Denial of Service
Modified - May 13, 2013

These are four examples of what are some of the consequences of denial of service meant for me. It not only ruined my academic life, but also wrecked my private and social life.

  1. When I first got disabled in 1983, I was writing at 1/6 the speed of what I was writing before I fell rock-climbing. This meant that a homework assignment that was expected to take me 15 hours, would take me 90 hours.

    I specifically asked DSS at UC Santa Cruz for help. The head of DSS refused – I dropped Endocrinology as a result, my only class in Fall, 1984. She claimed she was not required to help me with my homework and told me that all DSS would supply me with were note-takers, homework was my problem. The results of her decision were catastrophic for my academic record, my personal and social life.

    • My academic record was negatively affected.
      • I wound up dropping, repeating and failing some classes. This sobering reality was a real comedown for the very best student in Organic Chemistry at UC Santa Cruz.
      • I was denied the oppurtunity of putting concepts, I had learned in lecture, to use in solving homework problems - I was not able to learn the material on the first time around for most classes.
    • My homework assignments were always incomplete.
      • They were always poorly composed. I did not have the time required to rewrite them.
      • They were always hard to read. I knew my homework looked terrible, but was doing the best I could. I did not know what else I could do.
      • Turning in my weak attempts at the homework was a constant source of humiliation for me.
    • I was not able to socialize with my fellow students.
      • I was always doing homework. I could not think about anything else. Once a friend invited me to her house for dinner and to stay overnight. I went, but was so stressed about my class homework requirements, I was not much fun. She never invited me back.
      • She even took me horseback riding, but by then, DSS had suceeded in wrecking my self-image. I wanted to tell her, I thought she was beautiful, that I really liked her, but I thought that I was just a freak, that no one cared what I thought.
    • I did not join any clubs or organizations because of DSS and DSPS.
      • I was not able to focus on enjoying life, I had not finished my homework. I never felt anyone wanted to socialize with me.

  2. In Fall 2004, I solved an Calculus problem using trigonometric substitution when the instructor thought it could only be done using partial fractions. I was able to do that because a friend did all of the writing allowing me the time and energy to think about each step.

  3. The Chemistry 163-A midterm, Fall 2007:

    My score, while 20 points above the class average, should have been at least 28 points points above the class average (I say "at least" because of all the prerequisite classes that were required, classes whose material I did not have the option of learning, though I passed the class. My lack of preparation for Chemistry 163-A (Quantum Theory) was a direct result of the policies of DSS and DSPS).

    On the first question I lost eight points because I did not have the formula for the angular momentum of a particle. The reason I did not have it, was my hope that I would not need it, because writing it down was too dificult for me and I had no help in preparing my equation sheet.

  4. Immediately below this text is a sample of my handwriting from Spring of 2008. I have copied the first half, of the formula, on the left side, onto the right side. My handwriting is not very good in 2008. Try to imagine how bad it was in 1984, a year after my accident. It was so terrible then that I did not save any examples.

    Before my rock-climbing fall, I used to type 70 words/minute without error. Given the consequences (TBI) of my tumble, if I am lucky, I can type 35 words/minute with lots of errors. I needed help writing, but I got lots of excuses, rationales and attacks from DSS, DSPS and DRC instead.

    The sample below is from Chemistry 163-C (Statistical Mechanics, Spring 2008). I wound up dropping the class, though I found it fascinating. The reason being lack of help writing the homework (thanks to DRC). The withdraw cost me $700.00.

Close this window to return to the sending page.