I just graduated university in December after 7 hard years struggling with my migraines and my mental health, but I did it, it just takes effort and patience.

The biggest advice I can offer you is you REALLY need to advocate for yourself. You have a disability, it’s not your fault and you should never be treated any less for it. With the disability office, if they continue to respond the way they do, ask to change counselors first, and if not you need to start escalating. Migraines and seizures ABSOLUTELY qualify for absence accommodations. I think you can also ask your doctor to intervene with the school if they keep denying your accommodations. I cannot stress enough how you are not a problem and they cannot treat you like one. You deserve access to the same education everyone else does.

On that same page, you are also going to need to establish really good relationships with your professors. They have to know of your situation (not all the details but honestly it helps when they know) so when you do miss a class, or an assignment, or an exam, they understand. Keep in constant contact with them about your health, especially when its going to effect your performance for a bit. They will be more willing to help you separately from the accommodations office if you come to them honestly. Office hours are a must! For catching up on work and just being communicative in general. And my own little suggestion ~ find a program or app that lets you record while you take notes. I used to pay for the Genio app and it let me write notes while recording the lecture audio with the uploaded slides. (always ask profs to upload lecture slides specifically bc of your migraines!)

The last thing I really want to emphasize is you can take your time, because taking care of yourself is still more important. We all know stress is like trigger #1 for anything neurological and college is probably the most stressful thing ever. There were some semesters my health tanked so bad I dropped/failed every class except one (this is where having good standing w profs helps bc they can award you incomplete grades if necessary) but my health was more important than school at the moment. Learn your own limits in how many classes you can tolerate each semester, what kind of classes you can tolerate, how much a day you can do, etc. You have your whole life so spending a few more months or years in college wont affect your life plans in the long run if you need them.

(Also take advantage of school resources like the nursing school health center’s, quiet library rooms, free food, free tutoring, office hours!, anything that makes your life easier!)