Looking to University

We’ve started writing our personal statements at school and suddenly all the university open days I’ve booked to attend are happening. I’ve already been to Bristol (which I loved) and Birmingham (which I hated) and I’ve got Sheffield on monday. I’ve had to do a lot of thinking about uni, having struggled with things in the past I’m wary of letting myself end up somewhere on my own without support but I’m also starting to realise how much preparation going to University with moderate-severe asthma is going to take.

I don’t have a good history of keeping controlled asthma-wise when staying on Campus. When I stayed for two weeks in student halls as part of a summer school I ended up in A&E twice in two days, one of which ended up in an admission (which I was very bad and refused to stay in and got myself discharged within a couple of hours on the condition I’d stay in the sick bay at the University overnight). The last time I stayed at Nottingham for three days and had thought ahead, taking a course of prednisolone for use in emergencies- by the end of the second night I’d started it. So, obviously I need to think about whether I’m going to need some sort of support with accommodation. I’m not the best at recognising when my lungs are going downhill, I tend to ignore it and carry on as normal (I’ve been known to go for a sprint after a bus with a peak flow of 40% my best, my mum was very very cross at me!) which has led to some sticky situations (the asthma attack that got me kidnapped by the little green men and landed in resus for the afternoon wouldn’t have been as bad if I’d not been so stubborn to finish the chemistry experiment, which I didn’t anyway, and just left as soon as my lungs felt stiff). Again, this is something I’ll have to learn to take responsibility for when I’m not living at home anymore.

At the Bristol Open day we spoke to their Access Unit, which was very useful. They reckon I should be eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowance which could be used to pay for someone to take notes for me when I’m ill/ lacking concentration due to asthma and a recorder for any missed lectures which would help reduce stress levels as well. I would also be able to see if I could get a downstairs or first floor room so I don’t have to do so many stairs when ill (though seeing as I have an attic room and I manage OK I think the stairs are the least of my worries!). It’s useful though, to know what level of support I’m looking at if I do decide to apply for DSA and also to know that the university health centre runs asthma clinics regularly with appointments made for all freshers with long term health conditions made within the first few weeks.

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