COLLEGE AND EPILEPSY

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SO now im 18 and i have been accepted to 2 out of the 4 colleges that i applyed to. my parents said it was ok to apply anywhere just as long as it less than 5 hrs away so i did. and i made it into my top choice which is only 2 1/2 hrs away from me. the college is Saint Norbert College in WI and i live in a sub near chicago. but a few days ago i had a sezuire while i was in the car with my dad and it was my first one in months. of course my parents freaked out and now they want me to apply to a school in the city, which i had planed to but b/c i got into my first choice i didnt want to apply anywhere else. so anyway, after my sezire my parents have been going over board with protection and now i think they wont let me going to SNC, my first choice, and be happy because they are worried that something might happen while im at school. any suggestions from anyone who has gone through this or something like this?

Comments

Re: COLLEGE AND EPILEPSY

Submitted by jmd2007 on Fri, 2009-09-18 - 08:45

I'm from Pennsylvania and went to school in Colorado, although I didn't start having seizures until junior year. If I were you, I'd go with your first choice.

I don't like the idea of parents forcing their kids to choose a particular school, regardless of whether or not they have seizures (I'm sorry for anyone who went through that, that's just my opinion on it). It never once came up with my parents that I might need to move closer to home. Your parents are concerned about you because they obviously care about your well being. Hey, that's what parents do, it's pretty much their job. But you need to make them realize that you're at a point in your life where you need to go off on your own and be independent. Unless you're planning on living with them after college, they need to let you to go away and learn to be on your own. Maybe you find a good job in another state,what then?

Your parents are worried, and you need to reassure them, so sit down and talk with them. Have a serious conversation, tell them that you want to go to your first choice. But also tell them why and what you're going to do to protect yourself:

-Finding a place to live on campus or close enough that you won't need a car (I'm assuming you can drive as it is)
-Telling the RA and your roommate about your condition and what to do if you have a seizure
-Avoid the things that can trigger seizures (mine is lack of sleep)
-Take your medications
-Do whatever else necessary under the sun to stay in control of your condition

I would say offer them a compromise: you will go to your first choice, but if your condition worsens, you will (at least seriously consider) move to a school closer to home. Maybe you can find another compromise. I'm just a believer that anyone with epilepsy has to fight to not let it control them. If your parents tell you where to go to school, they're letting your epilepsy dictate your life, and if they care about you as much as I can gather, they'll understand how you feel.

This is just my opinion. You have to do what's best for you. All the best.

I'm from Pennsylvania and went to school in Colorado, although I didn't start having seizures until junior year.  If I were you, I'd go with your first choice. I don't like the idea of parents forcing their kids to choose a particular school, regardless of whether or not they have seizures (I'm sorry for anyone who went through that, that's just my opinion on it).  It never once came up with my parents that I might need to move closer to home.  Your parents are concerned about you because they obviously care about your well being.  Hey, that's what parents do, it's pretty much their job.  But you need to make them realize that you're at a point in your life where you need to go off on your own and be independent.  Unless you're planning on living with them after college, they need to let you to go away and learn to be on your own.  Maybe you find a good job in another state,what then? Your parents are worried, and you need to reassure them, so sit down and talk with them.  Have a serious conversation, tell them that you want to go to your first choice.  But also tell them why and what you're going to do to protect yourself: -Finding a place to live on campus or close enough that you won't need a car (I'm assuming you can drive as it is) -Telling the RA and your roommate about your condition and what to do if you have a seizure -Avoid the things that can trigger seizures (mine is lack of sleep) -Take your medications -Do whatever else necessary under the sun to stay in control of your condition I would say offer them a compromise: you will go to your first choice, but if your condition worsens, you will (at least seriously consider) move to a school closer to home.  Maybe you can find another compromise.  I'm just a believer that anyone with epilepsy has to fight to not let it control them.  If your parents tell you where to go to school, they're letting your epilepsy dictate your life, and if they care about you as much as I can gather, they'll understand how you feel. This is just my opinion.  You have to do what's best for you.  All the best.

I'm from Pennsylvania and went to school in Colorado, although I didn't start having seizures until junior year. If I were you, I'd go with your first choice.

I don't like the idea of parents forcing their kids to choose a particular school, regardless of whether or not they have seizures (I'm sorry for anyone who went through that, that's just my opinion on it). It never once came up with my parents that I might need to move closer to home. Your parents are concerned about you because they obviously care about your well being. Hey, that's what parents do, it's pretty much their job. But you need to make them realize that you're at a point in your life where you need to go off on your own and be independent. Unless you're planning on living with them after college, they need to let you to go away and learn to be on your own. Maybe you find a good job in another state,what then?

Your parents are worried, and you need to reassure them, so sit down and talk with them. Have a serious conversation, tell them that you want to go to your first choice. But also tell them why and what you're going to do to protect yourself:

-Finding a place to live on campus or close enough that you won't need a car (I'm assuming you can drive as it is)
-Telling the RA and your roommate about your condition and what to do if you have a seizure
-Avoid the things that can trigger seizures (mine is lack of sleep)
-Take your medications
-Do whatever else necessary under the sun to stay in control of your condition

I would say offer them a compromise: you will go to your first choice, but if your condition worsens, you will (at least seriously consider) move to a school closer to home. Maybe you can find another compromise. I'm just a believer that anyone with epilepsy has to fight to not let it control them. If your parents tell you where to go to school, they're letting your epilepsy dictate your life, and if they care about you as much as I can gather, they'll understand how you feel.

This is just my opinion. You have to do what's best for you. All the best.

Re: COLLEGE AND EPILEPSY

Submitted by jmd2007 on Fri, 2009-09-18 - 09:02