Words of Wisdom

If you make a bad grade don't give up, but get back on the horse and show  people what you're made of.    


Research all of your different options for colleges.    


Work with the school you plan on attending ahead of time.    


Plan, organize and evaluate your needs so that support service units can work together to make sure there are no gaps in assistance.    


Seek assistance from student service offices, such as Disabled Students Services, Career Services, and Cooperative Education.    


Be wise about the number of credits you take, especially the first quarter (when it is easy to be overwhelmed).    


Take some courses that look like fun, as well as more challenging courses.    


Request aid from your professors. Dont be intimidated by them; they are there to help.    


Take some time to enjoy the social life on campus it is a good way to meet new people and make friends.    


"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."-  Closing Time- Semisonic    


I think people who are starting to take college classes but don't have a specific career in mind should take a variety of classes that sound interesting.


By taking a variety of classes that sound interesting they might find careers that they like and many skills that you learn in classes can apply to a lot of jobs.    


When people are thinking about what careers they like they should think about what skills they have that they would like to use in a job and what they value.    


Once you have a dream or hope for the future regarding college or jobs, try your best to turn those dreams into reality. 


It is also very important to remind others outside of the disabled community - young children employers and employees - that 
just because you might have a disability does not mean you necessarily can't do a job.    
Preparation, that is the key word in everything we do for success. Growing up I was not only involved with DO-IT but I was also
involved in a wide range of activities including the Boy Scouts. Our motto is "Be Prepared".   As a young man I didn't quite understand 
the meaning of this. I thought this simply meant be prepared for the activities of the day. I was wrong. Last week I had a personal 
experience that reminds me that being prepared means a lot more than that.  When I moved back home to assist my mother after a 
family loss, I had to find a new job. I picked up a job through the temp agency here in town. The job seemed like just a typical 
manual labor job.  After a month of working there, I ran into our Human Resource (HR for short) person.  I asked him if there were 
other jobs available because I felt my skills and talents were not being used at all.His answer: Yes, an Electrical Maintanence position 
opened up and they needed someone with computer experience for it. This week they are considering me for that position. Simply put, I was prepared!  
I have an excellent chance at obtaining this permanent position and only because I was prepared.    There are so many ways to be prepared, 
from being deaf and handing your instructor a business card with the signed alphabet on the back, to talking to your instructor about seating 
arrangements and testing locations. So as you are starting your day, think real quick what you could throw into your backpack that could 
help you be prepared. Remember these words of wisdom, Be Prepared!