<p>I graduated this year and I am going to KSU in Ohio and I am so afraid that I won't have anyfriends and no one will want to hang out with me :( Like Ok I have a crutch b/c I have cerebral palsy (which I have said before in a previous post sorry if I am repetitive) but I can get around and I am social and I live in a small town so everyone knows me and and treats me.. normally but I'm afraid that I'll go to college and people will be mean or rude to me and no one will invite me to parties and if i do go they'll make fun of me. I just really want a good college experience and I want to have fun you know?</p>
<p>Don’t worry, everything will be okay.</p>
<p>You have to go out into the “real world” to see if your fears of being rejected come true. There are mean, insensitive people everywhere so either you confront them or hide away in your small town wondering if you could have made it out in the cruel, cruel world. Join clubs in activities or causes you’re interested in, be positive, open minded and friendly-your disability makes it hard for you to get around it doesn’t have to affect your self esteem. Most freshmen stress about fitting in and making new friends. Meet KSU “Class of 2013” classmates online this summer. Nothing ventured is nothing gained. Best of luck.</p>
<p>You will be surprised how open minded most young people are. Of course, as mentioned above, there will be cruel people that you will encounter, but that is part of growing up. Just keep your head held high and smile a lot.</p>
<p>Not everyone is going to be accepting of everyone they meet. See if there is a club for students with similar issues. Also I think if you make it a big deal then it will be a big deal. I’d talk to people about it if they look curious or seem to want to ask but aren’t comfortable. But act like anyone else does (which you likely do) and it shouldn’t be an issue.</p>
<p>You’re not the only person in your situation. The great thing about Freshman year is that so many students are just like you, looking for friends, and making connections. If you put yourself out there socially, I’m sure things will turn out great for you.</p>
<p>I think you should check out this thread.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/553277-dont-worry.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/553277-dont-worry.html</a></p>
<p>" Join clubs in activities or causes you’re interested in, be positive, open minded and friendly-your disability makes it hard for you to get around it doesn’t have to affect your self esteem."</p>
<p>I agree. I have 4 friends with CP whom I met through a community theater group. Get involved in organizations that interest you. That’s usually how people make friends particularly in college. Realize that you may be the first disabled person that many people meet, so talk about your disability, which will let others know that it’s OK to notice you’re disabled (Unfortunately, many people have been taught by parents that it’s rude to notice someone’s disabled. Consequently, unless you speak up, they may think it’s polite not to even look at you). Let them know if you need help or don’t need help. Let them know that you can do things like go to parties and dance. That way they won’t exclude you thinking you wouldn’t be able to come. For instance, my friends in wheelchairs do dance at parties. </p>
<p>Exhibiting a good sense of humor – including about yourself – helps a great deal, too. For instance, one of my friends who has less control over his left hand than his right hand, apologizes for his clumsy left hand by calling it his evil hand that refuses to behave. </p>
<p>Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>My son has a friend with cerebral palsy that he met this past semester…he is such a nice kid and has so many friends. He was the kid that came over to my son in public speaking class after he made a speech and told him what a great speech it was. I thought that was such a nice thing to do and obviously it impressed my son so that he mentioned it. He was really nervous about that speech. Anyway, it really helps that he is outgoing and it sounds as though you have good social skills too. I wouldn’t worry, I’ll bet you’ll do great.</p>
<p>There will always be idiots; don’t pay attention to them. They’re not worth caring about, anyway. But honestly, most people probably won’t care. I know for one that I don’t care, but sometimes, if it’s something I’ve never come across before, it can be awkward. Like, at my school, I became really, really good friends with a boy who is blind. At first it was awkward to walk with him - like did he want my help crossing the street? how many times did I accidentally reference my sight? - but he was such a trooper about it (and funny!) that I soon became really comfortable and our friendship just grew. Don’t worry about it. Just be patient with people who may have no experience with cerebral palsy or crutches. We don’t want to alienate you. We just don’t always know how to handle your disability. I think most of us are focused on YOU, not your crutch. Those of us worth knowing, anyway.</p>
<p>Your disability is part of who you are BUT it doesn’t have to define you. You empower yourself to define who you want to be. Advice I give to all who are a little fragile -the jerks will be lurking so keep your guard up, just as a defense mechanism for your psyche. You’ll find friends that will allow you to relax and be yourself. You can conquer your fears.</p>
<p>Never ever judge your insides against someone elses’s outsides.</p>
<p>In other words, you may look around and see people who LOOK confident and self-assured and think that they actually FEEL that way inside. You would be wrong 9 times out of 10. MOST people going into new situations feel uneasy, unsure, in short, all the feelings YOU are feeling.</p>
<p>Your best bet is to go, join, act confident, act self-assured and I’ll bet you anything that a little way down the road, when you’re sharing confidences with all your new friends (and you WILL have them) they’ll be telling you how much they admire how confident and self-assured you are. At that point you can laugh and confess that you’re NOT really…you were just as scared and uncertain as they’re confessing to have been!</p>
<p>Oh, and I’m betting that almost no one will be mean to you. I say almost because there are certainly jerks out in the world and there’s no guarantee that you won’t encounter some of them. BUT, fortunately they are pretty few and far between.</p>
<p>Your best bet is to have some snappy comeback for situations that might call for one. (In some cases it might be best to just ignore jerks.) Actually, probably just ignore to begin with and if they persist then you can say something like, “Did you hear something? I could have sworn I heard the call of the North American jerk!”</p>
<p>Ah, holy crap! Did you just go to orientation? I’m going to KSU as well.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry too much about it, I don’t think anyone is going to treat you bad on purpose. Perhaps some people will inadvertently do so because they don’t know any better (I come from a small community so I know a lot of people don’t get much in the way of diversity. So some people don’t have any experience with people different from themselves) but they likely don’t have any ill intentions and are so nervous of behaving poorly they end up doing just that.</p>
<p>you’ll be just fine.</p>
<p>Most people are very nice and open freshman year, because they want to make friends too. Just be friendly and go to as many “beginning of the year” events as possible.</p>
<p>PM’d you. :)</p>
<p><a href=“I%20come%20from%20a%20small%20community%20so%20I%20know%20a%20lot%20of%20people%20don’t%20get%20much%20in%20the%20way%20of%20diversity.%20So%20some%20people%20don’t%20have%20any%20experience%20with%20people%20different%20from%20themselves”>quote</a> but they likely don’t have any ill intentions and are so nervous of behaving poorly they end up doing just that.
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<p>I am totally a victim of this. Like I said… it’s great if you have a sense of humor or are really polite. I think that most people who are awkward or “rude” are doing so unintentionally. For example, in my small community, no one had ever seen a service dog before. The kids didn’t know they weren’t supposed to touch the dog. But the woman with the service dog was so awesome that instead of getting angry (which she had the right to do!) she took the opportunity to teach the kids about service dogs, what they do, and how they should be treated. You could take a social faux pas as an opportunity to introduce yourself and make a new friend. Then you can look back and laugh at it later.</p>