How can I manage my time (more) effectively, so I get everything done? What can I do to reduce sensory overload in class? What subtle stims might be good to use while giving presentations? How should I be social and try to make new friends in college? How do I get disability accommodations, and what kinds might be available? How do I make sure I don't neglect self-care?
If just reading that random list of questions feels a bit "much", know that it's just a small selection of questions autistic (soon-to-be) college students have asked on a popular internet discussion board. There's much more where that came from, and for good reason — starting college can be daunting, and thriving within it isn't guaranteed.
Many neurotypical young adults have a hard time with the transition to college — including, often, struggling with living independently for the first time, managing their time and money on their own, meeting many new people, and getting used to a whole new way of learning and studying. It's no surprise that autistic students face challenges too, including some uniquely autistic ones.
College: Finding the right fit
Finding the right fit starts with figuring out what you want, not only in terms of programs offered, but also the college's campus culture, size, and geographical location.
Some autistic people will prefer smaller colleges (including some community colleges) with smaller class sizes, which may cause less sensory overload and offer the chance to gain a more individualized education. Others will prefer larger colleges with more autistic students, autism-specific services, and a wider variety of activities that allow them to "find their tribe".
Some autistic students will welcome the chance to grow in a totally new environment, while others will prefer to stay close to home so there's less new stuff to get used to.
Preparing to actually start college
You'll probably do better if you're prepared — so "survey" the college in detail before your first day of classes, familiarizing yourself with its physical environment and some of the key people in it. If you get the chance to immerse yourself in the culture a bit, sample cafeteria food, walk around, notice what aspects of the environment you're uncomfortable with (and plan what you can do to cope), that first day will be significantly less daunting.
Should you get in touch with the disabilities department for accommodations?
Depending on where you live, your college will likely have a whole department dedicated to students with various disabilities. To work with them, you will need to prove your diagnosis, and may in turn be able to get accommodations that will help you increase your odds of success as well as improving your day-to-day experience at college.
Accommodations that may be available to you could include:
- Extra time to complete tests.
- Using a laptop to take notes (which may be commonplace in some classes anyway, but not always).
- Help with organizing your study materials.
- More direct instructions to help you complete assignments.
- Being able to complete tests in a quiet environment free from distractions, or even online.
- Accommodations to the physical environment, such as changing the lighting.
- Counseling to help you navigate social issues.
As you ask for accommodations, it helps to be as specific as possible about areas in which you struggle and things that would help you. When you do encounter difficulties, don't struggle on alone — ask for help.
Developing tools to help you manage your time
In college, a lot of different things are thrown at you all at the same time. Many autistic people struggle with executive functioning as well as finding it hard to transition from one activity to another — so managing your time effectively, to the point where you can actually get everything you need to do done, can be tough.
Tools like planners, online calendars, visual reminders, post-it notes, and so on, can be great tools. Make sure, however, to create some sort of balance — if a task is hard for you, try committing to working on it for a limited amount of time (like 20 minutes), followed by a break (five minutes, maybe). Some students have had luck with making sure they don't do their homework on the same days they also have lectures, to minimize the risk that things simply get too overwhelming.
Don't forget about your self-care needs, and include them in your routine. Maybe you need quite a bit of time to wake up in the morning (anecdotally, many autistic people do). Plan nice showers or some easy reading, in that case. If you're living in a dorm or otherwise independently, set up a routine for chores, too.
How to be social in college
So, this one is a little outside the scope of this piece of writing — it depends on many factors, after all, including whether you've decided to "mask" or are very open about the fact that you're autistic. Research shows that autistic college students are indeed quite likely to face social isolation and trouble finding a social group.
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