Uni Successes! ANYONE OUT THERE!?

I've posted this sort of thing before but worth setting out again. My background, apart from having lived in halls (and being a hall tutor) as a postgrad, is more recently having provided disability support in a university environment.

You should try to arrange a meeting with disability support and at least one of the teaching staff on your course before term starts, if that is something you'd feel comfortable with. Most universities will do this and show you a typical teaching room and around the facilities.

Universities seem slower with regard to campus accommodation. They'll show most prospective students or their parents a typical hall room during Open Days, but you need much more than this. You need to find out the most likely configuration of rooms, and you may be able to negotiate one better suited to your needs. But you need to explain to the university what the issues might be.

Most commonly rooms are arranged in flats of five or six individual study rooms with some central facilities. Some halls have en suite toilets and showers, but others still have communal toilets and washing facilities. If you would have trouble sharing ask if they have some rooms with en suite.

Shared facilities mean getting on socially with the flatmates who are likely to be people you've never met before. Sometimes, as students can be very noisy and partying all the time it is better to get in a flat with a mix of older students. But Universities are often a bit blind to the problems here so it is important to identify if you'd have social or noise difficulties.

Some universities tend to put all the "specials" together though they are getting better at not doing this. By specials I mean not just disabilities but lumping matures and overseas into one group of flats on the principle they can all be in a quiet place together. As I say, there have been enough complaints to stop most universities doing this, but you still get some with this ghetto approach. It could mean that you aren't getting a chance to mix with your fellow students and are stuck with people you have nothing in common with coursewise.

Catering is often either in the shared kitchen in a flat, or there may be restaurants. The restaurants can be messy and noisy and crowded (and they always seem to think background music is needed to eat). If you have to use the shared kitchen will it be pleasant if your flatmates only cook chips, or never wash up, or there are arguments over the fridge? It is important to find out what catering options there are.

Some wings of residences are in noisy locations, like near the students union,or near communal thoroughfares where everyone coming back from the club at 2 am is talking loudly and laughing. If that would be bad, get them to give you a room on the quieter side of the building.

Cleaning staff are saints. They put up with a lot, are surrogate mums, and shoulders to cry on. However Universities are mixed in how much awareness training they give to porters, security staff cleaners and other ancilliaries. Ask about this. You need these people to know why a person on the spectrum might be up tight about what is "normal" noise.

Often halls are a mile, or several miles, or even "across town" from where the lectures are held. You might need to find out about travel to lectures - eg if you don't like crowded buses.

To sum up - find out as much as you can beforehand and discuss the campous accommodation to find out what might affect you and how you get the best deal.

I've posted this sort of thing before but worth setting out again. My background, apart from having lived in halls (and being a hall tutor) as a postgrad, is more recently having provided disability support in a university environment.

You should try to arrange a meeting with disability support and at least one of the teaching staff on your course before term starts, if that is something you'd feel comfortable with. Most universities will do this and show you a typical teaching room and around the facilities.

Universities seem slower with regard to campus accommodation. They'll show most prospective students or their parents a typical hall room during Open Days, but you need much more than this. You need to find out the most likely configuration of rooms, and you may be able to negotiate one better suited to your needs. But you need to explain to the university what the issues might be.

Most commonly rooms are arranged in flats of five or six individual study rooms with some central facilities. Some halls have en suite toilets and showers, but others still have communal toilets and washing facilities. If you would have trouble sharing ask if they have some rooms with en suite.

Shared facilities mean getting on socially with the flatmates who are likely to be people you've never met before. Sometimes, as students can be very noisy and partying all the time it is better to get in a flat with a mix of older students. But Universities are often a bit blind to the problems here so it is important to identify if you'd have social or noise difficulties.

Some universities tend to put all the "specials" together though they are getting better at not doing this. By specials I mean not just disabilities but lumping matures and overseas into one group of flats on the principle they can all be in a quiet place together. As I say, there have been enough complaints to stop most universities doing this, but you still get some with this ghetto approach. It could mean that you aren't getting a chance to mix with your fellow students and are stuck with people you have nothing in common with coursewise.

Catering is often either in the shared kitchen in a flat, or there may be restaurants. The restaurants can be messy and noisy and crowded (and they always seem to think background music is needed to eat). If you have to use the shared kitchen will it be pleasant if your flatmates only cook chips, or never wash up, or there are arguments over the fridge? It is important to find out what catering options there are.

Some wings of residences are in noisy locations, like near the students union,or near communal thoroughfares where everyone coming back from the club at 2 am is talking loudly and laughing. If that would be bad, get them to give you a room on the quieter side of the building.

Cleaning staff are saints. They put up with a lot, are surrogate mums, and shoulders to cry on. However Universities are mixed in how much awareness training they give to porters, security staff cleaners and other ancilliaries. Ask about this. You need these people to know why a person on the spectrum might be up tight about what is "normal" noise.

Often halls are a mile, or several miles, or even "across town" from where the lectures are held. You might need to find out about travel to lectures - eg if you don't like crowded buses.

To sum up - find out as much as you can beforehand and discuss the campous accommodation to find out what might affect you and how you get the best deal.