Autism and University

Hi there! I went to the University of Bristol so I know it very well, so any questions on the university itself, just ask!

Unfortunately I didn’t have a diagnosis of autism until I finished uni, but I did access some mental health support whilst I was there. The student advisors were pretty good at being able to fit you in when needed, and responded promptly to emails. 

In terms of being able to cope physically, mentally and socially, this is some advice I probably could have done with myself! What I will say upon reflection of my time at uni is that I regret not getting involved with a society, as I feel this could’ve helped me significantly with finding the right friends for me, and then feeling like I had the right support. If you go onto the Bristol Student Union website, you will find a list of societies - perhaps it would be good to suss them out beforehand to see what he could potentially get involved with, and so that the idea of joining one isn’t such a daunting prospect.

Other tips: If, like me, your son needs quiet spaces at the university to study or soothe, I would avoid studying at the big libraries like the Arts and Social Sciences Library, and choose quieter spaces that people wouldn’t think to go to, like the Grace Reeves Study Centre, or the Woodland Road Complex.

I can’t help much on the cooking and cleaning front but a word of warning - students are often not willing to clean up after themselves. If your son is living in halls, please prepare for the fact that other people are lazy, as constantly cleaning up after other people was quite stressful for me!

Hope this is somewhat helpful! Congrats to your son!

Hi there! I went to the University of Bristol so I know it very well, so any questions on the university itself, just ask!

Unfortunately I didn’t have a diagnosis of autism until I finished uni, but I did access some mental health support whilst I was there. The student advisors were pretty good at being able to fit you in when needed, and responded promptly to emails. 

In terms of being able to cope physically, mentally and socially, this is some advice I probably could have done with myself! What I will say upon reflection of my time at uni is that I regret not getting involved with a society, as I feel this could’ve helped me significantly with finding the right friends for me, and then feeling like I had the right support. If you go onto the Bristol Student Union website, you will find a list of societies - perhaps it would be good to suss them out beforehand to see what he could potentially get involved with, and so that the idea of joining one isn’t such a daunting prospect.

Other tips: If, like me, your son needs quiet spaces at the university to study or soothe, I would avoid studying at the big libraries like the Arts and Social Sciences Library, and choose quieter spaces that people wouldn’t think to go to, like the Grace Reeves Study Centre, or the Woodland Road Complex.

I can’t help much on the cooking and cleaning front but a word of warning - students are often not willing to clean up after themselves. If your son is living in halls, please prepare for the fact that other people are lazy, as constantly cleaning up after other people was quite stressful for me!

Hope this is somewhat helpful! Congrats to your son!

excellent