Uni advice

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Hi ever one how u doing?
Il get to the point as of this point 2 months from now I will be in uni and I have a lot of worries about it. I can predict that I won't be able to hide my ASDfor long as I am doing health and social care and the 2 of topics for the second year are about disabilities and conditions so if any of my class mates are a bit savvy they will spot me out especially as il be in student digs as well.
Any of you guys or gals out there gone through uni any advice you can give me?.
Thanks
Ryan

As a University student who will be a senior in the fall, here are my two cents.

The first and foremost thing to do over the summer is to get accommodations for the academic year through your school's disability services office (I assume nearly every school has one by now) so that you can get 'letters' to hand to your professors stating that you need so and so accommodations. They are by law required to provide you with what you need and are not allowed to inquire as to why you have the letter unless you feel that you should/need to tell them. To get them you need to submit the proper documentation that shows you have what you say you have (i.e. A professional ASD diagnosis, documents from your doctor diagnosing the condition, etc). You will have to find out what your University requires.

Another thing to do over the summer is start getting some things for your room. Know what the room looks like, how big it is, what furniture is included, what is and isn't allowed, and what your roommates will be bringing. You really should visit the campus and residence halls in person so you see with your own eyes what the campus looks like. If possible, another thing you could do is take a summer class at your local community college so that you can get a general education requirement done and over with before you start, easing up your workload in the future. Make sure that your University is open to transfer credits and that there is a similar or exact class at University so you are not wasting your time.

The best advice I can give for socialization is join a club based on your interest(s), take classes with other students you meet in your major specific classes, go to the events held on campus over the year, and do something with your roommates in town. I am in the Improv club and Gaming club at my University where I have met people (Aspies too). As a theatre major, the major required classes I take always have at least a couple people I know from the Theatre Department. If I have the time to spare I go to the events held on campus. I've been to things like a concert day, a medieval festival, did some archery, had a midnight breakfast, went to a renaissance music concert, a concert of Handel's Messiah, all right on campus.

I can't give you any advice in terms of roommates because I've never had them. I started out in Community College so I lived at home that whole time, and when I transferred to University I was coming in as a Junior where I was eligible to get the upperclassmen single rooms which is where I lived this past year and will be living this upcoming year. I am not sure about this, but if you are not comfortable with roommates, you may be able to use your disability accommodations to request a single room. I don't know, I didn't start out as a freshman at a four year university.

For time management I try to get my work done or mostly done the day after it is assigned or whenever I have a day with no classes. I tell myself that getting it done now will leave me with plenty of time to do what I want without any stress. Depending on how your schedule works, you might wind up having to do something the night before. It happens. I would also take advantage of any tutoring services offered at your University. I have used the writing center whenever I have a big paper that is due. Find out what your school has and use them, they are there for you.

In terms of disclosing about you being autistic, I really don't open up about me being autistic frequently because I don't know how they will react and I fear what may happen if I encounter someone who looks down upon autistic people. The last thing I need is more bullying, have had enough of that already. I did say that I'm an Aspie in a manifesto I wrote for a class that I read to the class. It was a HUGE gamble in my book, but in the end it paid off and they were all very accepting of me when I 'came out' to them. I have other friends who I have not told them yet. I will, I do feel comfortable with them and trust them enough that I don't think it would stab me in the back, I am just holding out for an ideal time where it won't be seen as awkward. If they have figured it out on their own or someone else told them, they haven't brought anything up with me. In the end, you'll have to decide if you feel comfortable opening up to people, if you trust them enough, and if they need to know about it.

Hope that answers a question or two you had. Best of luck with University. If you have any other questions let me know or feel free to PM me.

Thanks for the advice and the detail of it the uni that I am going to does do services and funding for people with conditions such as ASD. My worry in uni is that I won't be able to control even in a small manner when people find out you experience with that subject gives me hope. I have been told that I am unlike other Aspie's in that I am hightly socialble and the though of having a group of friends and then losing them in the blink of an eye because I have taken that gamble and it's gone south scares me and worse still it has happened twice before but the manner in which you told them I mush say is inspired I will be needin to do presentations during my course so I may take a leaf from your book if you don't mind.

It is a big chance opening up to others about being autistic. If you spend enough time with them and feel friendly with them, you should feel in your heart and mind that there is nothing to be scared of about 'coming out'.

That is one of the reasons I am here. I want to help other Aspies with things they might be uncomfortable with, un-knowledgeable, or inexperienced with that I have knowledge and experience in. I also like having that same help from other Aspies. I'm glad I've inspired you!

If you do have some degree of social skills, you are already ahead of the game compared to an Aspie who has had no such help improving. I know my experience as an actor has been invaluable in improving my social and communication skills. I went from a kid who had a stutter and could barely hold a conversation to being able to understand and perform in Shakespeare plays in front of large audiences.

I think the main reason I am scared of "coming out" as you have said is i still harbor scars from event where things went south badly I rather not divulge them but let me tell you the were bad. I am still worried about going to uni because if some one in my class doesnt even suspect then il be shocked.
Maybe it won't be like the other times maybe it will as one famous line goes "to be or not to be that is the question".

I think it is a general rule of thumb that the students in University are a bit more mature than those that are in Elementary, middle, and high school. Therefore they should be more respectful. As long as you try, you will find your place. It took me more than a semester to find mine when I first started University, but now that I have things are far better than before.

That is from William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Act three, Scene one.

I think it comes down to be just being careful it could be that uni will be different or I could not be I can't live in fear of it.
Shakespear was one of the earliest things I read btw my mother read sections to me a as child cant remember most but some I do

Hello!

Not sure I can add a great deal more, but I wanted to give you my reasons for telling each teacher I have about being Autistic: I do so just in case something happens, and I have a meltdown in class. At 39, you'd think I'd have a grip on that by now (and I do, mostly). But there are times which are completely out of my control. Thankfully I've only had one meltdown in ten years of going part-time. And because my teacher knew, the make-up work and everything that followed when very smoothly.

I'm not saying this is the right thing to do you for you. But it was a good choice for me.

I pulled each teacher aside after class, when all the students were gone, and told them then (in case you were curious).

Good luck with classes!

S