Welcome to the Peachy Day blog! Our founder Sophia kicks things off sharing her personal challenges navigating school with migraines:
As a chronic migraine patient who lives with debilitating pain most of the month, I’ve found myself trapped many times between a rock and a hard place to balance my health and life goals.
When I received my acceptance to Stanford’s MBA program, I was ecstatic. Yet my joy was quickly replaced by worry: I was suffering from migraines over 20 days a month. Bedridden and in pain, I began to doubt myself. Would I be able to fully engage myself and succeed in grad school? What if I get judged for seeming incompetent, an ugly duckling amongst brilliant, high-achieving peers?
Across my two years as a graduate student, I applied for academic accommodations and waded through university resources (and bureaucracy), with both successes and failures. Here are the top lessons that I’ve learned from navigating my medical disability in a university setting, that can hopefully empower your journey as an undergraduate or graduate student.
Normalize seeking accommodations for your health!
One of the first barriers that I encountered was my own misconceptions. I used to think that only people with “serious medical conditions” were allowed to apply for academic accommodations. I didn’t perceive my migraines, despite their debilitating impact on my life, as justifying the same level of support. However, I soon learned that at Stanford, 1 in 4 undergraduates and 1 in 5 graduate students have academic accommodations. This discovery helped me realize that seeking support is not only normal but necessary. Accommodations exist for anyone who needs them, whether it be for physical conditions, invisible illnesses, mental health, neurodiversity, and more.
Have conversations with Student Support before you accept your offer
Congratulations, you’ve been accepted to school! Now, the ball is in your court. After you’ve received your acceptance letter, it’s the perfect time to have a conversation with your program to understand the accommodations that the university offers and the process to apply for them. Take this opportunity to vet the school for their treatment of students with disabilities. This will help you envision what your experience going there might look like. If you have the luxury of choice, I strongly advocate going where you’re celebrated, not where you’re tolerated—remember, you are choosing the school as much as it is choosing you, and the university should be working with you to create an accessible, inclusive experience!
Research thoroughly on the accommodations available to you
Universities offer a wide range of accommodations, but it may be up to you to figure out which ones will best meet your needs. Go to your university’s accessibility resources page to research what’s available, and you can also check out other schools to compare.
For example, my migraines are very unpredictable, and I also experience nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and light sensitivity with my head pain. Besides seeking the more self-explanatory accommodations around attendance flexibility and assignment extensions, I also learned that I could request black-out curtains in my dorm and utilize a disability golf cart service for transportation to class on bad migraine days. Think big about how your disability affects all aspects of student life to brainstorm academic, housing, and transportation accommodations that could help.
Get your doctor’s note and be prepared to advocate for your needs
To set up academic accommodations, you will need a medical note from your doctor that documents the extent of your condition. I found it really helpful to ask for specific recommendations that aligned with the university’s accommodations to be included in the note, such as “We recommend Sophia to have x days of attendance flexibility due to the severity of her migraine attacks.” Having medically backed documentation will strengthen your case in your conversations with the university. I’d also suggest preparing a quick spiel explaining your medical condition for those who are unfamiliar and how it could affect your academic performance.
Start early with setting up academic accommodations
I recommend starting on applying for academic accommodations in the months before the start of the school year. It takes time to receive your doctor’s note and go through the necessary forms and meetings to get everything approved—but it will be worth it in the end. By working with your disability advisor early, you’ll ensure that your accommodations will be ready to go at the start of your student experience, rather than scrambling to set them up when you’re sick and being unnecessarily penalized during critical periods in the school year.
Ensure continuity of care with your health insurance
If you’re moving to a new location or switching insurances as you transition into student life, make sure to plan for what your continuity of care will look like: getting prior authorizations for certain medications, finding local healthcare providers, and more. Establishing your local medical network will allow you to prepare for uncertain bumps that could arise during the school year.
Decide how to communicate your accommodations to your professors
Your medical condition is strictly confidential with your accommodations, and you have full control over how much or how little you want to disclose to your professors. Personally, I chose to tell my professors in-person at the start of each quarter that I had accommodations and shared a bit about the nature of my migraines. I found that most professors were not only understanding but also appreciative of my proactive approach. However, if you prefer more privacy, you can also ask your disability advisor assigned by your university to share about the accommodations without any mentions of your medical condition. Regardless of which approach you take, clear and upfront communication ensures that there are no surprises when you need to use your accommodations.
Do NOT feel guilty about using your accommodations
Repeat after me: you are not less capable or smart if you need to use your accommodations due to your disability! Despite all of my efforts to set up my academic support system, it felt shameful when I first needed to use them. As I was taking my final exams with extended time, I was embarrassed that I needed an extra boost just to be on the same playing field as my peers. However, I realized that this shame was actually internalized ableism: accommodations allow me to perform at my optimal ability—they are a civil right, not a luxury!
Prioritize your physical, mental, and emotional health in spite of FOMO
There will be times when prioritizing your health means missing out on social events, classes, or travel. I had to remind myself often that my well-being comes first: staying happy and healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally would pay off more in the long-term, even if it meant making difficult choices in the short-term. It's okay to sleep early instead of going to a party or step out of less important meetings while you're feeling sick.
Update and adjust your accommodations if your health changes
Your health may change over time, and so too might your needs. Regularly assess whether your current accommodations are still effective, and don’t hesitate to request adjustments if necessary. Stay in communication with your disability advisor and healthcare provider to ensure that your accommodations can evolve with your needs.
Having a medical disability builds resilience to achieving academic goals
Through proactive planning and self-advocacy, you can absolutely thrive in university while living with migraines or other chronic conditions. Remember, you are not alone in this journey, and feel empowered to seek and create a support system to help you succeed. I’ll see you at graduation!
Sophia Fang is the Founder of Peachy Day, where we deliver trusted care for a migraine-free world. Peachy Day is a migraine care app that provides access to neurologist video visits, wellness coaching, and migraine tracking, all in one central hub. Join the app waitlist at: www.peachyday.co.