staying focused with the tasks required by everyday life and is caused by a deficiency of neurotransmitters in the brain.
However, there is help for Craig.
The UW McBurney Disability Resource Center is available to help those with learning disabilities on and off campus. Last year, the center served 848 students, which equates to 2 percent of the student body.
This statistic is representative of colleges across the nation. Studies have shown that 0.5 to 5 percent of college students have ADD, and this statistic is on the rise as more children are diagnosed with the disorder each year.
Despite this, the center remains resolute in its mission to create “a university community where students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to fully participate in all aspects of the educational environment” and offers a number of services for students. Among these are optional rooms where exams can be administered quietly and distraction-free, extended due-dates on assignments and class note-takers.
But whether such accommodations actually aid those with ADD, of which the main symptom is a wandering attention span, is under question. A student’s impulse to become distracted may be encouraged when someone else is taking class notes for him or her. Similarly, extended due-dates could potentially encourage those with ADD to procrastinate on their assignments and pursue other activities.
Also going without mention is the persistent distraction inherent in college life. The social environment, recreation and sports and the constant demand of classes all add up and can significantly detract from academics.
“There’s always so much going on,” Schiller said, “and having ADD can make it tough to sit down for more than an hour straight.”
Trey Duffy, director of the McBurney Center, realizes that it is “hard to say” how effective some of the programs really are.
That is why McBurney staff has made a point to “look at each individual personally” to determine whether or not the service would help. Students must undergo an application process before certain services are administered to see if they will fit the bill for that particular student.
Surveys given by the McBurney Disability Resource Center indicate that most students like the programs and notice valuable results from them.
McBurney staff, however, says time-management is perhaps the most important skill they can pass on.
“Individuals decide how they spend their time,” learning disability counselor Linda Gunkel said. “And every student needs to learn to use their time wisely.”