Hi!
I am applying for university to start in September 2025. I want to study chemistry. I am mainly looking at Bath because it's pretty close to home and apparently they are good for neurodiversity/autism???
I wondered if anyone had any advice about transitioning to uni for someone who is autistic?
I have recently (this summer!) been diagnosed with autism, which has explained a LOT!
Thank you for reading/replying if you do (:
Lilia
I am not sure what other independent living skills I need.
I would think it is a list something like:
1 - can you manage a budget to make sure you have enough for bills like rent, utilities, insurance, food, clothes, books, subscriptions, uni fees, travel back home at end of term, moving your stuff back home, birthday and christmas presents for those closest to you etc. These also need to be scheduled for payment so time organisation is also useful here.
2 - can you plan a diet for yourself that makes sure you eat enough and of a good enough balance to stay healthy? This includes drinks too.
3 - can you contact companies to arrange your personal effects to be shipped back home if needed? Can you co-ordinate with a repairman if your place needs a repair (eg bust pipe, electrical issue, loss of water / electricity, gas etc)? Being there to let them in and check they are not going through your stuff is useful.
4 - If you fall ill, can you get yourself treatment? In the worst case you need someone you trust to make some decisions for you (eg meltdown or unconcious)
5 - Can you keep the place clean on a regular basis, keep up to date with dishes & laundry and get the food shopping in to stop going hungry or needing to spend money eating out.
I think this covers most of the key areas but there will be others (eg how would you deal with the situation where you lost your phone) that are less predictable.
Some planning is required for all these and possibly asking for others advice on how they do it as there are often tips on how to do it that are not obvious to us.
Once you get over the shock of how much time all this takes and the novelty factor, it becomes just another chore like bathing & brushing your teeth that you do without thinking about it.
Don't let the scale and scope put you off - this is all just part of adulting and something worth learning now as you will need it in any case for the rest of your life.
I enjoy cooking (:
Ummm I am not sure what other independent living skills I need.
I struggled lots with the change from secondary school to 6th form and that wasn't even really a big change - It was still at the same school. I had just gone through a VERY stressful time doing my GCSEs and I had no support back then. I tend to starve myself when I am anxious which isn't very good. I am hoping as I will most likely be having some support this time round it will make the transition to uni and the sitting of my A levels easier. The future does seem very scary to think about at the moment though!
I agree with pretty much all of that. I wasn’t diagnosed at Uni either (it was 25 years ago) but the 'going out with your flatmates to try and make friends' bit of my 1st year was a waste if everyone's time. Being close to home might also be good, I was a 5hr train journey away and I found that hard. Aside from the social aspects, the big difference is that nobody's imposing a schedule on you most of the time. I worked out various timings which worked for me, the most important of which was making sure to have essays written in good time.
I didn't know I was autistic when I went to uni but with hindsight would recommend setting strong boundaries and not forcing yourself to do something you don't want to just to be sociable and keep up with everyone else. If you have the option, maybe try to get a room of your own, so you have a safe space to escape to when needed. Hope you enjoy uni xx
Coming from someone who struggled big time with the transition away from home and then, with burnout, with studying in general, I can only recommend that you take advantage of as much support as is available. To the point where finding a 'safe space' or something to stim out in becomes second nature and as important as a matter of life or death. The latter being no exaggeration. The number of times I've been 'on the edge', as it were, makes me wonder how/why I'm still here today.
I'm sitting in the middle of a relatively busy café as I write this. Years of masking and numbness to sensitivities and interactions have made this possible, though it is often a living hell as I can't break free of this 'shell-like' existence. I feel like I'm in a bubble - either people can't see me or I can't see them - and I can't sense anything of humanity outside of this 'narrow viewing glass' that glazes over when my tears blind me inwardly.
So do seek help. Don't risk ending up like me. The struggle will intensify the more you resist the help that is offered. Unfortunately I'm realising just how late it is for me (and ominously I find myself in the most at risk age bracket for suicidal men). But you have so much to look ahead to and, most importantly, to enjoy. I wish you every success and all the best with accommodating any adaptations that are offered to you, with support, as you transition. Hopefully it's a case of every little helps - reach out for these lifelines when and where you can.
Lilia, Do you have the necessary non academic skills to cope with university?Those would be independent living skills
You might find the advice here helpful:
NAS - Transitions England - Starting college or university
In case you haven’t yet seen it, there’s also a wealth of advice here covering various topics to help us navigate through things following diagnosis:
