Aspergers+College=???

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I was accepted to UCR (University of California Riverside) about two and a half weeks after applying. It's great and all, but I probably won't hear from the other schools until January-February. I don't know what college is like, and I'm planning on living in the dorms because it will be convenient for me.

I have some questions:

1. Who should I disclose my Aspergers to for accomodations?

2. What are the expectations at college.

If you have any additional advice for stress related issues, that would be great too.

Do whatever you have to do to get into a study dorm. It will be quieter and you will be surrounded by people who are taking college seriously instead of using the free time to drink and party and make life miserable for everyone around them. You can ask for a single room, or if you can't get one, see if they can match you with someone with your interests.

Find the gym and pool, and work out as often as you can. That will help with stress.

If you need accomodations there should be a board of people who will go over it with you. You may not need them it depends on the "severity" of your symptoms. In my report it says I have PDD-NOS (with all asperger's characteristics while the only HFA characteristic I have is speech delay which is more likely caused by my ear problems as a child) and am incapable of going through life without help. Suffice to say I have never seen that psych since and I am ontrack with a steady job (this is my 2nd job the first job I was at for 7 years in retail which was very people orientated)

I have went to a arts private college and did work with minimal accomodations (mostly extra time for finals and probably only a few more minutes then the alloted) and now I do online college. Do not use accomodations if you do not need them cause eventually you'll wonder how you would have done without them and think your success in a career path is due to that (I know people who feel that way).




that you work your hardest and when called for it pull miracles out of your butt. Thats been the story of my life and thats all they expect in all classes I have been due to my affliation with the MORE program I was not expected to really achieve instead being the best in class. In a creatively charged arena I made good scripts and am great technically (I was doing film/video then) my only problem was getting people onboard with my projects.

I do not have AS so I cannot give you relevant advice, but I just feel the need to congratulate you on your first acceptance letter! From the couple of times I've talked to you here on WP, you seem to have a fondness for science and I know you'll do well.

I definitely agree with the study dorm thing. Ask around if/when you visit. Current students will most likely know which dorm has what reputation.

I'm actually residing in one of the more "party-hardy" dorms this year.
It's quite nice, to be honest. I can have Friday/Saturday nights to myself (as everyone is partying), or if I feel like it, I could go with my roommates out to their parties and have some fun (which is pretty hard because I still get claustrophobic after a few beers).

To answer your question 2: I feel that the pressure of college coursework is only a step higher than that of high school.
If you were the type that felt like high school classes were too easy, and consequently slacked off, then you'll probably find college classes to be a refreshing change, and will do well.
If you were constantly studying to get your grades in high school, you might need to study a lot more to maintain the same grades.
If you were barely skating by, but also studying a lot, it will probably be much harder in college to study, as there are many more distractions.

Nevertheless, college is undoubtedly more flexible than high school (I had like, 3 hours of class per day, on average this quarter), and most aspies will feel more comfortable since, from my experience, people judge less of your social ability than your intellect (it's college), and people judge less for being unique.

1. The way we have it set up down here in GA, is you need to take a regents style test to basically test your psychological and educational needs which costs about $500. Then you take your results to the student disabilities office at your college, and they will be able to get you letters of accomodation to give to your teachers. Now I'm not sure how it works in CA, or whether or not you need testing to determine whether you need special help or not. I would of course keep in semi-close contact with your student disabilities coordinator, but realize most of college is about Independence, so you are going to have to do about everything on your own. The college will not help you all that much, and what help they do give you has to be started by you, not them.

2. Basically probably the hardest thing about college is managing your time. You are expected to make good grades, be indepdent (do your own laundry, clean your room, keep up personal hygiene, buy your own products that you need, network with other students and factulty for help, and more), to not be isolated, (try to join some groups and make a few friends or acquaintances).

With that being said, I just finished my 1st college semester with AS. I will say it has been one of the best experiences of my life and also one of the most stressful. So as long as you can handle helping yourself when you need it, and understand that AS will cause a few set backs but with work you can complete college. Heck if I can pass math, then you probably can do anything!

I go to college and have been for the last 4 years

I disclosed to my college that I am at just now that I have Aspergers and it does help a bit sometimes it hinders because other ppl in the class dont know wot it is but u get the sensible ppl who ask u wot it is and u can actually talk to them about it.

I think it does help to tell them coz then they know if u struggle wiv something then u aint just being lazy u are still working hard.

Ali
xxx

I haven't heard from the other colleges yet, but I know they usually respond later anyway. I'm visiting UCR on the 6th for an overnight stay. I really love the staff and atmosphere so far, and they are very supportive. I feel I'm a perfect fit for the school, but my dad seems concerned that I want to go there based on the surrounding area. It isn't the wealthiest, but the school is great!

Thank you everyone for your advice so far. I really don't know what to do about financial aid though.

College is a great experience since you have more free in a way but stride to do your best is my advice along with no getting trouble as well.

Congratulations on being accepted to UCR. What are the "other schools" to which you have applied?

I am presently a Freshman at North Central University (formerly North Central Bible College) in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. To answer your question regarding your disclosure of your Aspergers so that you can secure accommodations, I disclosed my AS to the Director, as well as to the Assistant Director of our "Student Success Center." Beyond that, I also disclosed my AS to a couple of my Professors. If your particular institution of Higher Education offers such a service that is comparable to our "Student Success Center," find out who operates and staffs it, what their hours of operation are, and also find out what kinds of student services they offer. Once you know what kinds of services are available to you, make sure to be open, honest and candid about your AS. The more you advocate for yourself, the better off that you will be in the long run. Once it is known that you have AS, be sure to inquire as to what you need to do to go about securing academic accommodations. If there are formal forms for you to fill out saying that you are formally requesting Academic Accommodations,and the services of your "Student Success Center," FILL THEM OUT and return them to whomever is in charge! The sooner, the better!

In terms of expectations, every college and university will be a little bit different. Every college and university will expect you to really apply yourself academically, both inside and out of the classroom, so that at the end of the semester (or however they work their school year calendar,) you won't find yourself in the Academic Dean's office and also find yourself on the "Academic Probation" list. That's pretty much a "given" expectation across the board. Be studious in your studies (as you will have at least 2 hours of homework per class, per school day, so be sure to seek out and utilize the services of your "Student Success Center" either daily or on a regular, consistent basis, and you shouldn't encounter or experience any academic problems.

Bible Colleges will normally expect you to sign a "Community Covenant," which basically lays out for you in no uncertain terms, what their community living expectations and standards are.

In the spirit of "Diversity" & "Inclusion," since most "State/Public" colleges & universities are politically "Liberal," they won't expect you to sign such a form.

In terms of Campus Life (since you will be residing in a dorm room, and have no vehicle on campus,) make sure that you can access public transit nearby. Find out who owns and operates your local public transportation service, what their service schedule is, and what you need to do in order to secure their services, should you need them at some point.

It's also good to get on a campus cafeteria meal plan, so that you can acess the campus cafeteria for meals during the school week.

Speaking of food, if you're going to be residing in a "single" dorm room, make sure that it will come equipped with at least a dorm room-sized refrigerator/freezer and a microwave. If the Residence Life Office allows them, (but check into it first to see what their policies are,) you might want to think about getting a dorm room sized Pizza Oven and a little convection/toaster oven (for making frozen pizzas and Pizza Rolls, which are both pretty typical college student staples.) You might also want to look into purchasing at least a 2-slice toaster (for toast, toaster struesel, bagels, etc.)

In my last semester (summer) of college for my undergrad I took 36 credit hours. I told my university adviser (he handled my graduation requirements), my academic adviser (he handled scheduling and advising for my core major classes) and I ended up telling one of my professors who asked why I carried so many books (I had a double sized backpack filled with 10-14 books I think).

There is no need to disclose anything unless someone asks and/or you want to.

For you I would suggest this. Tell your university adviser, for most universities he handles all the classes you need to take and in some cases he can help you with grade disputes. If there is a chance that a grade dispute might happen because of your AS, it is best to warn him ahead of time. And he could tell you who to talk to if you need extra help. I would suggest talking to the http://specialservices.ucr.edu/ if you think you might need there services.

Otherwise it is entirely up to you. I find that when I studied math I had no problems. But when I switched over to education I would have problems with teachers not clarifying their statements. So now I send a discrete email to the professor at the beginning of class telling them that I am undergoing evaluation for Asperger's Syndrome and regardless of the diagnosis I have problems understanding statements that are vague or have implied meaning. I tell them that I will ask for clarification and I just need them to provide clear feedback promptly. So far that has eliminated problems I had with professors for the last 3 classes I took.

That is not something I would ever need to do in a computer science, science, or math class. Those professors (for the most part) tend to not be as subjective, because the material is not as subjective.

For you I would just say, consider evaluating where your weaknesses are and how that might influence your studies in the classes you take. You might need help from special services, or you just might need to give a professor a heads up every once and awhile.

IF you do tell a professor. Do it by email, as it is easier to demonstrate proof than face-to-face or over the phone. I wouldn't want you to tell your professor, then something happens and you need a grade dispute over an AS related issue, and the professor lies about you telling them.

But don't worry as that is rare. I have been in college for 6 years and I am almost finished with my Masters, I have been to 6 different colleges (military), and I have only had 1 teacher lie about something she said to me (and it wasn't AS-related).

Now to answer your second question. The teacher will detail what they expect from you in a syllabus. Syllabuses will tell you what textbook to buy, when the classes are, when the tests are, and when the assignments are due. The teacher may count attendance and they may not. I will break down the two possible situations.

If attendance and/or participation are required.
-You are required to show up (often on time as some professors lock the doors to prevent interruptions)
-You are required to participate (in discussions if the professors count that as a grade)

Otherwise everything is the same.
-You are required to keep track of the assignments and turn them in on time. There are often no excuses you can give to get out of this one. Since all the assignments are detailed to you when you begin the class, you know about the assignments well before a vacation or sports game (physics convention if that is your thing). If you are sick you will need to turn in your assignments usually by the next class period. Take it to their office.
-If you are sick you need to arrange a way to get lecture notes on your own.
-If you miss a test and you can make it up, make arrangements with the teacher ASAP.
-You are required to adapt to the class and not vice versa (if you do not received any help from special services). So if you need to re-hear the lecture, then you should tape-record it. If you learn by writing, then you should write lecture notes. If you learn by drawing, then you need to do diagrams. If you learn by music, then write songs for everything you need to know. Figure out your learning style and how you can adapt any content material to your strengths and you will succeed at college.
-You need to take care of yourself. Waking up, eating, showing up on time, doing homework, studying, reading...
all these things need to be managed by you.


Because all a teacher expects from you is that you do the homework on time and pass the tests. They won't remind you of upcoming homework (some will). So you need to stay on top of things.

Otherwise if you are having a rough time, talk to someone. Don't just get frustrated and drop out. College is like marriage. There is the honeymoon period and there is the marriage period. And the transition between the two is when you realize that your expectations of college are different than what is actually being provided. Doesn't mean college is not for you, sometimes it just means you need to adjust your expectations.

I have some questions:

1. Who should I disclose my Aspergers to for accomodations?

Depends how comfortable you feel about it. May be a good idea to discuss it with your academic councelor if you know who it is... They may be able to pull some strings that otherwise would not be available.

I had a few issues with classes and my academic councilor was able to get me into a full class which I REALLY needed to take that semester.. just as an example. I did not live in the dorms because i was a 'non-trad' student.


2. What are the expectations at college.

First year, a percentage of other students there will be weeded out because they can not hack it.
Once you get up to a junior level, most of the students you will be in class with, will be thre for a reason and a diploma and less likely to be more interested in the social and party scene as the freshmen and sophmores were in to.

The freshman classes I had were fairly easy... gerring used to the schedule was more difficult than the classes itself. At least half of the classes in the first 2 years are more of the general elective classes, everyone has to take to some degree. The 3rd and 4th year classes were better, but harder. More along the lines of your core classes.

College is great, much better than high school.

1. Contact these people.

2. Higher than high school, but still manageable. It depends a lot on the individual professor, but you are expected more often to do stuff on your own rather than being reminded constantly.

Additional advice: Procrastinate less than I do.