Hearing College for a deaf student?

I agree with many people here. I think going to Gallaudet is a good idea. I need a lot of support. My family doesnt really support me and I depend on other people so often. I miss having deaf friends and I think I could benefit a lot by attending Gallaudet for a year.

I don't want to enroll a four year program at Gallaudet but they do offer visiting student program. I can take classes there for two semesters and then return back to my home institution, at UMASS. So I will probably feel better by accepting more support- interpreters, carts, notetakers, etc after attending Gallaudet or NTID. And more importantly I want to study animal science/zoology so I want to have a degree for that. Gallaudet and NTID doesn't have that.

I actually think this is a good plan.. I think it could work out great. I need to grow and to learn about the deaf community, and to accept myself being deaf. :)

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!! Your comments are super helpful- much love!!
 
Colleen,
I remember well how it felt to be "that deaf family" in public places like restaurants, etc.
Sure people stare. I think after a while, after some experience, we just desensitized to it. We didn't care what people thought, as we thought, "this is what we do in our family" to relate to our kids. (1 is deaf, the other 2 hearing, and they both sign pretty decently)
Even now, meeting up with my deaf daughter (28), we get stared at: in the cafe, in the store, you name it. People are gonna do what they are gonna do. I tune them out and focus on my daughter, and we go about our lives. Understand that many people stare (they may even try not to) but it may not always be for the reason you perceive. Many lack exposure to the deaf previously. They are curious. They may want to see what signs go with what words. They may think it is beautiful to watch. They may wonder what you are saying (are you articulate?) and be surprised to see you signing avidly.
For example, I noticed in a recent trip to the West Coast, when we were getting tires for my daughter's car, I observed a clerk's face when he realized I was advising her to get her tires filled with nitrogen because in the cold, the tire pressure stays more constant. I could tell that he had never considered that a deaf person could understand conversations about tire pressure and nitrogen. So, he evidently learned something. Good!
Deafness is part of who you are. I wouldn't trade my experiences as a mom of a deaf woman for anything in the world, nor my own past history , as painful as I have sometimes interpreted it to be- it is , after all, part of who I am, and I own All Of It. It has made me who I am, and I know myself to be a wonderful person with beautiful intent. You, too, can accept and own your deafness-- whether you want to or not, is perhaps a function of your conditioning to want to hide it. It does not define you but is part of you. Why not have the strength of all your parts?
 
I should have mentioned...

We made a decision early on to use total communication. So, we sign as best we can as we speak, in our family- simultaneous (for the most part) speech and sign.
My daughter had a cochlear implant, which she used from 6 til 14. At 14, she expressed that she preferred not to use the implant. After long discussions, I was satisfied that she had learned to speak intelligibly , as my own goal was for her to be able to interface with deaf and hearing worlds, and one day be able to work in a hearing world, which it is. Because we used total communication, I did not feel threatened by her continuing to use sign at all; after all, she continued to have deaf friends, and she was deaf for swimming and showers/baths, and deaf when the bedtime lights went out. We signed with her friends regardless of whether she spoke, and did our best- sometimes with deep ASL, she would have to Total Communicate what they said.
She still speaks and uses TC with me, because I need that. Deep ASL is sometimes challenging for me, perhaps because ultimately we relied on speech, and because at times I have right-left and dyslexic issues and have difficulty reading sign.
 
colleen875 said:
Thank you soo much everyone for all of your help. Yes I am looking for a bachelor's degree program. I am trying to visit NITD/RIT and UNH to see if I like it. I am thinking that taking a year at Gally could work. They allow a visiting student, meaning they can take any deaf students from other colleges to attend Gally for a year.

I feel so uncomfortable with an interpreter because I feel bothered when students look at me in classes. It happened all the time. I hated it. I don't want anybody to look at me differently since I have an interpreter with me.

I tried notetakers at UMASS but they were bad- they were actually students and they didnt really take good notes.

Yes I am a junior- I just don't know what to do next semester- January. It is really hard to decide and I feel so stressed out.
Click to expand...

Yeah, look at NTID...I have a hunch that might be your answer!
 
ayla5253 said:
We made a decision early on to use total communication. So, we sign as best we can as we speak, in our family- simultaneous (for the most part) speech and sign.
My daughter had a cochlear implant, which she used from 6 til 14. At 14, she expressed that she preferred not to use the implant. After long discussions, I was satisfied that she had learned to speak intelligibly , as my own goal was for her to be able to interface with deaf and hearing worlds, and one day be able to work in a hearing world, which it is.
Click to expand...
What an awesome parent you are! You gave her that tool, and when she was old enough she said she didn't want to use it any more, and you didn't flip out!
WOOHOO!!!!!
 
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