33. Advice for College-Bound Blind Kids

Show Notes

In “Advice for College-Bound Blind Kids,” you’ll get college tips, advice, and life hacks from a recent Georgetown graduate. Starting college can be exciting but overwhelming, especially for students with low vision who also have to think about accommodations, orientation, mobility, and talking about their disability with tons of new people. The 33rd episode of Legally Blonde & Blind will help you stay organized, avoid losing your socks in the washing machine, and become a better advocate in college!

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LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blonde-blind 

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Key Points:

03:45 - Your disability is a factor you should consider when selecting a college.

07:19 - Life skills are important, but you don't have to learn them all at once.

12:45 - Look for financial aid through SSI and your state's commission for the blind.

15:30 - Apply for blind scholarships.

17:07 - Self-Advocacy is critical, but it is a skill you can learn and develop at any point in life.

21:55 - College kids are a lot less awkward about disability.

23:01 - Take a disability studies class or join a disability alliance!

25:59 - Be safe, even if you can't see the blue lights on campus.

29:11 - Become familiar with G-Suite Applications.

30:27 - Get organized!

33:42 - Take ownership of your education.

34:57 - Think carefully about getting a guide dog in college.

36:51 - Let go of the perfect college experience.

40:16 - Miscellaneous Advice

Resources:

• “Who Can Get SSI?“ - https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/eligibility#:~:text=SSI%20is%20generally%20for%20individuals,benefits%2C%20unemployment%2C%20and%20pensions.

• “SSI Eligibility for Young People” -https://nj.db101.org/nj/situations/youthanddisability/benefitsforyoungpeople/program2c.htm#:~:text=SSI%20if%20You%20Are%20Younger%20than%2018,-If%20you%20are&text=You%20have%20a%20physical%20or,for%20at%20least%2012%20months.

• “Blind Scholarships” - https://www.legallyblondeblind.com/resources

Transcript

Things have changed a lot for me since I started college. I thought I was going to be a lawyer who never traveled with a guide dog, but now I have Smalls and a business degree. After four years of college, well, three years of real school and one year of virtual hellscape where I spent six hours a day on Zoom, I have some advice for you all. Going to college can be daunting for anyone, but especially for students who are blind or have low vision. There are a lot of unique challenges and situations that we have to navigate. So in this rather lengthy episode, I have advice for you about everything from finance to life skills to navigating campus to getting academic accommodations, making friends, self -advocacy, staying safe, you name it. I have timestamps and the show notes so you can click around and see what is most important to you. So stay tuned.

Intro Music 

Hello everyone, welcome back to another episode of Legally Blonde & Blind. This is the first podcast episode that I am recording as a college graduate, which feels very strange to me. I don't think it's hitting me yet because it's the summer and I normally would be doing a job or internship anyway instead of taking classes, but when September rolls around, it's going to be a reality check.

Of course, when I start recording, Smalls decides to pick up a Nylabone and start gnawing on it, which she normally never does. She rarely picks up these bones. But I guess she just wanted to make an appearance. Anyways, now that I have successfully convinced Smalls to play with said bone at the other side of the room, where hopefully you cannot hear it, some of you may be wondering what I plan to do with my life. Now, I can't give you a long -term answer. But I can tell you that I have started a term of service with AmeriCorps. I plan to do that until January when I start my full -time job at PricewaterhouseCoopers, which is a consulting and accounting firm. With AmeriCorps, I work with the Overbrook School for the Blind, which is based in Pennsylvania, to deliver a mentorship and work readiness program to students in Pennsylvania who are blind or have low vision. What that means is we work with people ages 14 to 24 that are in some kind of transition, so they're preparing to go to college or they're preparing to enter the workforce. What I think is especially powerful about this program is that all of the mentors are blind or have low vision, so we have that direct lived experience we can share. And we're also in that 18 to 25 range, so we've been there and are a bit more tech savvy than your 60 -year -old TVI, which means teacher of the visually impaired if you are uninitiated. 

Anyways, I've only been doing this program for a few weeks, but I love all of my coworkers. They are so amazing and you will likely see many of them in future podcast episodes. Now for the reason you really are here, college advice. I was trying to look online to see what types of resources might be out there for someone who is blind or has low vision and is preparing for that college transition And it's lacking. Most of the resources I saw only talked about disability services, which obviously is a vital part of your education, but I think is only a sliver of the total college experience. So I made a list of advice about everything ranging from self -advocacy to living on your own for the first time to making friends that I wish I knew before I started college. These are probably not going to be things your parents, your teachers, your counselors, your TVIs, your transition coordinators will tell you, but I think you need to know.

1. Your disability is a factor you should consider when selecting a college. 

My first piece of advice is that your disability is one of many factors you should consider when selecting and applying to colleges. I was reluctant to even consider my blindness because I thought that would limit my choices. I didn't want to stop myself from going to Georgetown because I might have heard bad things about their disability office. In fact, I never even reached out to them before I accepted my offer. Here are a few things that you should keep in mind though: 

Both public and private universities are required to provide reasonable accommodations to college students under the ADA. And if you're thinking about attending a religious university like Georgetown, for instance, you might be a bit worried because as you may know, there is an exemption in the ADA for churches and other religious institutions. Fear not, though, because if your university receives federal funding, they still have to comply with Section 504 and give you accommodations. So don't worry if you want to go to Villanova or Georgetown, they still have to accommodate you. 

In terms of individual disability offices, I think it's really hard to evaluate how good they are as an outsider. Because if you try to talk to them about accommodations for you as a prospective student, they're usually going to say that they handle things on a case -by -case basis and they couldn't give you an answer until they had all of the information and paperwork.  Opinions also vary. So with Georgetown, I never had a problem getting accommodations or with professors, but I've heard plenty of horror stories and I think it's so dependent on what professor you get, what disability services coordinator you get. Access shouldn't be a game of luck, but in college I think it is.

I also think that as people who are blind or have low vision, we're extremely privileged because our disabilities are usually very visible and aren't questioned. Like people can see my shaking eyes and my guide dog and the fact that I have to shove my phone in my face to read it. But there's a lot of professors who don't know what things like ADHD or POTS or other invisible disabilities are and then look at a student who looks “normal” to them and think, well, “why does she need extra time?” So I don't want to say to take these horror stories with a grain of salt because they are valid, they are important, and we need to talk about them, but I wouldn't let it stop you from going to a school altogether. I think if anything, they show how broken our system is and how variable access can be for people and that you have to be prepared to advocate for yourself, which we'll talk about later.

Some other things to consider are if your college has a disability studies program or a disability cultural center or some kind of student alliance. Even if you think disability studies is a useless degree, which high school Marissa certainly would have, I think it's really cool to be in an environment where disability pride and disability culture is a part of campus life. And the last thing that was really important for me was location. What kinds of modes of transportation are available on or around campus? Is there a shuttle bus system? Is there a train station nearby? Is there a paratransit system that is at least somewhat reliable? My point is that location is something you should consider and think about what kind of environment you want to be in and if it'll be conducive for any O&M skills you want to learn. 

2. Life skills are important, but you don’t have to learn them all at once. 

I know another thing that I thought a lot about before going to college was life skills. Independent living skills like doing laundry, cleaning your house, cooking a meal, putting together furniture, all of those little things that the adults in our lives just seem to do with ease. And that leads to my next piece of advice, which is that life skills are important, but you do not have to learn them all at once. Growing up, I remember these moments of panic when I would be in an airport with my family going to Disney and I would think to myself, How am I ever going to navigate this by myself? I kind of just imagined this sudden, rapid transition where I would be left high and dry and have to figure out everything on my own all at once. But that's not true for several reasons. 

For one, college is kind of like an incubator from real life. There are things like dining halls and career counselors and communal bathrooms that you don't have to clean. And you're surrounded by hundreds of 18 year olds who are in the exact same boat as you. So don't be embarrassed and don't be afraid to ask for help. College students are not going to judge you if you ask them how to do laundry or how to use a washing machine in the specific dorm. They will, however, judge you if you take all of your laundry to the dry cleaners. And I'm not talking about suits or nice dresses. I mean like your pajamas. Do your own underwear.

The other thing I had to learn is that the person sitting in their childhood bedroom, worrying about how they're going to navigate campus, find their classes, or use the shuttle bus system is not the same person you are going to be in one week, one month, one year, or so on. You are constantly learning and growing, even if it doesn't feel like it. And you have lots of time, so give yourself some grace if you're not ready to do some of those things yet, or you're nervous about doing some of those things. It's not like you're going to blink and then you'll be 30 and have to handle all of these adult responsibilities at once. 

As I mentioned, growing up, I didn't really do any chores in the house. I never vacuumed, I never cooked any meals. I didn't even know how to make scrambled eggs when I left for college. And that's pretty common. Right? I mean, I know a lot of teenagers who were in the same boat as me, who never did their own laundry, whose only job was to do well in school. But I think as a blind person, it made me a lot more anxious because when it's a regular 16-year-old, the assumption is that they'll be able to figure it out when they're older. When you're blind, that's not the case. There are people who ask us questions like, How do you get dressed? How do you cross the street? How do you do your homework? How do you read your phone? And while a lot of these questions come from a place of curiosity, there's this underlying assumption that being blind must make everyday tasks really challenging, if not impossible. But the one thing that I think is really important for blind people, or really anyone, to keep in mind at any age is that it's never too late to learn something new. And that usually, it's not nearly as terrifying as you think it will be.

I also think one of the things that really stressed me out about preparing for this transition in life was that I didn't really feel like I could prepare. And a lot of it is just simply learning by doing. You have to have faith that you'll figure it out, as difficult as that sounds. But I do have some suggestions for some things you could do if you want to build confidence before you go to college. 

First, make a frozen pizza. They are really hard to mess up and it's a quick, simple meal that you could prepare in college. Just make sure you have oven mitts. Now, you've heard me say this in many other episodes, but if you can, travel to a coffee shop or another fun, low-pressure destination by yourself. An O&M instructor's okay, but no family or friends, because sighted people have this really annoying tendency to not let us explore. And the second that we appear to be lost or unsure, they'll swoop in and be like, let me figure it out. In college, you're not always going to have that kind of person. So building confidence and learning how to figure things out yourself is huge. My next piece of advice is to clean your room. Now, it doesn't need to be perfect or exactly the way your parents want it, but think about how you want to organize your space or how you want to delegate simple chores like dusting or taking the trash because I think having to manage those mundane little tasks like needing to pick up a prescription or cleaning the toilet can be really overwhelming for people that have never needed to think about those things before. And lastly, don't scoff at training centers. When I was in high school, I had been told about some state college transition programs that were available to me, but I had absolutely no intention of going to them because I was under the impression, this is really bad, that they were for like “special kids” who couldn't brush their hair or open a word document or socialize with people. There are some programs that treat blind folks like literal children and you want to find a center that fits your needs, but don't let pride get the best of you. There's nothing shameful or wrong about going to a residential facility to learn lifelong skills. 

3. Look into financial aid through SSI and your state’s commission for the blind. 

While we're on the topic of very boring but important things, let's discuss money. My next piece of advice is to look into financial aid opportunities, both through SSI and your state's commission for the blind. Now SSI or Supplemental Security Income is available to people who are blind, have another disability, they have a whole list, or are over 65 years old and have very little income or assets. This is different from SSDI, which is usually for people who have acquired a disability and can no longer work. This is usually for people who are very low income. Now, when you turn 18, Social Security no longer considers your family's earnings, but rather your income as an individual. So some people can get SSI throughout college because they're presumably not earning very much while they're a full -time student.

Now, I'm not a financial advisor and I don't want to give specific advice on this, but I can tell you it is an arduous process applying and you likely will have to appeal their initial decision. But if you do get it, it's $700 a month and that can be really helpful as a college student. I think there's a lot of shame surrounding government assistance for those of us with disabilities because there's this perception that a lot of people on welfare programs are lazy or don't really need them, or that they could get off them if they had the work ethic, but clearly they don't. I felt a lot of shame about applying for Social Security, but my philosophy now is that, you know, as someone with a disability, I do have additional expenses that most people don't have to account for. I have a guide dog that I need to feed. I have to pay for assistive technology. And this is what these programs are designed to help with. As long as you're honest in your application, you're not taking advantage of anything. So don't listen to your relatives who complain about government handouts. They do not know what they're talking about. 

And while we're on the subject, your state's commission for the blind can also be a great resource to help you pay for college. It sometimes can tie with SSI too. So for instance, in New Jersey, if you are an SSI recipient, you automatically get the maximum financial aid from your state's commission for college. They also can pay for your O&M training or assistive tech. Once again, it is a very complex and bureaucratic process. A lot of counselors at state commissions for the blind are usually very overworked. They have massive caseloads and they don't have the time to walk you through the process. You really have to be persistent. But if you put some time into it, if you do research, which I recommend doing before you start college, maybe during the summer when you don't have as much schoolwork, you can get a decent amount of money from these organizations and it can be a huge help. 

4. Apply for blind scholarships.

The other way you specifically can get money as a blind person is through scholarships. I highly recommend you check out my resources page on my website, which has a list of blind scholarships, as well as some tips and tricks for applying to them. Some are more competitive than others. The NFB scholarship is infamously competitive. They have hundreds of blind kids all over the country apply at the national level. But there are organizations like that also state level scholarships. So I would recommend applying to both. The state level might be less money, but also less competitive. The other thing to keep in mind too is a lot of these scholarships sometimes have strings attached. So they'll want you to go to a convention and, while they’ll usually pay for travel, it is a weekend out of your summer. 

I'd also recommend looking into general disability-related scholarships. I personally did not have as much luck with those, but I think casting your net wide is the best way to get as much money as you can. Even though some of these awards are incredibly condescending, money is money. For instance, I found one that was the Council for Exceptional Children's Yes I Can Award for children with exceptionalities. I saw this on Facebook and I clicked the link. They didn't even use the word disability once in the description of the award. It sounded like something from the Squeaky Wheel, which is like this disability satire platform. I cannot believe it's real, but if you think you're exceptional...you should definitely apply. 

5. Self-Advocacy is critical, but it is a skill you can learn and develop at any point in life. 

Anyways, once you're in the position where you have selected a college and started to figure out how you're going to pay for it, the next thing that you should be turning your attention to is disability accommodations. The earlier, the better. And that goes into my next piece of advice. Self-advocacy is vital in college, but it is a skill that you can learn and develop at any point in your life. It's never too late.

I think in the disability community, we talk all the time about the importance of self -advocacy, but rarely do we delve into how people can become better advocates. I've heard dozens of college counselors say things along the lines of, well, once you're in college, it's your responsibility to get accommodations. Your parents and teachers will no longer do it for you, which is all well and good, but rarely are we given the tools and the tips to help us in that transition from high school where adults mostly took care of everything to in college where we're on our own, when we’re 18 years old. 

And we also have to remember that not everyone has had an IEP for a decade. Not everyone has parents or counselors who are well-versed in disability services. Not everyone can afford to go to the doctor just to get a new note filled out. So a lot of times I think we frame self-advocacy skills or lack thereof in terms of effort or perseverance when in reality people who we'd think of as “poor self-advocates” just haven't had access to the resources to help them. Or they may not even know what is available to them. I think this whole concept of self advocacy sometimes can be weaponized and used as a way for universities and other institutions to put the responsibility of making their environments more accessible entirely on us. We have to fight for every accommodation whether it be extended time on a test or a piece of assistive technology. And when we don't get those things and when we don't do as well because we don't have access to those resources, we're the ones who are blamed. We're told, you should have gone to the disability services office. You should have reached out sooner. You should have gotten a doctor's note saying you need this accommodation. The system is really messed up. And I'm very fortunate that I had a parent who could stay home from work and make sure I got the services I needed in school. It was not always easy for her. 

But when I was writing this episode, I was thinking about what are some ways people can build self -advocacy skills if they've either never had accommodations before or their mom or their counselor did everything for them. First off, attend your IEP meeting or 504 meeting and asked to be CC'd in any and all emails about your accommodations. I honestly don't understand why this isn't a common practice in high school or even middle school, but attending these meetings and being in the loop, if you will, will give you a sense of the language surrounding accommodations and how to ask for things and how to use the right tone, so to speak, how to be assertive, but not too aggressive, to remain professional. Next, I would look at your university or prospective university's disability services pages to see what the accommodations request process looks like so you can be prepared. And it can also give you a sense of what documents you might need to start gathering, like your previous 504s or a functional vision assessment, for example. And then I would get into the practice of going up to your teachers at the beginning of the year and telling them about your accommodations. I did it in a very formal way where I would have a meeting before the school year even started with all of my teachers, but you simply could go up to them at the end of class and be like, “hey, I have low vision. You might've seen an email about my IEP. This is what that means.” And it can be a very quick and casual conversation. It doesn't have to be super intense or formal. You don't have to go into the details. Just what they need to know for their class.

Lastly, I want to acknowledge that self -advocacy is hard. We imagine self -advocates as pseudo-lawyers. People who are well-spoken. People who are persistent, but never emotional. Who are assertive, but never aggressive or angry. Who completely understands and conform with the system. Who go through all of the appropriate channels. It can feel like there's so much pressure on us to do everything right and that if we don't get our needs met, it's our fault and our fault alone. I just want to tell you that it's okay if you feel frustrated or burnt out or exhausted, that I see you, that other people see you, and that we're working to make your life easier. Getting your needs met shouldn't have to be a fight. 

6. College kids are way less awkward about disability.

My next set of tips are mostly about what to do once you are in college, so once you've moved in on campus. And the first thing I wanted to say is that college kids are a lot less awkward about disability. I feel like in high school it was the elephant in the room, and I was never outright bullied for it, but there were some people, including my friends at the time, who made some comments that weren't the nicest. However, I found in college that those types of awkward encounters that would sting happened a lot less. And I'm not sure if that's because I matured or if my peers matured, probably a combination of both. But I found one, accommodations are really popular and people are a lot more willing to talk about it. At least at Georgetown, that was my experience. And two, college is so much bigger than most high schools that you have a lot more say in who you associate with. And, I got to a point where I was confident enough to realize that if people are going to judge me for not being “normal,” then I don't want them in my life. I don't want them as friends. 

7. Take a disability studies class or join your university’s disability alliance. 

Now, if you are looking specifically for a place to find open -minded and accepting students on your college's campus, then I highly recommend joining your university's Disability Alliance and if available, taking a Disability Studies class. Now, I used to be one of those people who thought things like women's studies, gender studies, or even disability studies were a complete waste of time and money. However, I realized that learning about how the world works around you, meeting new people, and absorbing new perspectives is a really valuable part of college. And even if you don't want to go into disability studies as an academic, It's still very useful for things like law, medicine, politics, education, the list goes on. Not every school has a disability studies program like mine does, but most at this point will have some kind of disability alliance or club, and I highly recommend joining because I think there's a lot more to the disability community than like commiserating over how bad it is. I feel like parents and other non-disabled folks sometimes think that disability meetups are like these support groups like AA meetings like, “hi, my name is Marissa and I am blind.” But these groups offer so much more. It's an opportunity to complain about the ADA buttons that don't work at your university or to enjoy cookies during a study break for finals season or to participate in an art showcase, which is something I never thought I would do going into college, but was a really cool way that I could push past my comfort zone and share something that was meaningful to me. If you're curious as to what I'm talking about, you can look up “Dear Future Blind Girl” on my podcast’s 

transcript page, because that was a spoken word piece that I performed. And I hate to disappoint my English teacher, but I did not put any rhyming or literary devices in it. So if you're looking for some assonance or some consonance, you're not going to get it. 

My point overall though is that learning about disability pride and activism, whether it be in a classroom or in a club, is so empowering. And I think being in college is one of the first times you get to engage with organizations that are created by and for young disabled people. There's no parents or teachers sitting around. You get exposed to a lot of student activism and there's people I've met that are so knowledgeable and passionate. I've learned so much just by listening to other people. So it's something that I highly recommend everyone at least dabble in. Go to an event. You don't have to make disability advocacy a huge part of your life, right? It's not like every single blind person has to be some kind of ambassador, but it is something that is cool to be exposed to. And I think you should give it a

8. Be safe, even though you probably won’t be able to see the blue lights. 

These next tips are going to get increasingly random, but are just as important in my opinion. My next piece of advice is while you probably won't be able to see the blue lights on your campus, be safe. Now, for those of you who don't know, blue light systems on college campuses are basically these networks of poles with a blue light on top that you basically can press if you or someone else is feeling in danger. It connects you to the campus police. So like if you're being followed, harassed, whatever, you could click that button. I've never had to use one, thank god, so I don't know if they are visually accessible, but I would always joke about how, like, if I was mugged or something, I'd have to be like, “Mr. Robber, give me two minutes so I can figure out how this blue light button works.”

Anyways, because those are probably not the most convenient or accessible method for us, you do have to think about safety. We talked about this in my last episode because it was about things that happen at the bar. But to reiterate, never drink on an empty stomach. Do not go exploring at night. I know I'm a huge advocate for going out by yourself and finding new places to build confidence. Do that during the day. If you are walking by yourself at night, make sure you're in well lit areas and you know where you are going. One thing that my parents and my mom say to me all the time is that if you're ever unsure about walking back or using public transit if it's late at night or something, just call an Uber. Your safety is way more important than the $20 you're gonna spend on a cab. Always keep your drink in your hand or close to your body. Also make sure that you have the numbers for your campus police and campus EMTs if you have them in your phone. A good thing to note too is a lot of schools do have amnesty policies. I know Georgetown did for instance where if someone's really intoxicated, let's say, you call an ambulance for them, even if they're underage, they're not going to get in trouble. And that's really for safety, right? Because there have been some really tragic instances on college campuses of people getting severely injured or even passing away because people were too afraid to ask for help. Sign up for safety notifications, but don't let your parents sign up for them. Trust me, it's nothing they need to know. And last but not least, I'd say travel with your white cane at night if you need it. I always used to be worried about traveling with a white cane because what if robbers saw it and were like, “This is an innocent blind girl. Let's mug her.” But I think being confident with a cane is better for your safety than looking all nervous without one. 

I apologize for the lecture. I really am embracing my inner mom friend here. But I think it's important to talk about because blind kids aren't told this. I think some people assume that because we are disabled, we aren't going out, we aren't having fun, we aren't drinking, we aren't going to parties. But those things are part of many people's college experience. Disabled people aren't always those little angelic children you see on commercials. And if you do want that to be part of your college experience, I am all for it. I just want you to be safe. 

9. Become familiar with G-Suite applications. 

My next piece of advice is to become familiar with technology often used in college, Zoom, Microsoft applications like Excel and Word, as well as G Suite applications like Google Docs, Google Calendar, Google Slides, etc. Knowing how to use these tools efficiently and make them accessible for you, whether that be through screen readers or large print, will save you tons of time as you complete assignments, especially in groups. I know it's really common for people add comments on a Google Doc. It's one thing if a platform isn't accessible. It's another thing if it is accessible and you just don't know how to use it. Make sure you can tell the difference between the two. Admittedly, I'm not very helpful with this because I don't use screen readers and I navigate most websites and platforms visually, albeit an inch away from my screen. But learning these skills before college can alleviate a lot of stress. I recommend reaching out to your state's commission for the blind. I know when I was a kid, I had somebody come out and teach me how to use my MacBook Pro in the early 2000s. But as with O&M I think the best way to learn how to use these tools is to just play around with them. 

10. Get organized!

On a similar note, get organized, both in terms of academics and living space. Blind people, as unfair as it is, have to be more organized than their sighted counterparts. We can't just scan a room looking for our sunglasses or our phone and feeling around for them with your hands is time consuming and incredibly frustrating. The important thing to keep in mind is there's no one right way to be organized. There are tons of YouTube videos by other blind folks about how they organize their kitchen or their computer and I highly recommend you check them out. I think sighted people tend to make things a little more complicated than they need to be. Sometimes the simplest solution like getting a tactile dot and putting it on a microwave is way easier than a braille label maker. I do have some advice though. One tip is to write down all major holidays and deadlines in your calendar before the school year. I'm talking about things like Thanksgiving break or spring break. I know my school would do this really annoying thing where they would have classes on a Tuesday or a Wednesday run on a Monday schedule. It was incredibly confusing, but good to have written down. Also deadlines to withdraw from classes when the add drop period ends. Medical housing is a big one. When is the deadline to apply for medical housing for the next year? At my school, they would have the deadline in February, long before anyone even began to think about housing for the next year. Write that down. 

I also recommend acquiring a finding things buddy, preferably in your dorm. I know my sophomore year of college, one of my laundry bags broke without me realizing it and I was like dropping clothes as I was walking back to my room. So I had to employ the help of someone with significantly better vision to help me find all of my discarded undies and shorts. 

Finally, I'm not sure if this is exactly in line with the organization, but I put it here anyway. Make sure you have a contingency plan if a piece of your assistive technology breaks or gets lost. This could look like bringing a backup white cane or monocular, looking up where your nearest Apple store is in case you need to get something fixed, or bringing that crappy dome magnifier in case your more sophisticated piece of AT breaks down and you need to wait for a new one from the state. I feel like there's two kinds of AT for people. There's the, this is a nice gadget I like to use sometimes. And this is essential for my daily functioning. It will make my life much harder if I do not have it.  For those in the latter category, make sure you have some kind of backup plan, especially if you live far away from your parents. That's all I have for organization. There's a ton of little things that I do, but it may not work for you. And the point of organization is that you're able to find things when you need them. It doesn't have to look perfect. It doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to work for you. 

11. Take ownership of your education. 

On a broader level with organization, take ownership of your education. Know what is required of you to graduate and do not depend on your academic advisors. I recommend sitting down and writing all of your core requirements to graduate, what every single person needs. Then once you've decided on your major or minors, add those as well. Don't try to plan out four years of classes before your freshman year, you're never going to stick with it. However, it is important to keep in mind if there are some classes that only are in the fall or spring. There were some accounting courses, for instance, that I wanted to take that were only available at a certain time in the year, so I had to be mindful of that when scheduling. Don't be one of those people who's like, “I thought I was set to graduate, but then I talked to my advisor and it turns out I need to take five more classes.” Advisors at most colleges have massive caseloads and they are not going to babysit you. Most universities have an online degree auditing software where it'll tell you what requirements you still have to complete. So take ownership of the next four years, become an expert in your program and what you need to accomplish in order to get that degree. 

12. Think carefully about getting a Guide Dog in college. 

Now for a brief detour about guide dogs. There are some blind folks who think that you should not get a guide dog in college or in your early 20s because they take some of the fun and spontaneity out of your life. I don't necessarily think that's true. I had a full and meaningful college experience both with and without Smalls. I loved having her in the library, in the dorm with me. I felt like I met so many new people and Smalls loves a lot of new places and new people, new obstacles. So it was really enriching for her to be on a college campus. However, It is worth noting that it is a massive responsibility. By having a guide dog, you have way more responsibility in your hands than most college students ever will. No matter how sick, how tired, or how hungover you are, you have to take care of your dog. You have to get up and feed them and take them out. You cannot sleep in till noon.

That being said, caring for a dog while you're in college is a lot more manageable than people might think, especially if you get yourself into a solid routine. The one thing I would say though is I would not recommend trying to do guide dog training in the middle of the semester. I did it at the very beginning, so all I missed really was syllabus week. That was fine. I don't think I could have handled the stress of guide work and midterms, essays, assignments, et cetera. I also would not recommend doing home training if you are a college student because college campuses are way more hectic than most home environments where those trainings occur. Stay on the facility. It really does help you focus on guide work and guide work alone, which you really need in those first two weeks. 

13. Let go of the perfect college experience. Set realistic expectations. 

My last big piece of advice is to let go of the perfect college experience that you've built up in your head and set realistic expectations. Much like high school, I think many of us have built up this idea of what college is supposed to be like based on our family, friends, social media, TV, movies, YouTube, etc. And in particular, we hold onto this notion that college is supposed to be the best four years of your life. This can be very stressful at any point in college, especially during those first few weeks if you're feeling anxious, overwhelmed, homesick, or in any other way are not having the best time of your life. But what I learned in college is that it is perfectly okay to sit alone in your dorm room and watch Netflix. In other words, you don't always have to be doing something social or productive. You don't have to go out every weekend. You don't have to be a part of a sorority and five other clubs. You don't have to have a giant group of friends. I never did. I was never one of those girls that had a giant group of people take pictures on the Lincoln Memorial all in matching white dresses. That just wasn't my experience. 

However, what I will say is to just keep your eyes and ears open. Look out for new opportunities. There's a lot of things that I did in college that I never expected to. I mean, I rode on a tandem bike. I performed at an art showcase. I joined a consulting club and in high school, I didn't even know what consulting meant. At the time, I thought I was going to be the captain of Georgetown's Mock Trial team, which I didn't even get into. I guess I didn't write a good enough opening statement defending the big bad wolf from Little Red Riding Hood.

Anyway, my point is that don't form too many expectations in your head of how your first year or your first few weeks are going to go, because it's probably not going to end up the way that you had planned, and that is okay. Also, don't watch those YouTube videos about college. I watched way too many of them during COVID, and it did not help with my anxiety. In particular, the day or week in my life student vlogs, even those for Georgetown specifically, I didn't really find accurate or helpful because the thing is people will pick the most exciting day out of their week or month to vlog, right? So I would see a video of these kids going to the Washington Monument, working out at the gym, eating a healthy salad at the dining hall, going on a sunset walk, and I'd be like, “okay, well, what if I wanna have some peanut M&Ms while I'm studying or watch The Bachelorette in my dorm? Am I wasting my four years of college? Am I not taking advantage of the college experience?” No, I'm just being human. Also, I would watch videos like, “What to do if you have no friends in college?” Don't watch those! Overall, keep an open mind and remember that it is completely okay if you don't find your best friend or the club you want to be a part of in the first week, month, or even year of your college experience, it is completely okay and all a part of the process. 

Miscellaneous Advice:

Now, if you have gotten this far, in which case I commend you for listening to me talk this long, I have lots to say, I now have another list of small miscellaneous things that I have learned and wish someone told me. 

Bugs, they are disgusting. Nobody likes them. My biggest fear is having a house guest over and them telling me I have termites. Want to avoid that? Never leave open food in your dorm. If you are storing food, make sure it is in a sealed bag or container. And when you are done with that food, throw it out in your hallway's trash can. You also should get in the habit of taking your trash out regularly and always empty your trash before you leave for a weekend visit home or fall or winter break.

Take your medicine over the sink. This will make it much easier for you to find it if you drop it. And it's a very important safety measure if you have a guide dog because medicine like Advil is extremely toxic to dogs. Another tip too is to make sure you properly shut your pill container so you don't knock it over while you're brushing your teeth and spill 90 Prozac tablets on your bathroom floor. 

Laundry bags. Get them. I'm talking about delicate bags that you can put in the wash. Get smaller ones for things like underwear and socks, but then also some larger ones if you have some smaller shorts or shirts that you either don't want to lose or want to remember to take out and not put in the dryer.

Bring sunscreen and aloe vera because those two things can be very difficult to find in your bookstore and local CVS during the winter. 

Call your mom! Just do it. And not only when you need to ask for more money or you have big news. Growing up, I was really close to my family and was worried that I would not have the same relationship with them once I started college. But if you take some time out of your day, and I'm not saying hours, right? But maybe like a 20 to 30 minute phone call every few days or take some time to send them a cute picture of something you saw on campus or a picture of your dog or what you ate. My dad finds that really annoying, but I still do it anyway. You can maintain that relationship with just a little bit of effort and it's so, so worth it. 

Now the next one, as my boyfriend can attest, I will nag you about and that is to bring a first aid kit to college, because you don't want to have to find these things when you're sick or injured or have a bug bite that's annoying the hell out of you. Now, do you have your pens and papers out? Because I have a list for you. You need to bring Neosporin, topical Benadryl for bug bites or rashes. Advil or like your pain reliever of choice. Cough medicine, mucinex DM was my favorite when I got COVID, but whatever you like best. A decongestant, band-aids, icy hot or Bengay, because you'll probably decide to take some kind of workout class. Flonase, great for allergies. Nail scissors and tweezers. You probably don't think you'll need them, but at some point you're going to get like a hangnail or a splinter and you will need it. Lastly is Tums and Imodium. That's pretty self-explanatory. The point is, it's really hard to be sick in a dorm because you realize for the first time that mommy isn't around to take care of you and you have to fetch your own medicine. It's much easier if said medicine is in your dorm room rather than across town and illnesses spread like wildfire in college, especially in that November, December period before final season, you will just hear people sniffling and coughing all the time in class. It's disgusting. It will get to you. Be prepared. 

Bring alternative sources of light because most overhead dorm lights are horrific. This could be a lamp, fairy lights, LED strips, whatever you want. Just have something else. We don't turn on the big lights. That is a no-no. This can also, if you're interested in getting a single room, be a good justification for medical housing accommodations. Because if I ever had to live with somebody that liked bright lights, I think there would be an all-out war. 

Get comfortable eating by yourself. No matter how popular you are, there's probably going to be some point in your day, whether that be breakfast, lunch, or dinner, where you're going to have to eat by yourself in the dining hall. The sooner you get used to it, the better. It's not weird. People do it all the time. No one's judging you. And I actually enjoy eating by myself. Well, guess I never really eat by myself anymore because Smalls is always around. But I look at going out by myself as an opportunity to meet new people. Sometimes I get into a conversation with a random lady at the bar who I never would have even said hello to if I were with a group of friends. And I think that's pretty cool.

Ask your university if they can schedule a one-on-one campus tour for you. I found that the tours during orientation and college visits were just way too fast and not relevant for me in the exact buildings I needed to know. So what I did is I reached out to my school's disability office and the director had dreams of being a tour guide once he retired. So he planned this whole three hour tour for me. It was so cute. He took me to all of my classes. He showed me all of the accessible entrances. He even took me to this one set of steps for no other reason than to tell me, do not use these. They are a death trap. Very thoughtful. And it made my transition to Georgetown's actual campus a lot less stressful. Last but not least, be okay with getting lost. Everyone, regardless of their vision, is going to get lost on a college campus unless maybe it's one of those really small ones that only has 500 people. Besides that, you're going to get lost at some point. It is a part of life. It is a learning opportunity. It is an opportunity to explore, to test your skills. So be kind to yourself and remember that nobody is perfect. 

Well, everyone, that was four years of knowledge condensed into about an hour of podcast content. I hope you got something useful out of this. Anyways, if you enjoyed today's episode, make sure to subscribe to Legally Blonde & Blind on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and anywhere else you get your shows. You can also stay up to date by following Legally Blonde Blind on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, threads, though to be honest, I'm not as active on the last two, and LinkedIn. You can also look on my website, legallyblondblind.com for updates. Thank you all for listening and I hope to see you soon.