80% of aspies fail out/unemployed after 4+years of college
They should? Why? Personally, I couldn't do a job that was in any sense "technical", because I just don't have what it takes: I'm not technically-minded, I've always struggled with maths, and have always been far better at subjects like English and History.
Don't propagate the lie that all of us "Aspies" are great with numbers, and computers, and all of the rest of that boring stuff. We're not, we're all different.
They should? Why? Personally, I couldn't do a job that was in any sense "technical", because I just don't have what it takes: I'm not technically-minded, I've always struggled with maths, and have always been far better at subjects like English and History.
Don't propagate the lie that all of us "Aspies" are great with numbers, and computers, and all of the rest of that boring stuff. We're not, we're all different.
____________________
The solar system contains plenty of autistics
Any statement referring to a large group as "they" has to have exceptions
What someone "should" do is subjective
However, it appears, in my nonrepresentative sample size, that a disproportionate number of autistics are software engineers or long term unemployed. Especially the ones with bachelor degree or higher
Having said that I wish that I trained for one of those jobs
But "that was then and this is now"
And I am 34 and right now I am much stupider, physically weaker, mentally slower, emotionally fragile financially broke, socially awkward than i was when I was 18
In other words I am too far gone
Improvement ain't happening
It is a balance between being practical and being ideal
When I was young I was too ideal in my actions and statements
And got a lot of large punishments
Now that I am old I am too cowardly and lazy to take risks
RetroGamer87
Veteran
Joined: 30 Jul 2013
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 10,970
Location: Adelaide, Australia
__________________________________
Thus far, nothing too unusual or extreme
Just the usual homophobic precious lil "people" telling me off
Social rejection, chronic and intense.
Some physical assault but nobody attempted to physically injure, rape, or exterminate me. Thus far. Otherwise they would have been successful. Because they outnumber, overpower, and outsmarted me
San Diego was so homophobic in 2004 when I started Gender Therapy
After that I moved somewhere less homophobic. Where I live now almost everyone completely ignores me usually
And that is "As Good As it Gets"
Fourth undergraduate year flunked out Structural Engineering
And I am still trying and failing to just get over it. And move on
And et cetera
Meistersinger
Veteran
Joined: 10 May 2012
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,700
Location: Beautiful(?) West Manchester Township PA
They should? Why? Personally, I couldn't do a job that was in any sense "technical", because I just don't have what it takes: I'm not technically-minded, I've always struggled with maths, and have always been far better at subjects like English and History.
Don't propagate the lie that all of us "Aspies" are great with numbers, and computers, and all of the rest of that boring stuff. We're not, we're all different.
Had I known over 40 years ago about the autism spectrum, I would have never gone to college. Here I sit now, pushing 60, with almost $100k in personal, medical and student loan debt. I bought into the lie that I could make a difference by getting a degree, financially, socially, and aesthetically. Instead, I sit alone in a small bedroom, broke (save for what little pittance I get on SSDI), on the verge of another meltdown, with damn few friends that I consider to be close, and completely estranged from family. I've been told, more than once, autism or no, you sh!t in your bed, now you can lie in it, because 1) autism is a fake disorder, 2) bipolar is a fake disorder 3)PTSD is a fake disorder, and I'm nothing more than a lazy-assed antisocial motherf!cker who doesn't deserve to live. Doesn't matter how hard I worked in college, or the numerous jobs I've had out of college, doesn't matter I burned out of every professional job I held, I'm still a an arrogant, antisocial lazy-assed motherf!cker who doesn't deserve to live. It's to the point now that I'm living down to everyone's expectations just to make them feel good. In short You're OK, I'm not OK, I never was OK, and never will be Ok, no matter how hard I try.
Had I known over 40 years ago about the autism spectrum, I would have never gone to college. Here I sit now, pushing 60, with almost $100k in personal, medical and student loan debt. I bought into the lie that I could make a difference by getting a degree, financially, socially, and aesthetically. Instead, I sit alone in a small bedroom, broke (save for what little pittance I get on SSDI), on the verge of another meltdown, with damn few friends that I consider to be close, and completely estranged from family. I've been told, more than once, autism or no, you sh!t in your bed, now you can lie in it, because 1) autism is a fake disorder, 2) bipolar is a fake disorder 3)PTSD is a fake disorder, and I'm nothing more than a lazy-assed antisocial motherf!cker who doesn't deserve to live. Doesn't matter how hard I worked in college, or the numerous jobs I've had out of college, doesn't matter I burned out of every professional job I held, I'm still a an arrogant, antisocial lazy-assed motherf!cker who doesn't deserve to live. It's to the point now that I'm living down to everyone's expectations just to make them feel good. In short You're OK, I'm not OK, I never was OK, and never will be Ok, no matter how hard I try.[/quote]
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did not get diagnosed until age 21. however, if i were not to have been having problems with Structural Engineering at UCSD, then i never would have gone to get tested. thus i never would've gotten diagnosed. unless, of course, then gender therapist did it.
however, if i had the diagnosis when i was under 18, could've gotten SAT testing accommodations. and Regional Center services. and school accommodations.
sometimes someone had the nerve to tell me that i was not autistic. too many misconceptions.
some of them act like just b/c autism is not physically visible, it must not be real.
I,m going to go to college soon and so it's good to have advice I know it's not the academics I got to worry about except for math because I am deplorably bad which I think is because I have undianosed dyscalucia but for the first two years I,ll have family support because I,m going to a community college but the other two I,ll be on my own for the first time in my life but I,ve gotten alot better at being around people when I was younger I could hardly talk to someone outside of my family know I can hold up a conversation even if is kinda more of a one sided monalouge
_________________
We both see the same World, but in a different way. Ty Feels the same joy I do, the joy of creation. We feel all the same things, only the shape of our feelings are different.
[Cassandra Clare][Lady Midnight]
1) Fail out of college junior year,
2) Take semesters off, fail, and graduate 2-3 years late
3) Graduate but are unemployed
These guys have been set up failure. They were sent to college without
1) Study skills/Home work habits
2) Social skills/Office etiquette/Team work skills
3) Realistic view of job market
4) Support for depression/anxiety/loneliness
And hence fail out of engineering school to go to art school or a graduate degree in massage therapy. If you weigh the chances of a HF aspie finishing college and getting a job as a professional versus failing out and getting stuck unemployed without a job history and paying for huge college loans. Much better for them to get a job, a stable paycheck, learn to show up on time, to apply and to interview, to pay bills and to know that they can survive on their own. Then, when they have 1-3 under their belt, and a back up source of income, they can go to a college in the field where they have already worked. They should go into paraprofessional work such as HVAC techs, mechanics, hospital assistants, computer techs, low level IT techs or interns, and so on.
If they don't have an interest in any of that they will forget what they have to do. That's why they need to major in their interest.
RetroGamer87
Veteran
Joined: 30 Jul 2013
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 10,970
Location: Adelaide, Australia
RetroGamer87
Veteran
Joined: 30 Jul 2013
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 10,970
Location: Adelaide, Australia
kineticwaves
Tufted Titmouse
Joined: 25 Feb 2017
Age: 30
Gender: Female
Posts: 31
Location: In my magenta spaceship
I was told I was given an inquisitive mind, but even though I enjoy college, it does have some struggles. Grades do matter, but only to a certain extent and I'm not going to stress myself over getting the best possible grade. I think balancing work with play is important, especially because I have anxiety issues. I refuse to be unemployed and fall out of college. I do think that colleges are often times more hardwired for people who are NT.
When it comes to academic things, I have struggles with math (or maybe it was the way it was being taught and my sensory processing issues + feelings of overwhelm, because I got an A in it in highschool and it was the same material). I need to retake my math class. I do think it's important to have a solid grasp of certain subjects in life, and it is embarrassing if somebody asks you a standard question about the history of your country and you don't know the answer.
Between the autistic people I know from work and from my support group, I think 20% having degrees is about right. I don't know how far off that is from NT statistics, but it sounds normal.
_________________
When I lose an obsession, I feel lost until I find another.
Aspie score: 155 of 200
NT score: 49 of 200
RetroGamer87
Veteran
Joined: 30 Jul 2013
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 10,970
Location: Adelaide, Australia
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