KnOWLedge Is Power Volume 1, Issue 2 A DSPS Newsletter Fall 2017 KURZWEIL 3000 IN THIS ISSUE FIREFLY DSPS Spotlight on: 2 Samuel Torres Did you know ... What Can I Do to DSPS now offers Kurzweil 3000 4 Firefly to students who have Overcome Test Anxiety? e-text as an accommodation. Kurzweil 3000 is a powerful Virtual Tour of learning tool that offers interactive 6 Cal Poly Pomona ways to read, write and study. This software has been available for students to use in the DSPS 8 How Important is Sleep? computer lab for quite some time, but now students can download Kurzweil 3000 Firefly OFFICE HOURS to conveniently use this text-to-speech program on their desktop/ laptop, iPad app and through web browsers. Monday – Thursday: Students with qualifying disabilities can download and install 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kurzweil 3000 Firefly for free by signing up for a membership in Friday: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. DSPS. For more information and training on Kurzweil 3000 Firefly, OFFICE LOCATION call the DSPS office at 626-914-8675 to make an appointment with Laks Floriano, DSPS Alternate Media Specialist. Students Services Photo courtesy kurzweiledu.com Building, SS 133 (next to the Art & Coffee Bar) KnOWLedge Is Power DSPS SPOTLIGHT ON: SAMUEL TORRES SPRING 2017 GRADUATE Last spring, DSPS was proud to attend the Citrus College commencement ceremony that included several of our own students, one of whom was Samuel Torres. After the photographer captured a proud moment, our department secretary, Emmy Madrid, took some time to chat with him. Here’s what he had to share ... Emmy: Hi Sam! Thanks for responding to our request to feature your photo and story in our fall 2017 newsletter. We appreciate you being willing to share your Citrus College experience with us. Sam: I can’t believe you called and asked me to do this ... cool! Emmy: Do you mind sharing your disability? Sam: No, I don’t mind. I have a visual and auditory learning disability. Emmy: Can you explain to readers what that means? Sam: Yes. When I read something, it takes me a little longer to process information. Emmy: How long have you been at Citrus College? Sam: I started in 2011 and graduated in June 2017 with my associate degree. Emmy: What is your major? Sam: Kinesiology. 2 A DSPS Newsletter Emmy: Why did you choose this career path? Sam: I use to get hurt a lot in sports when I was a kid. I went to physical therapy several times and thought it was cool how they could help someone feel better to get back on track. Emmy: Did you experience struggles during your time at Citrus College? Sam: Yes, I did. I was literally failing my classes, and it was discouraging. It made me give in to the belief that I wasn’t smart enough and college just wasn’t for me. I ended up not having self confidence in my abilities. I kept going to school telling myself, “If I could just get a C, I’d be okay with that,” but getting a C was hard for me. I couldn’t get there. I decided to quit school and get a job installing partitions. I woke up at 4 a.m. and worked until 6 p.m. every day. One day I realized that was not what I wanted my life to look like down the road. I changed my mindset and came back to school with the determination that I CAN do this, and that getting a C was not going to be good enough ... I wanted A’s and B’s! When I left Citrus College to get a job, I had a 2.1 GPA. I recently graduated with a 3.0 GPA. It may not be the greatest, but it was an improvement for me, and I’m proud of it! Emmy: How did DSPS assist you in reaching your degree? Sam: I didn’t use all of my accommodations because my friends didn’t have them. I wanted to appear “normal” and learn to do this on my own. I did, however, use shared notes, and this was very helpful for me because, well ... my writing skills are not so good!” (He laughs!). Recording lectures also helped a lot because when I missed something, I could go back and fill in the blank spots. When I returned to school, I really felt like DSPS cared about me. Not that DSPS didn’t care before, it’s just that I wasn’t motivated in doing what “I” needed to do. Emmy: What study tips did you find helpful? Sam: Audio recording, paying close attention in class and finding study groups. I liked what we called “spit- balling” questions randomly at each other. It made us have to think fast. Flashcards were also very helpful because it was easier to read the back of the card than to read the textbook. Emmy: What instructors or counselors influenced your ability to get back on track? Sam: I used ratemyprofessor.com. Professor Solheim and Professor Rudd were the instructors that encouraged me in class. I found myself dwelling on how long it was taking to find my momentum until, one day in class, Dr. Solheim said, “It doesn’t matter if it takes you years to get your degree, just don’t give up and get it done.” That statement made me feel like I could let go of what went wrong and focus on the finish line. Professor Rudd allowed me to go outside the box in my essays. It was my third time taking her class, so she went the extra mile to help me understand things so that I could successfully pass English. The counselor that helped me was Shellyn Aguirre in DSPS. I always saw different counselors in different departments, but when I met with her, I wanted to stick with her because she made me feel like she really cared about me graduating. Oh, and you were always nice to me too! (He laughs!). That made me feel comfortable enough to come in for what I needed. Emmy: Where will you transfer to? Sam: I’ve applied to Cal State LA, Cal State Northridge, Cal Poly Pomona, San Diego State and UC Channel Islands. My hope is that I get accepted to Cal State LA! Emmy: What would be your ideal job where you can apply your kinesiology degree? Sam: I’d love to move to San Diego near my girlfriend and do kinesiology work for veterans. I feel they have done so much for us and that’s the best way I can give back since I didn’t personally serve in the military. Emmy: What words of encouragement do you have for other DSPS students? Sam: MINDSET! Don’t give up on yourself. Don’t tell yourself you can’t do this because you can. I regret putting it off because I could have completed my educational goals sooner, but things happen for a reason. It took me six years to get it done, but I’m glad I achieved my goal. It makes me feel good that DSPS even noticed me. I was like, “Wow, they want to feature me in their newsletter ... that’s cool!” I’m happy I was asked to share my journey. I’m not embarrassed by my disability and the challenges it creates; it is what it is ... I just hope to inspire another DSPS student to keep going! Emmy: Best wishes to you Samuel – the staff in DSPS are very proud of you! 3 KnOWLedge Is Power What Can I Do to Overcome Test Anxiety? ANNOUNCEMENTS AND FRIENDLY REMINDERS Fall 2017 • DSPS now offers automatic text and email appointment reminders. Visit our Facebook, Instagram or DSPS website for mor e information. • What are your thoughts about changing the name of our Although test anxiety is a common experience that most department? A survey will be students have at some point during their college careers, it sent out to the Citrus College community very soon to gather can be problematic when it adversely affects performance your input on this question. and a student’s quality of life. Some people find it to be barrier in passing their classes because they simply “blank out” during a test or become so anxious that they cannot think clearly or rationally, even though they mastered the Winter 2018 material. Some people may experience physical symptoms • Testing Center hours are changing! of test anxiety: increased sweating, heart palpitations Call the Testing Center office, or feelings of dizziness. They may have catastrophic 626-857-4035, or check the thoughts, often imagining worst-case scenarios. These website, www.citruscollege.edu/lc/ testing, to verify hours of operation. can negatively affect a student’s ability to perform well on exams. • Summer/Fall Priority Registration Priority registration appointments If test anxiety is impacting your grades, try out some of begin January 2018. Students these strategies to help keep yourself calm, cool and must have a current S.E.P. The collected on test day. timeframe to meet with a counselor is Jan. 8 to April 12, 2018. • Study, study, study! It goes without saying that the more you study, the more prepared you will be, and the less anxious you will feel. Studying consistently over the span of several weeks and not cramming the night before will reduce your anxiety. This means being Spring 2018 an active learner by participating in study groups, tutoring, going to • DSPS 085: E-Text Basics instructor office hours, taking practice exams and asking questions Offered during the first eight weeks in class.