6 Life Tips for A College Student With a Disability

College life.

A period of time that just about every teenager looks forward to. Life is overflowing with excitement, as your day to day life becomes something resembling a hot new teen drama television show filled with new friends, new classes, a routine littered with unfamiliarity. The descriptive word "child" that was used to describe yourself just three months prior suddenly becomes embarrassing as a new era of your life begins.

You think you have life figured out. As a college graduate with a disability, I too look back and think "How crazy was I?" I dealt with some of the same types of newness that students without disabilities faced, just shone in a different light. Life taught me the greatest lesson: I am just like everyone else, and even though I was a legal adult, I did not know everything there was to know about life.

And at almost twenty six years old, I still don't.

I have learned a lot about what it means to be a responsible, sensible adult. I'm sharing my experience and some quick tips on how to succeed in college from my unique perspective; my adult challenges as someone with cerebral palsy are really much similar to those without such an issue. These tips can help the new and lost college student, but they can also be applied as knowledge for the tired somebody.

1) You're Going to Be Tired-  As someone with cerebral palsy, I get exhausted fairly quickly. College sure kept me on my toes, and I wish someone would have told me that classes and studying would be so much work! If you're sitting in class and find yourself nodding off during a long, boring lecture, don't worry that's normal.

2) Days Off Are Necessary-   Days off are a must for both the college student and are very much present in my life as well. Cerebral palsy induced fatigue sometimes forces me to slow down my busy schedule from time to time. Word to the wise: You can't attack life at full blast all of the time, otherwise you risk burning yourself out. It's totally acceptable to spend a day in your pajamas lounging in bed while  binge watching Netflix and catching up on sleep.

3) Diet+Exercise=Energy: Diet and exercise play a huge role in your general success as a human being. In college, your diet,exercise, and sleep habits determine your brain power; as for the working adult with cerebral palsy, those factors determine your level of functional energy. Take care of YOU. Get plenty of rest. Eat something more than potato chips and ramen noodles. Don't stay out all night when you know you have that 8 AM math class to go to.

4) Just.Keep.Going: Life as a successfully functioning human can be difficult; sometimes we feel we just "can't adult" some days. I have found that the best way to charge through those times is to latch onto your inner strength. Force yourself to do a little bit every day. Set small goals instead of large ones. No matter how much you feel like quitting, just keep going!

5) Relax- The whole fun aspect of college is coming into contact with new friends and opportunities to experience all things new. Friends are very much a need. Being social keeps your mood in an upswing and helps you to relax.

6) Priorities Are Everything:  Yes, college can be a memorable slice of your life, but what's also necessary is to keep in mind the right priorities. Work hard, play later. I was automatically labeled "different" by my classmates all through school and thought of as unworthy of anyone's friendship. I was constantly made to feel as though I had something to prove. The same struggle can be felt by many first time college students, as maybe they've had a silent struggle no one knows about.

Let me say this: Don't worry about what everyone else is doing or what they think about you. The people who open their mouths are using their only source of power. They are just all mouth, trying to build themselves up through tearing others down. You have such power in just being yourself. Hold onto your truth. Slay life as hard as you possibly can. Don't overload yourself or try to be someone or something you're not.

You are worth far more than you could imagine.

A Voice in Words

As a young woman with cerebral palsy, I have encountered numerous battles stemming from both the spoken and written word; in all of my life there has been some kind of inevitable challenge that always seems to be awaiting me from around the corner of wherever I may be. The shadows of my past casting a slight shadow over all of my potential. Every crevice of my existence.

You see, this is the kind of attitude that hit me like a hollow point bullet post college graduation, working it's way through me and severing my confidence while simultaneously throwing me into a downward spiral that made me feel as though I had no purpose, no place in the world, and nothing of any value to offer to anyone.

The attitude of which I speak is one you CANNOT have and you can't let your mind control your energy. I grew as a child with so much negativity surrounding me. People spoke hurtful words to my face without even realizing the pain they'd caused; perhaps they did notice and just didn't care.

I am sharing this because I now have the strength and courage to do so; I hope to let someone know that whatever you're going through at this moment, always remember that this too shall pass. You are strong. You are beautiful. Your disability is not your worth. I shared because I care; I know how people can change your whole focus in a matter of milliseconds with just one word.

Don't let others get you down. Don't give up your passions. Don't give up on life. Don't quit. You matter. We all have a voice. Some of us are talkers while others have a voice in words. I never wanted to become a writer, but this life chose me and I love it. Even if this post just serves as a pick me up, I hope it truly helps you realize how special you are. Use your voice to reach others, even if it happens to be a voice in words. Let your power radiate from your sheet of paper. You never know how far you'll be able to go.

2018: A Season of Change

A new year has approached us bringing with it three hundred and sixty five opportunities to begin perhaps what has the potential to be a most beautiful transition; a season of change that involves taking risks and making leaps; one that could unlock even better versions of ourselves, still possessing the familiarity of things old and worn; those things of the past still solidly present as the foundation of us mixed in with untouched territory, new discoveries and possibilities, and the uncovering of a boldness so fierce that it not only encourages and inspires others, but also ignites a fiery passion that enables them to make a positive change that is needed in the world.

I have been deep in thought over "Molly's Zone" for the past several weeks, not quite knowing which direction to take it going into the new year. I am happy to announce that I have finally in all of heart, soul and mind made my decision.  I absolutely love where the Lord continues to lead me and throughout 2018, I want to continue growing as a disability rights advocate, and I know that in order to do that I must give more volume into my work, placing into each weekly piece more passion and soul for the independent living movement. (Yes, I know you all will be happy! I am for sure returning to weekly posts!)

Everything in life evolves and in my work throughout the year you may find the topics to be a bit more bold with a little more of a punch in them; my pieces will be more in the realm of disability advocacy and rights. I have been doing a lot of topic searching in those areas. I want to study more on rights and issues in the disability community, and I do have my own stories yet to be told. As an evolving voice in the disability community, you CANNOT be silent.

I will still continue to do my positive pick me up posts as I believe they are the heart of "Molly's Zone", because making people smile is part of who I am. I will also continue sharing my faith in Jesus, because He is the one who gave this life to me, and I love Him so very much.

There's more to advocacy and disability rights than just inspiration; the same sentiments can be used in describing me. I want to pursue more; I want to truly make a difference, inherently encouraging others with disabilities to do the same. Don't be afraid to take that leap. Don't just settle for being the smoke that clears the room, instead push yourself to be the biggest fire that the world has ever seen.