What was your first year of college like?

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I'm only borderline Aspie and possibly PDD-NOS instead, not having all the traits, so some people might have more trouble, but here's what I found. This was a small liberal arts college, BTW.

1. Studies: I had the 8weirdest* feeling when classes were over at noon, it was like I should be in school yet because school always lasted till 3. Of course the work is a lot tougher, but that kind of helped me, because I just naturally did as much homework as I could till about 3 or so.

2. Extra activities: I really didn't like some of the loud parties but I found some friends who were good at including me in stuff with them, who also didn't like that stuff. I sort of fell into the same stuff I did in high school - newspaper, yearbook. I had a qfunny column where I looked at stuff like "letter discrimination' because certain letters weren't used as much, or I would discuss how odd it seemed that certain colors were named just "light blue" or "dark blue" instead of actual words like crimson and scarlet. It made people laugh and helped me have stuff to talk about with people. I got too busy for it by my 2-3rd near and didn't know how to say I really wasn't going to have time for it anymore so sort of drifted away. I was also on the radio station and talked sports, I would do more later in other activities, including as a volunteer with big Brothers and Big Sisters.

Friend-making: The extroverted type who didn't like the cursing and swearing of some kids, or the really loud parties, and I got along very well, but there were bumps. My first encounter witht he guy who would be my best friend there was me saying "what a dumb question" to him in orientation, but he gave me a 2nd chance and we hit if off well. We played video games befoer supper every day, just like a different guy and I back in high school.

I had to be encouraged by my roommate not to watch the AFC title game in my room but to go downstairs, but that was good because I really was liking some of the guys in my dorm, it was just hard for me to know when or how to invite myself in to thigns and being told to just go and do stuff with them and not to worry about it was what I needed to hear.

I really didn't have many problems with my roommate, but I was glad to have a single room my 3rd and 4th year (nowadays I think everyone gets singles in some colleges) Only a few little things, like his not seeming to get the mixed signals he was sending about whether he wanted awakened or not before I realized his schedule had changed. Then once I did let him sleep and he ran out of the room 2 minutes before one class was supposed to start. He didn't say anything to me about wishing I'd awakened him, so either I guessed right that he'd wanted to not be awakened or, more likely, he wished I had awakened him but remembered the earlier time and didn't want to admit he wished he hadn't said anything earlier.

Just finished my first year last month.

I did very well in class; earned a 3.96 GPA. Socially though, not too well. I made a few acquaintances but no real "friends".

First year of college was traumatic. During the first semester I lived in the loudest and most uncontrollable dorm hall on-campus (no joke) and my roommate was a tyrant. I tried to move but the housing department said that there was no where to place me.
The struggles I have had most of my life socially and academically were intensified in college and I hadn't yet been diagnosed on the autism spectrum until recently.
I transferred closer to home second semester but have found that after two years of college perhaps its not for me. Living in a middle-class republican household, going to college is paramount and I have no choice. Hopefully things will improve next year when accommodations are put in place for my specific needs like extra time on tests etc.

I completed my first year about a month ago, and it was pretty... meh.

Don't get me wrong, it's not about the classes. In fact, I had quite a few teachers I really liked and did great in all my classes. (I'm a 4.00 average student.) It's just... I don't like the social scene. All of my friends and acquaintances went away to other schools, and I only know like three people well that went to school with me. Plus I go to a community college, so I don't feel like I have any reason to make new friends. I'll communicate with people, but I'm terrible at taking the lead in conversations so I never approach anyone to start them. Most of my time between classes is spent in the library doing homework or goofing off. This only changed during the last two months where I joined Phi Theta Kappa, and they're not active in the summer time.

First year of college was difficult for me. Dealing with living with a roommate because I was an only child. A lot of his habits bothered me. Like making a mess and not adequately cleaning up. I made a couple good friends that I correspond with today and see on occasion even though we live in different states. I never enjoyed the party/alcohol scene. I also developed the terrible habit of skipping classes because there was no one to make me go. Academically, I did alright that first year, even with skipping classes. Eating in the cafeteria sometimes was weird. Sometimes I was so overwhelmed with nerves/fear that I would avoid going to the cafeteria for dinner and just eat something like popcorn in my room. I watched a lot of television by myself. I wish I would have studied more and developed an exercise routine.