Predict what your first day of school will be like

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This is the topic to try to predict your first day of school before it actually happens. Here's what I think it'll be like for me:

I'd come in the way I usually start a day: tired. The teacher would say, "STOP YAWNING! BY THE WAY, THIS ISN'T YOUR CLASS!" "Then where IS my class?" "GUESS!" "I didn't get a schedule." "DIDN'T YOU MEMORIZE IT BY NOW, YOU 6TH GRADER?!" "I didn't know we were supposed to memorize the schedule BEFORE we started here." "GO! YOU'RE WASTING MY LIFE!" So then I'd exit into the hallway, wondering where my class was. There would be no signs on the doors, and the windows that are supposed to show you what's inside the classrooms from the hall would really be one-way mirrors (with the mirror side facing the door across from it). So I'd open the nearest door, expecting it to be my class. Instead it'd be the entrance to the boys' bathroom. A boy would look at me and scream, "It's a girl!" So I'd escape and try the door down the hall. It would be my class, where I'd have to spend an hour and ten minutes with a bunch of gum-chewers, led by the math teacher, but I wouldn't know that then. "Hello. You must be Michelle <<insert my last name here>>. Nice to meet you." The teacher would seem nice until... "Grab a piece of gum and sit down!" "But I hate gum!" "But I want the air in my room to smell fresh!" "Then throw out the gum and open the window." "You must be KIDDING! I hate the smell of fresh air! I love the smell of gum!" "Well, I don't. I'm going." So I'd leave the classroom, running as fast as possible to nowhere (because I wouldn't know my way around). So I'd open the nearest door after running for a minute and a half, which, to my surprise, would have the most disgusting person ever, Ryan, whom I named my paper puppet after, sitting on a desk. "Hi Michelle! Welcome to Drooling 101." I'd scream and continue running, this time upstairs, to the only room throughout the school with a sign on it, the Intervention Room. So I'd open the door, walk in, and I'd see perhaps the nastiest room ever, an empty room with four scary-looking gum-chewing machines inside, chewing gum like cows. In between them would be three kids being tortured: a tall boy getting a "girl" makeover (hair, nails, makeup), a chubby girl in a vomit machine, and a skinny girl being taped watching Barney. Just then, the door would close, therefore locking me in. I'd let out a scream, echoing in the room. Then, all of a sudden, I'd hear a loud guffaw coming from a door to my left. A short man would then enter, with a twisted look, kind of like a cross between and . He would then place me in a tub of steak sauce. "What do I do in here?" "RELAX." He'd keep me in there until it would be time to go home, then he'd throw me out, with my mom waiting for me. "So, how was your first day of school?" "You DON'T want to know."

All right. Maybe I exaggerated a little. Tell me what you think yours will be like!

Mich

hmmmm... lets see here....

For me I'm going to have two first days since there's moving in day and the first day itself.

Moving day:
I'll move in to my dorm, meet my dorm mate, try to explain to him that I'm an aspie and that I probably won't be the room mate he was hoping to have. I'll have to go to eat sometime. I'll go to the building where the food hall is, probably make a fool of myself becasue I won't figure out what to do. I'll be overloaded by all the new visual sights I'll have to take in. I get pushed and shoved all over inside the hall because I'll have no idea what to do or say. I'll have to find a table to sit at all by myself since I won't know anyone and I won't know how to approach an already occupied table with out make a fool of myself. I'll be deathly afraid of the bathrooms and I won't be able to sleep the first night, since I've never been able to get a good sleep in a bed other than my own bed in my own room. Halfway through the night my room mate will probably grow tired of my verbal stimming and tell to shut up.

First day of class:
I'll wake up the next morning with maybe one hr of sleep, stumble my way through breakfast, and classes that day. I'll be suspiscous of everyone since I don't like strangers getting to close to me, let alone following me.

It'll probably be the most miserable two days of my life.

The first day of class? Well... wake up at about 8am, play computer games, code, and go online until 1pm, leave my apartment (my campus' residences are townhouses and an apartment building, non-first-years all get single rooms, just like most first years), cross the parking lot and go to a calculus lecture until 2pm. Then I get to wander about the building and visit timmy's (doughnut shop) for an hour. At 3pm there's a computer organization lecture until 4pm, when I have to walk to my algebra lecture that ends at 5pm. I then have my last class of the day, intro to the theory of computation, until 8. I can then go home, play more computer games and do what I want until 11am the next day (stats lecture). I will have met my housemates at least one week prior to the first day of class; hopefully they're not like my first group of housemates. They were loud, smoked in the house (all of the uni is non-smoking), had parties at all hours, and their sound system was directly beneath my room.

I can not really predict what it will be like but I am lucky : I have already some parts of the college and the neighborhood and I know a good part of the map of the college therefore I think I will get lost but not too often.
I have not found an apartment yet so what I do not know is HOW I will go to college. But at least, I do not have to share a room, so I will not have to warn my roommate about the fact that I am not the perfect roommate.

Anyway, I will arrive the day before school starts, move in. Then, I will go out to play tennis, eat in my studio, and sleep for the first time in my new studio. I do not think I will sleep very well, first because it will not be my bed yet, then because I will be a little stressed about the day after.

On the first day of class, I will just go there, try not to get lost, listen to the responsibles and teachers who will explain things about college while I will be trying not to be too annoyed by the lights (I hope they are not neon lights ! ) or noise. Then, I will eat, probably a sandwich or something because I do not think I will go to the uni restaurant (or I will make a fool of myself because I do not anyone and I do not know how I will approach the people at the table), and then again, listen to the teachers until they are done with their explanations at 4 PM, go back to my appartment and do what I want until classes start the morning after.

if i was not in arielles class and i couldent have lunch with her i could tell the psychlogist and she will write a note to the teacher saying that i should have lunch with arielle. if i was in the came class as andy i would try to chase him outsite telling him i will delete him (like always) then I would hope to go to to computer Lab every day (this never happends). I dont have to go PE because my speical ED teacher does not make me. I Can always save spots at lunch Mrs. Smith lets me.
Some times other teachers take me out of the classroom to fix their computer (this happens more then once every school year).
I always hated PE I go to a diffrent kind of PE that i like. I would have a good day.

So far I have refrained from using the term NT but I can no longer resist. NTs don't know how to park. It will take 25 minutes to drive to school and another two hours to park. For some reason it is acceptable to block traffic if you are waiting on a parking space. There is adequate parking at my school but most people demand to park really close to the buildings, so that they don't have to wheel their book carts very far. The parking lot entrances are right at the front near the most valuable spaces which are always full. You have to drive by them to get to the less valuable, further away, empty spaces. Guaranteed, first day of school several people will think that it is ok to stop their car in the aisle holding up hundreds of cars behind them. They will wait for twenty minutes for a space to open so that they don't have to walk for two minutes. I guess I'll be going early so I can wait to get to one of those always empty spaces in the back. My school needs to drop English 101 and replace it with Parking 101. Then when I finally get to class I will think about how all summer I have been wanting school to start up so that I could learn more about some of my interests and then suddenly I will remeber, oh yeah this is work.

Don't feel too discouraged before you've even gotten there. When I started school I was worried about the same thing, but I found that most people there were looking for friends, since they didn't know many people, either. I did sit by myself, but I was actually invited to sit at another table with a group of people, when they saw that I was all alone. I didn't end up being friends with these people, but I did end up meeting the friends that I still have through them.

Even if you don't know how to approach them, just take a chance, and walk up to their table. Ask them if it's ok that you sit with them (people don't usually take as kindly to random people sitting down without saying anything). Introduce yourself to them, and hopefully they will do the same for you. If it doesn't work out with the first group of people, don't worry, you can still try another table. It's best to try to meet people at the beginning, before everyone establishes their "cliques," at that point they are usually less willing to let others join in. Someone gave me this advice before I went away to school, and it worked wonders for me. I hope that it helps you as well. Even if you are only able to stay there for a little while, that little while helps. Everyone becomes more outgoing and accepting when they are trying to meet people, before they become wrapped up in school and their personal lives. Try to take advantage of this. Also, if you find that you enjoy being around a particular person/group of people, be sure to meet up with them a few times so that they know you want to continue contact with them. If you have difficulties that you think they should know about, it'd probably be a good idea to tell them, but try to do so without scaring them away . If you feel that you want to stay in contact with them, but aren't up to seeing them too often, you should probably explain your situation to them, so that they know what your intentions are.

If meeting people this way doesn't work out for you, I'd suggest you join a club that you are interested in. That way, you will be in a group of people who share your interest, and you will automatically have something to talk about. Also, the club is bound to have more new members who, just like you, don't know anyone else, and want to become aquainted with people.

In my experience, college kids are generally more accepting and mature than jr. high and highschoolers (that is, as long as you avoid the ones who like to attend drunken parties on a regular basis).

Thanks for the advice. I try not to get discouraged, but I have a habit of staring off new things on the wrong foot.

I'm mainly worried about getting along with my roomate. When I filled out the housing information for the university I had no idea aspergers even existed. If I did I would have put it down, and maybe they could have figured out something different than what I have now.

I had some serious roommate trouble when I first got to college. I was having some coping issues, and she was, I'm fairly sure, bipolar, and had control issues. She began manipulating me and attempting to control me, because my personality is so passive. It developed into a power struggle, which required the housing director and a counselor to sort it out. It ended in me leaving the room, and moving in with someone else who had also had roommate problems, and her roommate had moved out.

The girl I moved in with was a perfectly acceptable roommate. There were times when she got on my nerves, and I don't think I'd like to room with her again, but it wasn't too bad. After that, I roomed with one of my aquaintances, and we got along perfectly (we both keep to ourselves, mostly, so it worked out well). Last year I had a single, and this year I'm sharing an apartment on campus with the aquaintance I mentioned and another friend.

The reason I had so many problems with my roommate was because we were not originally paired together. She actually had an issue over the phone with her original roommate, and my original roommate got switched to a suite-room (she just got lucky). Since my room had an opening, she got put in with me (ugh). I don't know if the housing applications hold much bearing, but I'm convinced that if I had lived with the girl I was originally paired with, things would have gone much more smoothly.

I hope that this story doesn't scare you. Most colleges allow you to change room assignments, if there is a bad enough problem between you and your roommate. You may even be able to switch into a single room, if there is one available. But before you become certain things will go wrong, just remember to keep an open mind. Even if things don't go as you'd hoped the first week or so, give it some time, and definitely try to work out any issues you have as soon as you can, it's much better than letting it build up. One of the biggest problems that arose between my roommate and I was that even when I thought things had died down between us and everything was going all right, she was still extremely angry, and was seeing the housing cooridinator behind my back. Remember, communication is key. If you're comfortable explaining AS to your roommate, and he seems like a nice enough guy to you, you should probably do so, because that will help him understand certain issues that may arise.

Another piece of advice- try not to isolate yourself in your room too much, if you can avoid it. While I hated having to go through my roommate ordeal, I think it did me some good in the end, because it forced me to stay out of my room, and to socialize with people. I actually spent a few nights sleeping on my friends' floor, and I had only known them for about a month's time! Looking back, I'm surprised they put up with me, but I suppose that's how you know who your true friends will be.

Also- don't room with your close friends if you can avoid it. It's usually better to room with an aquaintance. You don't want to destroy a friendship over issues that can arise when you share a room with someone (I know people who this has happened too, and believe me, it's not pretty).

Didn't work, the story you described is the exact thing I'm afraid will happen to me. When I get into new situations, Everything I think I've learned about people goes out the window and I turn back into my old self, acting like an 11 year old around people, trying to please and fit in, but not really suceeding and not giving up despite the rejection. And since I can't read peoples intentions, my biggest fear is that I'm going to be taken advantage of.

The other thing I'm worried about is how the bathroom and shower arrangments are going to work in the dorm I'm going to be living in...

And lastly, all this means CHANGE, and I hate CHANGE!

I'm sorry, Scoots. I guess I should have kept that story to myself. My point in telling it was just to share my experience, so you know where I'm coming from. It was also to explain that even if you do get into a bad situation, there are ways to get out of it. I guess I got carried away with the details.

Most people will not be out to take advantage of you. And eventually, if someone is, you will realize it, and you do have the power to stop it. The worst thing you can do is just sit back and let it continue. You should get help from someone you know you can trust, like a long-time friend, or someone in a position of authority.

You shouldn't worry about things before they happen, though. I do this a lot, as well, and now that I've realized that, I have been working to stop worrying about things that I have no control over. If you can't do anything about them, then all the worrying is doing is hurting you. I think for now you should try to calm down and put it out of your mind, because there's no reason to be thinking about it until you are actually there at school. And even then, do not expect anything bad to happen, because your frame of mind affects the situation quite a bit. Stay in a good frame of mind, and things will be more likely to turn out well for you.

Ahhh don't be. It's just the whole thought of me moving off and being around total strangers is a little more than I can handle right now. I can't wait to see what moving day will be like.

And becasue of this I've also been starting to have some really freaky dreams as of lately.

If you want a different first day of rez story, here's mine from last year, when I moved in, although most students here lack roommates because most rooms here are singles, the only doubles are in some of the older townhouses.

Early September first, labour day, I carry down my boxes of stuff to my mom's car, even though my father was the one doing the driving, since my mom's car could hold more boxes. We drive down to the campus, and I get in line for my house keys. The line is long enough that it reaches outside of the residence centre and reaches the edge of the parking lot. One of the older students was wearing a mangy raccoon costume (my campus' mascot is a raccoon, and they're getting a new costume this year) and dancing on the outside balcony of the rez centre. There were some students announcing a rez orientation, so my father had me sign up for it, and I got a bookstore bag containing some stuff. Eventually we made it inside the rez centre (a fairly small building with a TV, the residence office, a couple vending machines, a pool table, and some tables and chairs. I got my keys and one of the RAs (Residence Advisors, known by other names (like dons) on some other campuses) showed us to my new house.

It was a four person townhouse, but I was the second to arrive. The first person there was an exchange student from Lancashire, and had moved the roll of toilet paper our RA had left us to the bathroom. My father managed to get help carrying my boxes from one of the RAs. This help consisted of loading a trailer attached to one of those rugged golfcart-like vehicles that are sometimes used to drag landscaping supplies across large areas with my boxes, and driving them to my house. I moved my boxes to my room, and my father left. My father returned later with my mom, and I managed to annoy her by not wanting her to inspect my bedroom. She left a paper bag containing an apple and a sandwich.

As evening approached, a bullhorn-toting person walked through the streets announcing that dinner for people attending orientation was ready. I left my room and my house to go for the food, but one of the students running orientation turned me back to my house because I wasn't wearing the orientation shirt. I pulled the shirt out of the bag, put it on, and walked across campus to where we were getting food. It was spaghetti, and we were eating on the field outside the pavilion (a large white ovoid dome that up until that point was our largest lecture hall, seats 300). I found a part that wasn't covered in goose poop (we have a lot of geese on campus) and ate.

After eating, we went inside the pavilion for the speechification of a few people and some other announcements. The RAs introduced themselves to all of us first years at that point. They were all supposed to do their individual introductions in song, but two of them didn't want to do that, so the wrote their names on their rears and mooned us. We then returned to our houses to sleep until the next day, when there would be more rez orientation events.

I did have problems with my first group of housemates, but they didn't start happening until later that month. I had requested a quiet house of non-smokers, and I got the party house. My block's RA noticed the problem and had started asking about if there was another house I could move to, before I had even brought up moving out. I did move at the end of the month, shortly after my housemates garnered a written warning about a noise policy violation.

The biggest problem I have with living with other people is I start comparing myself to them and get really really depressed, or get really frustrated about not be able to communicate with them properly and, you guessed it, also get quite depressed.

So most of the time I try to stick to myself and avoid interaction.

Freshman year I lived in a suite, 2 bedrooms w/ 2 ppl each in them and a small living room. The people I lived in were great, as people go, but the above mentioned still did happen - although I know it could have been a hell of a lot worse with other people, plus I had the room to myself most of the time so I did alright, considering. Last year I had a similar set-up but with two actual friends and I had my own room, so it was really the best circumstances possible, best of both worlds - my own space to retreat to when I needed, and interaction w/ them when I needed that.

Next year, since that setup isn't possible again, I will have a single. Which I still have my worries about, but it's better than living with someone. I couldn't handle that. In a double room, that is. We'll see what happens.

I do know about my first day that it will be very hot. Hot as hell. Baltimore. I live in Maine. See the difference? Yech. I don't tolerate heat well. But we'll see what happens. I try to be optimistic.

Kate

6am - wake up, eat a little breakfast to calm my nerves (I hate school!)
6:30am - Drive (yes, me drive!) my sister and I to school a little early to show her around becuase she is a freshman and doesn't know the way around the highschool yet
7am: class begins. Argh. Walk into class and get stared at by the teacher with a look like "Darn it, I got the annoying kid in my _ period class this year". Attempt to get a seat in the back of the room to aviod all of the preps and their mindless antics.
2:15pm: Drive home, do hw and play with my puppy

September 6: Move into the dorms. (Returning Students only). the Freshman have already arrived a day early. Meet my roommate (Freshman). If Bookstore is open, I will go and get my books for school that I need.

September 7-8: Figure out what I'm going to tell my roommate and teachers about having AS. Pick up yellow teacher slips (tells them that I'm part of Project Success, letting them know that I might need extra accommodations for things like for tests and notes, etc.)from the Project Success office (LD room, kind of). Make AS info sheets for teachers. Maybe join a club or two, depending what I feel like and if I feel like doing anything this year.

September 9: Wake up at about 8. First class doesn't start until 9:10 or 10:20 (The Class that I want is all full). Go through the day getting materials, meeting teachers, picking spots in the first row. I will be done with class at 1:40 today. Relax, and finally say that you survived the first day of your second year in college.