I think/know that I have a learning or physical disability, and writing assignments is difficult and time-consuming for me.
English isn't my native language, and writing in English is so difficult.
I work really hard at my writing, but my grades on my assignments are never as good as I expect them to be.
What can you do right now?
Emotional strategies
Before you start writing, try some relaxation exercises, such as deep breathing, to clear your mind as much as possible.
Writing becomes easier when authors know what they want to say before they start writing. Try outlining, mind-mapping (try Canva), jotting down bullet points on sticky notes, creating a PowerPoint presentation of what you'd like to cover, or talking your ideas through first.
It can be really difficult to get motivated when a task seems difficult! One way to overcome this is to break your writing time down into manageable chunks. Try setting a timer for 30 minutes and focus on your writing during that time. When the time is up, give yourself a well-deserved break before setting the timer again for another short period of writing.
If writing feels hard for you, it's important to leave enough time so you don't add time as another stressor to the mix. See "I never have enough time" in this guide for more information.
Writing strategies
Planning is an essential step in making writing easier; see Planning the paper for information and resources. Try different approaches to see which ones work best for you.
People's brains process information differently depending on the medium we are using.
If things begin to feel clunky with your keyboard, try switching to pen and paper to get your ideas down.
Try printing your paper and reading though it as a hard copy.
Contact Accessibility Services to learn more about how to be tested for a suspected disability (e.g., dyslexia); in the case of a documented disability, please contact Accessibility Services to learn about the accommodations that are available to you.
Contact your instructor to request a conversation to learn more about why your grades aren't as high as you expect. While receiving the feedback might not be easy, the conversation will identify specific skills for you to develop. Once you have that information, book an appointment with the Writing Centre so that we can assist you.
