Sara's Experience (Student)

I even had a laptop at that point, and I wondered how much worse off I would be without it.

Eventually, the first exams I finished on time in school were my mocks. I just barely finished every paper, except Home Economics, which I really couldn't be mad about!

For me, dyslexia can be frustrating because you are often being taught in a way that doesn't suit how you learn.

A teacher might tell you to write out a sentence or definition five times to remember it and then move on. That's not how I learn. I have to understand it, break it down, connect words I don't understand to their meanings or to words they sound similar to, and then keep revising it to keep it in my brain.

For a time, I did think I was dumb. But as I got older, I was allowed to use more tools and do more practical work. I realised that I understood things and could repeat an action again and again after only being shown how to do it once. While others struggled to get it right, I was flying along.

So again, you're often just being taught in the way that “most people” learn, but that isn't always right for you. No matter how many times you explain it or point it out to people, sometimes nothing changes, which can be annoying.

But in the end, I don't blame my dyslexia for anything, and I don't wish I didn't have it. I think my dyslexia is a big part of me, and I would be afraid that if someone could magically remove it, I might lose parts of my creativity and wouldn't be myself anymore.

I will say this to anyone who is struggling in school: you won't be in school forever. While you need to keep studying and putting in extra effort to learn that one sentence that others in your class might learn more quickly, you also need to enjoy the other parts of school.

Enjoy sport, spend time with your friends, take part in practical subjects, and think about what you want to do next. Don't let dyslexia break your plans. Keep planning for your future.