This section gives you some information and suggestions on how to address missed classes and speaking with your teachers as a result of your medical condition, whether related to surgery or otherwise.
Right now, I am a sophomore at Georgetown University. Even though I get sick a lot, I am still able to take a full course load and be involved in multiple clubs and otherwise go full speed except when I happen to fall ill (where I go down much harder than other students as a result of my medical condition). When I enrolled at Georgetown, I spent time before I started classes meeting with people at the school to find out what resource support would be available because of my medical condition. Most schools, especially colleges, should have a pretty good set of resources available for students with medical problems. At Georgetown, I have access to a very good health center and also the Academic Resource Center (ARC). The ARC helps me with accommodations relating to class absences (e.g., I missed about six-seven weeks of class my freshmen year at Georgetown because of illness). It is important to understand what resources are available to you at your school.
In addition to figuring out what resources are available to support you at your school, it is very important to communicate with your teachers regarding your medical background. Here is what I do for every class at the beginning of every school year--
on the first day of class, I ask to speak with my teacher about my medical condition. As part of this conversation, I give him/her a brief overview of my medical condition and how it could affect my class attendance. It will be up to you on how much you want to explain about your medical condition to your teacher--but it is critical to communicate enough so there is an awareness of your condition. I have always followed a practice of openness and trying to explain essentially everything about my medical condition so that there is an understanding that could help in the future if classes are missed because of illness. In my experience, while the first conversation can be hard, everyone has always been understanding and supportive and the foundation is then well set to deal with future absences.
I also have a system in place where a teacher receives a message from my academic dean when I am sick and missing a class. I also send the same message unless, of course, I am too sick to do so. When I return to classes, I will set a time to visit with my teacher and put together a plan to catch-up and complete any assignments. My academic dean helps with this as well. As part of the conversation with your teacher, it is quite important that you help your teacher understand that you cannot, and should not, push yourself too hard as part of your recovery--make sure you set reasonable due dates and also you figure out a realistic way to catch-up by, for example, working with your teacher, teacher's assistant or fellow students to obtain notes from missed classes. And, do not be afraid to ask for further extensions or help--it is just simply quite hard to catch-up when missing class time because of illness.
Right now, I am a sophomore at Georgetown University. Even though I get sick a lot, I am still able to take a full course load and be involved in multiple clubs and otherwise go full speed except when I happen to fall ill (where I go down much harder than other students as a result of my medical condition). When I enrolled at Georgetown, I spent time before I started classes meeting with people at the school to find out what resource support would be available because of my medical condition. Most schools, especially colleges, should have a pretty good set of resources available for students with medical problems. At Georgetown, I have access to a very good health center and also the Academic Resource Center (ARC). The ARC helps me with accommodations relating to class absences (e.g., I missed about six-seven weeks of class my freshmen year at Georgetown because of illness). It is important to understand what resources are available to you at your school.
In addition to figuring out what resources are available to support you at your school, it is very important to communicate with your teachers regarding your medical background. Here is what I do for every class at the beginning of every school year--
on the first day of class, I ask to speak with my teacher about my medical condition. As part of this conversation, I give him/her a brief overview of my medical condition and how it could affect my class attendance. It will be up to you on how much you want to explain about your medical condition to your teacher--but it is critical to communicate enough so there is an awareness of your condition. I have always followed a practice of openness and trying to explain essentially everything about my medical condition so that there is an understanding that could help in the future if classes are missed because of illness. In my experience, while the first conversation can be hard, everyone has always been understanding and supportive and the foundation is then well set to deal with future absences.
I also have a system in place where a teacher receives a message from my academic dean when I am sick and missing a class. I also send the same message unless, of course, I am too sick to do so. When I return to classes, I will set a time to visit with my teacher and put together a plan to catch-up and complete any assignments. My academic dean helps with this as well. As part of the conversation with your teacher, it is quite important that you help your teacher understand that you cannot, and should not, push yourself too hard as part of your recovery--make sure you set reasonable due dates and also you figure out a realistic way to catch-up by, for example, working with your teacher, teacher's assistant or fellow students to obtain notes from missed classes. And, do not be afraid to ask for further extensions or help--it is just simply quite hard to catch-up when missing class time because of illness.