Help!! !!

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Apologies for the rather winded post coming forth, but I'm extremely stressed out right now.

I've got Aspergers syndrome, I was diagnosed with I was in 7th grade. I've never let it be a barrier in my life, especially in my education and I've managed to complete two years of college with an Associates Degree in Computer Information Systems. Sadly, the money well has dried up and I can't continue on to university without having to take out loans. So, after a few weeks of job hunting I finally got hired as an Overnight Stocker at Winn-Dixie. Awesome right? I felt pretty excited about it -- until I actually started my first night. I'm fine with staying up all night, that didn't really bother me, I'm an amateur astronomer after all and staying up late is pretty much my thing. However when I started I found myself quickly overwhelmed to the point of nearly breaking down. Tonight we were required to "box" the shelves to make everything organized. I simply couldn't grasp that process no matter how many times my manager showed me. On my first isle, an isle that was hardly touched I took 30 minutes and I felt I was doing fine but I knew I was probably taking too much time. Second isle took about 25 minutes, 10 more to go! That's when the manager found me and said, "you're doing okay, but you're taking way too much time. Try to do it in 10 minutes." I clocked out for a lunch break now feeling sorta stressed.

When I went back the isles I found myself overwhelmed. Do people literally go out of their way to screw up shelves like this? I couldn't box anything right. By the 5th or 6th isle, my manager started getting annoyed by how many shelves I was missing. He tried to explain that you have to set up a system where you need to box a certain section and that it's all about perception. Find a 4-8 foot section, start from the top, second from the top, middle, second to the bottom, and bottom. Simple right? Well, to me, it's all just rows after rows of produce. I simply couldn't grasp what he was talking about. Thoughts of self-doubt started to creep into my mind. "I can do Calculus, I can find objects in the night sky millions of light years away in a heartbeat, why can't I box the shelves?" I started to overload and subsequently shut down at around 3am when manager was basically stocking all the shelves while I struggled 10-15 feet down the end messing around with cans. My manager was fairly understanding, not everyone gets it the first time and I wasn't the worst they've ever had. He could tell I was pretty upset. I was basically sitting crosslegged on the floor with my face clasped into my hands, feeling like vomiting.

At around 5:30am, after a very slow night of progress, we're still only on isle 7. There's still 5 more when the day crew started arriving. I ended up having to talk to the manager and he told me that he's seen worse, but he really didn't think this is for me. They've let me off for the weekend and told me to come back Monday morning to see if there's any other positions I could fill. I'm pretty quick on my feet with math, so I think I could do well as a cashier but I'm really beginning to think Winn-Dixie isn't for me.

Okay, I know that was a lot to read but I really needed to get it out there. I need help with suggestions on exactly what else I could do without causing me to overload like I did last night. I just applied to CVS as a Photo Lab Tech, I love photography so I feel that it'd be something I'm at least interested in. I'm quick on my feet with math and computers, but I don't know what part-time college job would be best for that.

Thanks for the help!

Many of us on the spectrum have problems with a wide ranging category of activities for what is known as executive functioning. Organization and multitasking are big subcategories of executive functioning. We tend to do better at hyperfocusing on one thing. You may be bad at some executive functioning and do ok with others.

Unfortunately the learning experience often involves finding out what we can't do and this can be painful. And stress makes things works because we are thinking negative thoughts instead of the job at hand.

This article I am linking should have added Autism Spectrum Dsorders to the Conditions where poor executive functions and it is a bit to much children oriented. But it explains executive functioning and the disorders involved in a clear and concise way.

http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/executive-function

Well I hate break the news to you... But nearly all of us non athletes there in the U.S. are forced to take out loans to complete a university degree.
The average U.S. student owes $40k-$70k due to the rapid rise in tuition each passing year, at the time of graduation.

Thankfully all loans are borrowed from the U.S. government now, unless you go private (don't do this).
Loan repayment is based on 10% of your income.

I hate to agree with your manager, but being a stock boy probably isn't for you.

You should consider biting the bullet and borrowing from the government.
This would allow you to complete your degree and get much needed internships, which will lead to a better job (hopefully).

Most countries have a medical default option you can exercise, if you are brought down my medical issues.

I was once an "order-picker." I didn't do so well at that, either.

Ever thought about office work? Like data entry? Or even filing? Or perhaps bookkeeping? Bookkeeping is very suitable for Aspie minds.

If you can't afford the tuition, you should take out a loan. Yep...you'll be in debt--but at least you'll get your bachelor's and be qualified for the ideal Aspie computer job.

Hello! I couldn't think of any advice to give you when I first read your post but then I started to remember similar situations I've experienced in the past, and what coping mechanisms I've used to help.

I'm sometimes asked to do a task like "Will you sort out the stuff in the kitchen cupboards?" or something, and I'll find the task so daunting that I'll want to break down and cry rather than do it. Something that I do regularly that sounds similar, is hanging up wet laundry on the clothes horse or on radiators. My girlfriend does it so much faster than me, and if we do it together she ends up doing 90% of it. I usually do it on my own though, and I do it slowly and methodically making sure everything is hanging neatly and in a sensible order.

Anyway, coping mechanisms I've found for this sort of thing is to try to develop a routine for doing this sort of work where doing it too carefully costs too much time. Say to yourself "right. I'll do this section in this much time, and allow a certain amount of sloppiness". You'll have to experiment though, at first you might end up making it too sloppy (it's hard to guage what is too sloppy, or too pedantic for normal people). Eventually you'll find the right balance that makes your boss happy 90% of the time. Once you have a routine down that does that, you should be OK. I say only 90% of the time because I think peolpe occasionally tell you something is wrong with your work, even though it's tiny, and to always do it as pedantically as you're instructed might mean it taking 10x as long again. So it takes some experience to get the balance right, and to learn when to ignore criticism, and when to take it on board.