First week at college

I am doing so well at college at the moment. I've just finished my first week at college, and there were few problems.

Firstly, my student ID card didn't work so I couldn't get through the barriers myself, so I went to report the problem and tried again on the next day. It did work, but the rest of the week, it didn't work on the register machines in classrooms. So they renewed my card and I need to try it again on this week. (I get Mondays off, so I attend college on Tuesdays to Fridays.)

I am entitled to a full time note taker, but not one turned up on the first day, but I did manage okay in the lessons. Second day, it still didn't turn up! So I went to the Additional Support department to discuss about this, and they never knew that I didn't have a note taker. This got me quite annoyed, so they immediately made action about this. They provided me one on the last lesson, then I finally got my note taker properly on the next day. She was really nice, and we got on well quickly, bit like best friends as we talked about ourselves and told each other how to work together. Luckily, she knows sign language, so I found that helpful! I had a photography lesson in Darkroom photography, so I struggled to understand the teacher and thankfully, my note taker was there to sign to me. I was really happy then.

So far at college, I managed to make friends, and I was much more confident than the previous school, so I am really proud of myself. And the new implant helped me a lot as well. So, I am really happy with the education, it was much better than secondary school because the college makes sure you're fully happy with everything. I was confident enough to let people know that I am deaf, and the teachers were aware of me and made sure I understand everything.

I have to say, as I expected, I am truly enjoying photography lessons, as this was the biggest reason to why I chose to attend the college, because I am interested in photography careers, and the college is amazing enough to let us enjoy the lessons, especially the darkroom photography lessons and the use of Photoshop!

Unfortunately, after the first week, I was already given college work, and I was so busy with the weekend until now I'm off today, I can catch up.
I was shopping on Saturday to get materials for college, then a friend's birthday meal on the evening, and went to Alton Towers yesterday for her birthday as well! I am rather tired, as I've not managed to catch up with the sleep because I've been getting up at 6.30am and arriving home at 7pm on college days.

Considering I have a long days in college time, the new implant starts to get more painful at the end of the day because I've been wearing it longer now to college. Hopefully soon, I'll get used to it and the pain goes away.

I'm not sure if it's true or not, but apparently, the longer I wear the implant everyday, the less headaches I get. Before, I used to have massive headaches from the implant, but now, I hardly have headaches, unless if I wear it longer than usual on days.

TIP: If you really struggle to keep the will to keep wearing the new implant because it hurts or other reasons, then start thinking positive, like how the new implant will actually improve your hearing! (It really does improve a lot! I wore it every single day since the switch-on, and my hearing massively improved under 6 months!)

New education life.

So, many students have returned to education because it's September now. For me, I have to attend the Enrollment Day on Wednesday, but I'm not entirely sure when I actually officially start. But I'm assuming it'll be on Monday since the new buildings will be opening on that day.

I've sent an email to the college about my request in fourth A Levels, which is Business Studies, and I've not heard anything yet so I guess I'll hear anything when I go in the college.
At the moment, the idea of this new college life actually scares me and I didn't expect it. There is this feeling where I really don't want to go, because mainly I don't know anyone at all. I've grown up to go to schools with my deaf friends. Like when the group I am (or was) in, and we've been growing up together, attended same schools until I left. And this totally scares me. I don't think there'll be one deaf person joining in the same year as me, or even worse, I don't know any deaf people who's attending there. That's because the college is out of my home town or my other deaf friends are older/younger than me so they're in different places.
Also, another thing that scares me, the idea of being independent. Not relying on any teacher of the deaf anymore. I'm used to having a teacher that I can rely on but I left school, and my ex-teacher of the deaf was simply helpful and great but college will be completely different because I'm worried about missing out some words, since they're new to me so I'm not entirely used to their speeches.
Looking at the positive world, I'm sure I'll cope just fine, like I did when I came in nursery, infants, junior and secondary school.

In any case, I may be busy as I would be expecting that I'd get college work straight away!

P.S. The new implant is going as normal, still tiring though but still better than one implant alone!