Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi everyone!
I'm about to start my last year of uni (for the third time) and thanks to the wellbeing department, I'm being referred for ASC diagnosis. Even being taken seriously enough that I'm being referred is great and it now makes a lot more sense as to why I've struggled so much with my final year in the past.
What I wanted to ask of anyone who is doing/has completed a degree or similar, particularly for an essay-style subject, is what sorts of things help(ed) you with the reading and research for your assignments? I really struggle to understand what academics are getting at, and filtering out the extra information that, while interesting, is not really relevant to what I'm doing, just adjacent. When taking notes, I so often end up noting pretty much everything, which defeats the point of taking notes. This has made my dissertation a huge struggle and I so want to finish it!
Any tips and tricks? (And as an aside, what other things do/have you found difficult about studying and getting assignments in? How have you overcome those?)
Thanks, everyone!
Have you been tested for dyslexia as well? you might have that too and then qualify for dyslexia support. Look up dyslexia, if you identify with it, ask them for a dyslexia test. Some uni's give extended loan time on library books for dyslexics. There are also software devices that are helpful.
Ask about note takers to help you with getting notes in your lectures, you shouldn't be having to go through the tapes afterwards, it's a lot of extra time.
Academics and theorists earn their money and reputation on waffle, it's infuriating, the bane of all students and I am sure they do it just to be a nuisance and major stress to us. Pay attention in the lecture, if the teacher mentions that academic and says things about him/her then note those down because you are being told what they're about. Google that academic and work, there might be hints online on what it's about/what they're getting at.
Go through the structural layout for your assignments and thesis and allocate a word allowance to each of them for focus on the content and help to discipline towards that.
Keep the title or question to hand and keep asking yourself if you are answering the question.
Sketch out a plan for it, stick to it as best as you can. It's so easy to go on tangents, sometimes they are worthwhile and often futile tangents, it's all part of it.
Good luck
Lots of great tips here, thank you!