Starting university is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. Getting used to new places, new people and living away from home can feel daunting. Here, two autistic graduates reflect on starting university and share tips they wish they’d known.

How was your experience of starting university?

Dorian:  

I was finishing high school just as the lockdowns for COVID-19 were put into place, so I graduated during the quarantine. I was accepted onto a neuroscience degree at the same university as my sister and was incredibly excited. I loved the topic and was looking forward to moving to a new place.  

I was also very stressed, as moving to university involved a lot of changes. I had to adapt to a new grading system, learn how to run errands independently and navigate an unfamiliar place. My first few months at university were very lonely, as I struggled to make friends and felt very anxious about attending social events.

Eventually, I adapted somewhat to my new routine and surroundings and my anxiety reduced. I also started being able to go to events organised by student societies, and I began making friends. I even met my partner at an outing organised by the LGBTQ+ society. Through my partner, my sister and my continued involvement in student societies, I met other neurodivergent people and gained a close-knit group of friends.  

Maciej:

Before uni, I had a fairly bad overall school experience, but that was because of everything in and around school apart from studying. I quickly found out that the way of working at university suited me much better than school. There was less time spent inside the university building, the curriculum was more flexible and I had more time for self-study. I also liked being in more mixed groups of people than at school, the study materials were much more interesting and teaching staff were more knowledgeable, enthusiastic and treated us more like adults, which was a welcome change.  

How did you get on with moving away from home?

Dorian:

In my first year, I lived with several people in a shared flat in university halls. I found living with others challenging, particularly as some of my flatmates were very loud, but I managed to adjust. I also found that living with others helped reduce my loneliness, and regularly interacting with other students helped me acclimatise to university.  

During my second and third years, I lived on my own in private halls. I enjoyed having my own space, but I found it a bit lonely at times. While I was living on my own, I found it helpful to schedule regular times to see my partner or friends and to prioritize spending time in the library or other places besides my accommodation.

Maciej:

Moving to a city only an hour and a half away from my hometown really helped me with the transition of living on my own, as it was close enough to go home most weekends.  

What I would tell myself now if I was starting again though would be - get your own room! I didn’t have one until my fourth year because I wanted to save money, and maybe also because I wanted to prove to myself that I could function like other non-autistic students. But not having a place where I could be on my own with no one to bother me simply wasn’t worth it.

What reasonable adjustments did your university put in place?

Dorian:

My university’s disability support team put a range of reasonable adjustments in place for me, to support me during my degree.  

These adjustments were listed in a document which was shared with staff and included a section for me to describe my disability and its impact on me. I found it helpful to explain to my module and seminar leads how my autism manifests, particularly that I have flat affect and do not make eye contact. It helped me feel more comfortable being unmasked, and thus able to fully focus on my education.

As part of my reasonable adjustments, I had the ability to request extensions on assignments when needed, which allowed me to prioritise my body’s needs and to take time to recover from overwhelm and burnout without the added stress of deadlines, if needed.

Additionally, all of my in person contact hours were held on the same campus, in the same set of buildings. This made it possible for me to navigate to my classes independently, as I struggle to follow unfamiliar or complex routes.  

Tips for autistic people who are starting university:  

• Try to get in touch with people who are studying where you want to or have graduated there and see what their actual experience was.
• When choosing a course, look closely into the curriculum and the specifics of different classes to make sure it’s in line with your expectations.
• Remember that if you realise you made the wrong choice of university or course, you can always switch. Even if this means “losing” a year or two, it’s not that much in the long run.
• Reach out to the university / college disability team as soon as you have secured an offer, so you have ample time to collect any medical evidence that might be needed and ensure your reasonable adjustments are in place.  
• Get support while looking out for flats and rooms from someone who’s had experience doing that and knows your rights. If you have a friend, a safe person with whom you can share a flat it can also make things easier.  
• If your university has a disabled students society and / or social events for neurodivergent students, consider going. It’s a good way to meet new people in a neurodiversity-affirming environment.  
• If you can’t cook, learn some simple meals. Meal prepping can be helpful for managing inertia and reduces the number of choices you need to make in a day. 
• If you are struggling, reach out to your university’s disability support and pastoral care team to discuss what can be done to help you engage in your education.