college?

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I'm not currently diagnosed with aspergers (getting evaluated in near future), but either way I have some serious trouble socially and in school. I'm being homeschooled, and by the looks of it I'll be graduating when I'm 16.

What should I do after that? Should I attempt to get a job for awhile or go off to college? Is college easier on aspies than highschool? How do I know if I'll be ready for college?


Thank you.

People are much more accepting in college than high school. I didn't make many friends at my university, but I wasn't exactly looking for any. Just in general, I liked college more. You may want to try out working first, not only to save up money, but also to get used to being in a social environment with tasks you have to complete. My social skills improved a lot by working at a customer service job.

And only you will know when you are ready.

If possible, take AP's and CLEPs to get out of college core requirements. Read a lot to decide what you're interested in.

College is more fun than high school.

I graduated high school a year early and went straight to college when I was 17. The only thing I could possibly regret about it is that I didn't really know what I wanted to study. I switched majors several times and took an extra two years to get my bachelor's degree. I think it was worth it, though, because when I finally found my passion (linguistics!) it was the educational equivalent of love at first sight.

College is not perfect, but for me it was like a whole different world compared to high school. It was so much better! I was emotionally immature but it didn't seem to matter as much in college because the emphasis there was on education and knowledge rather than meeting people and elevating one's social status. It was finally okay for me to answer questions in class because nobody was going to make fun of me for being smart.

College is a better choice overall since some jobs required some formal education to be honest. Also make sure that you understand Section 508 and accessibility if you to do Graphic Design.

In terms of accomplishment and learning college was way better for me than high school. But, in social terms, college was WAY worse for me than high school.

Thanks for the responses. =]

Another question -- does an IEP mean anything in college?

It's not really an "IEP", because that implies more hand-holding. But colleges ARE required to reasonably accomodate disabled students. What you would need to do is go to Disability Services, and get the required forms for your diagnosing doctor to sign. The doctor will check off any accomodations that you might need, and you also have some choice. Some colleges are more accomodating than others, though. The accomodations are MOSTLY regarding exams, though. You MIGHT get some extra time for assignments and essays. But the professor won't alter their teaching style for disabled students, and they (shouldn't) be treating you any differently from others students (whether positive or negative).

Go to college! If you don't, you will be stuck in a low level job, most of which require multitasking and intense social skills and interactions, sort of like the one I have now as a cashier. Believe me, these jobs aren't good for an aspie. You're intelligent, go to college. It's a lot better than school because you get to choose what to s tudy for the most part, to pick your professors, and it's a lot more interesting. Also, I think the college students are nicer than in high school or grade school. You can do it!

College is fine, socially it's tough, but still i've made friends, and if I can anyone can... just try to get out there as much as possible. Although college at 16 may be a bit hard.