Concussion and Summer classes

[gvs42]

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Hi! I am taking my second semester of gen bio over the summer for the first time. However three days before the class started I got a concussion. It seems to be harder to study and focus in class. Should I take the rest of the summer semester off? I would have to retake the class in the spring though and be a year behind in my major (I just switched to bio and I will be a sophomore)? Or should I try to do the class and get accommodations? I don't know what I should do at all and I am really stressing. Any input would be helpful!

I have two days to decide to withdraw without penalty. the class just started today.

Thanks!

 

[Catalystik]

Hi! I am taking my second semester of gen bio over the summer for the first time. However three days before the class started I got a concussion. It seems to be harder to study and focus in class. Should I take the rest of the summer semester off? I would have to retake the class in the spring though and be a year behind in my major (I just switched to bio and I will be a sophomore)? Or should I try to do the class and get accommodations? I don't know what I should do at all and I am really stressing. Any input would be helpful!

I have two days to decide to withdraw without penalty. the class just started today.

Drop the class. You don't want to take a major prerequisite for med school when you are unable to give it your best.

 

[Coltuna]

Hi! I am taking my second semester of gen bio over the summer for the first time. However three days before the class started I got a concussion. It seems to be harder to study and focus in class. Should I take the rest of the summer semester off? I would have to retake the class in the spring though and be a year behind in my major (I just switched to bio and I will be a sophomore)? Or should I try to do the class and get accommodations? I don't know what I should do at all and I am really stressing. Any input would be helpful!

I have two days to decide to withdraw without penalty. the class just started today.

Thanks!

Ask your teacher if he/she will accomodate.

 

[692019]

Hi!
I was in a similar situation as you during my sophomore year with an intro to biology class but I had a concussion in the middle of the semester.
Instead of continuing the class, I decided to take the W and even though it threw me behind as well it was the right choice bc that semester, in general, I was struggling academically after the incident.
Then again, for my situation, they were not able to provide me accommodations either which was disappointing. Point blank, your GPA is most important so unless you can find some way to get the teacher to provide you accommodations or maybe just take your incident into account when giving you your final grade, then I would drop it.

 

[Doctor-S]

Drop the class. You don't want to take a major prerequisite for med school when you are unable to give it your best.

+1 Advisable and agree with @Catalystik.

 

[hellowalnut]

Even with accommodations, you won't be able to guess they symptoms that you may experience. The additional help might not necessarily be enough. I would suggest dropping the class and just resting your brain for the summer.

 

[Gauss44]

Even with accommodations, you won't be able to guess they symptoms that you may experience. The additional help might not necessarily be enough. I would suggest dropping the class and just resting your brain for the summer.

This is correct. When I had my concussion, not only was processing information different in general, but there were cognitive symptoms that I didn't anticipate. One example was that whenever I was in an environment that was fairly warm (or hot), I would get dizzy and became mentally slower, much slower than usual. Who would have guessed that temperature would be such a big deal? Later I learned that brain swelling might have had something to do with it, and that the swelling might have set off nerve-related problems, which in turn, could have caused additional symptoms, etc.

Also remember that accommodations usually have to be requested by a doctor, requiring an appointment and availability of the doctor. And that requesting an accommodation, with a doctor's note and all required documentation, still doesn't mean that the accommodation will be approved. Accessibility Services can be very stubborn and resistant to providing accommodations. Sometimes they ask for more and more information or become argumentative, requiring the intervention of a lawyer before help will be granted. (Of course, I hope that doesn't happen, but this can and does happen to some people.)

I hope you get better quickly! Stay cool, get rest, etc.