The accommodation you should have

It's exam time again at my college and, naturally enough, nerves are on edge. But there's one accommodation (for dyslexic students registered in the disability unit) that really makes this time easier. It's the most used accommodation of all and it's taking the exam in the disability unit as opposed to the regular classroom. Why is this accommodation so helpful? Because you get to sit in a less stressful, less competitive environment -Who needs to watch other students leaving the classroom in their droves while you are only half done? It's much better to avoid all that by being somewhere else. The other benefit of taking your exam away from the classroom is that you get extra time, typically time and a half. 

In my college you need to have filled out a form in order to get any accommodations, including this one, and if you're on the ball you get this done, at the disability unit, at the start of the semester. If you forget to be early you must at least get that form done several days before exams. The form is carbon copied so that there are a total of three identical pages. You keep one, the disability unit gets one and your professor gets his too. The form means that everyone knows you will quietly leave your classroom to take the exam and no one gets surprised. If you haven't got onto this yet, ask about it. My students say that this accommodation is huge for them and makes all the difference.

What if you are mildly dyslexic and not registered as having a disability? - Talk to your professor and maybe get advice from your school's disability unit or student services too. Many decisions are left to the discretion of individual professors so you may find that an understanding professor is very happy to accommodate you, especially if your need is relatively simple, like being allowed extra time.