Hearing loss is a widespread condition, impacting around 60.7 million Americans aged 12 and over. If you’re a young person dealing with hearing loss, you might worry about how it could influence your academic performance and social life, particularly during your college years. Let’s explore how hearing loss can impact your college experience and what steps you can take to thrive despite it.
How Can Hearing Loss Impact Your College Life?
Hearing loss can significantly impact your college experience by creating communication, social interaction and academic performance challenges. It may be difficult to follow lectures, participate in discussions or understand group work in a classroom setting. Socially, hearing loss can cause feelings of isolation, making it harder to engage with peers and participate in campus life. While starting college with hearing loss may sound scary, appropriate accommodations and support can help you confidently manage your new adventure.
How Can You Manage Your Hearing Loss In College?
A few ways you can accommodate your hearing loss during college to ensure better learning and socializing include:
- Find a good seat in class. Find a centrally located seat in your classrooms to help you understand your professors and students.
- Stay organized. College life can be hectic, but staying organized can help you manage your hearing needs alongside your academic responsibilities. Keep a calendar of all your classes, assignments and appointments to help you stay on top of your college life. If you encounter any challenges, don’t hesitate to advocate for yourself.
- Ask for accommodation. Accommodations like real-time captioning, sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, lecture notes and more can help lessen your hearing stress.
- Employ communication strategies. Communication strategies make a huge difference in your hearing effort. With your professors, ask them to face the class when they speak and write important information on the board. With your fellow students, choose quiet spots to hang out, stand face-to-face and ask for repetition or clarification when you need it.
- Leverage hearing aids. Hearing aids with advanced features, such as Bluetooth® connectivity and directional microphones, can stream amplified sound directly to your ears, making it easier to follow along in class and engage in social situations. Many hearing aids also come with smartphone apps that allow you to adjust settings on the go. Whether you attend a lecture or a student activity day in Brandywine Park, you can feel confident you aren’t missing out on important conversations.
Hearing loss doesn’t have to define your college experience. By taking advantage of the resources and technologies available and maintaining open communication with your professors and peers, you can confidently embrace your next four years.
To learn more about managing hearing loss, contact Wilmington Audiology Services today.