Back This post will explore practical steps you can take before starting college to ensure a smoother transition to higher education.
Background
Starting college can be overwhelming with many new things to adjust to quickly. But don’t worry – there are plenty of steps you can take to make the transition easier. Remember, every student finds some aspect of moving to college challenging, and it’s okay if it takes a little time to adjust. This is a big step in life!
How could this affect me?
Starting college involves committing to studying and completing assessments for your course, which will be your primary focus. If you’ve just left school, you might find college less structured, which can be challenging. Spend some time when you get your timetable to plan how you will fit in other parts of your life, such as exercise, relaxation, meeting friends, and possibly working. Any routines you had before may need adjusting to accommodate your new activities and commitments.
You might also find that people expect you to be more independent—managing your own time, communicating with college staff yourself, and taking greater responsibility for your self-care, like maintaining a healthy diet and getting enough sleep.
This new responsibility can feel overwhelming at times, and it’s normal to struggle with the adjustment. Many autistic people find changes particularly challenging. However, this is also a great opportunity to learn more about yourself and create a new routine that makes you happy. The positive side of change is that it allows you to try new things that may improve your life!
Practical tips
Tips to Help You Transition to College
1. Inform the University About Your Autism
To access relevant support, inform the university about your autism . You can receive specialist support if you have a formal diagnosis of autism by registering with the Disability Support Service.
2. Learn to Advocate for Yourself
Think about what your autism means for you – what strengths you have and what things you may find more challenging. Advocating for yourself means letting people know what you need to succeed in college. It also means letting people know if things are not working for you. Previously you may have had a parent or guardian do this for you but in college you will be expected to do this yourself. If you have any concerns about this you can speak to a staff member in the Disability Support Service who will be able to give you advice and support.
3. Decide What to Share with Your Peers
No one is going to tell other students about your diagnosis – it is completely up to you wish to tell people you are autistic. You may find this helpful or you may wish to keep this information private. It may be better to wait until you know someone a little bit better before you tell them – but it is up to you. There are more and more autistic students coming to University so you may even find others in your course who are on the spectrum too. If you are not sure what to do, you can discuss it with a friend, family member or even a keyworker and they may be able to give you some good advice.
4. Know what makes you anxious and what will help you relax.
It can actually be quite difficult for some people with autism to realise when they are stressed – and this may or may not be the case for you. It is worth really thinking about what makes you stressed so you can plan a good way to deal with that stress when it occurs. This does not mean avoiding something you just don’t want to do! That is procrastination and is often driven by anxiety and perfectionism.
Having a ‘toolkit’ of appropriate techniques or actions to help you manage stress and anxiety is a great idea – we offer some advice about this here. You can also think ahead and have plans in place for when you are stressed.
For example, if you know that you have several lectures in the morning and this may make you feel a bit stressed, plan a relaxing activity for that afternoon in advance. Do the planning in advance means you are more likely to actually do the relaxing activity.
5. Identify your strengths and weaknesses and how these may affect typical study situations such as lectures, tutorials, group work and revision
Think about what you found easier and more challenging in school. Use this self-awareness to plan effective supports in university , whether for exams, assignments, group work, or revision.
6. Identify Quiet Spaces on Campus
Familiarise yourself with different campus spaces that suit your needs. Look for calm spaces spaces or quiet areas. Take a look at this short video guide, more spaces are being created on campus for all students.
These steps can help make your transition to college smoother and more manageable
Questions to think about
- What are my own strengths that will help me cope at college?
- What has worked well for me in the past?
- What makes me anxious and how can I deal with it in a positive way (not avoid it)?
- What will I do if I am stressed?
- When will I make time for my other commitments outside of my studies?
- Do I need support to manage my own self-care? (It is much better to acknowledge if you need support than ignore it as this may impact your health.)
About the author
This article was adapted for use in TUS Athlone from the original article written by Kirsten Hurley, Project Coordinator for the Autism Friendly University Initiative at University College Cork
Based on the research outcomes of: