Personal Narrative-Cost-Benefit Analysis
possibly tmi wall of text about health, academic institutions, and ableism incoming:
For the past 5 years, I’ve been inexplicably physically fatigued, which has had exorbitant consequences in every facet of my life, most prominently, in academics. In high school, I was always one more overslept class away from being kicked out, and at the beginning of every term, I was placed on disciplinary restriction for weeks on end. I’ve seen an endless parade of doctors, mental health professionals, been misdiagnosed and put on various medications that impeded my health even further. Some days I slept 15, 18, even 20 hours consecutively. I struggled to stay awake in between the classes I managed to attend, extracurricular activities, and homework. …show more content…
I said “yes” to every form of treatment a doctor offered me. I kept to strict guidelines for my diet, exercise, and bedtime. I filled out dozens of job applications. I read every book I could get my hands on and took scores of free classes and moocs I found online. I knew my every move was being closely scrutinized and pathologized. I knew I had to do everything in my power to get myself out of this purgatory.
There are detrimental consequences to being on leave: student loans accumulate, medical treatment is expensive (and overrides the expense of part-time classes), you’re exiled from your on-campus support network, and the readmission process is nebulous and anxiety-inducing. I’m sure I’m not the only student to be forced to return to a distressing family environment. The institution that claims to care about its individual students and their well-beings are implicitly telling you you’re not welcome, you’re no longer a part of this community. The harsh, punitive policies undoubtedly foster a lack of perceived discretion over students’ lives. Your education, the future you imagined for yourself is yanked from under your feet. School is strongly tied to my sense of identity and self-worth; I worshiped Hermione Granger for the greater part of my childhood and my adolescence. [ta nehisi french
For the past 5 years, I’ve been inexplicably physically fatigued, which has had exorbitant consequences in every facet of my life, most prominently, in academics. In high school, I was always one more overslept class away from being kicked out, and at the beginning of every term, I was placed on disciplinary restriction for weeks on end. I’ve seen an endless parade of doctors, mental health professionals, been misdiagnosed and put on various medications that impeded my health even further. Some days I slept 15, 18, even 20 hours consecutively. I struggled to stay awake in between the classes I managed to attend, extracurricular activities, and homework. …show more content…
I said “yes” to every form of treatment a doctor offered me. I kept to strict guidelines for my diet, exercise, and bedtime. I filled out dozens of job applications. I read every book I could get my hands on and took scores of free classes and moocs I found online. I knew my every move was being closely scrutinized and pathologized. I knew I had to do everything in my power to get myself out of this purgatory.
There are detrimental consequences to being on leave: student loans accumulate, medical treatment is expensive (and overrides the expense of part-time classes), you’re exiled from your on-campus support network, and the readmission process is nebulous and anxiety-inducing. I’m sure I’m not the only student to be forced to return to a distressing family environment. The institution that claims to care about its individual students and their well-beings are implicitly telling you you’re not welcome, you’re no longer a part of this community. The harsh, punitive policies undoubtedly foster a lack of perceived discretion over students’ lives. Your education, the future you imagined for yourself is yanked from under your feet. School is strongly tied to my sense of identity and self-worth; I worshiped Hermione Granger for the greater part of my childhood and my adolescence. [ta nehisi french