starting community college in January...

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And I'm so nervous. I haven't been to school since my junior year in highschool. My biggest fear is getting lost and not finding my classes and my problem with verbal directions. How did you survive your first year of community/uni? And do you have any tricks to cope?

Would it be possible for you to visit the campus and just walk around, on your own time, seeing how the campus is laid out? If I were in your situation, that would help me.

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Diagnosed with High Functioning Autism well into adulthood.
It's never too late to get a diagnosis.
Hell, I thought I was just weird.

i can (obviously) come off as really abrupt and my tone can sound sharpish, so feel free to ask me to clarify

Verbal directions is something I've long struggled with. And frankly, I think a lot of people just flat out do not give good verbal directions.

Just acknowledge that this is something you're going to struggle with. And I remember, a map posted by the elevators at my university's library. What was shown as the right side of the map was not on the right side of reality.

So, I guess in typical Aspie fashion, make a point to overdo and get good at this part. Pick up and/or download a printed map and make a point to notice whether there are any discrepancies or substantial ommissions between the printed map and the real world.

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With classes, previewing and pre-studying have helped me a lot. Only class I might consider not doing this would be something like a history class where the professor gave just great lectures. And even there, just a little bit of skimming might make the lectures even still richer when he or she hit on a topic I already knew a little about.

It is hard to meet people in classes. Instead, consider being open to things like student newspaper, drama club, political clubs (even though people might be 'overpeopled,' have a full slate of friends, be way busy, sorry they took on the responsibilities of leadership in the first place, etc.)

Ask, ask, ask if you don't understand something. I've been told many a time that some people's verbal instructions aren't good (mine certainly aren't) but if everyone thinks everyone else has understood, no-one wants to be the only one to admit they didn't. But if one person asks, 20 others are breathing a sigh of relief "wow, I thought I was the only idiot who didn't get that at all!"

Will you have a personal tutor you can go to with any problems? And can you get a campus tour before you begin or even a map you can study at home? Plenty of NTs are rubbish at mapreading so lots of people will be late and confused in their first few weeks.

What are you studying BTW? Hope you enjoy it. I'm quite envious, would love to go back to learning.

As far as finding your way around, your campus should have a map on the website, and some colleges/universities even include a map in the stack of printed materials they provide at orientation. I don't know if most community colleges have those, though--probably not. But still you can find a map online, and some locations on campus usually have a big map mounted somewhere, e.g. at major entrances.

As far as verbal directions, I don't know if you mean "directions" in the sense of guiding you places, or instructions about class. If you mean the former, then my comment about maps should have answered that. If you mean instructions, a lot more is written out in college than in high school. It is a rare class that doesn't provide a detailed syllabus on the first day with the topics that will be covered each week, and many courses have online management systems (for example Blackboard) where assignments, supplementary notes, etc. are posted. If you have trouble taking notes when information is presented verbally, that can be a big problem, but non-lecture material is more commonly written out than verbalized.

I am starting community college in January, too.
I feel the same way you do.
I went up there to take a test and I got lost in the hallways.
its very easy to get lost in a place like that.
college is way different than high school.
the teachers talk really fast.
they might not give you time to do your work.
its going to be really hard but I want to do it.
because I want to be a good person.
I want to have a job.
its really hard to find a job now, if you have no college.
this is why I am going to try very hard to learn my way around the school.
and I will take my time doing my school work.
that is very important.

I've been going to a community college since I graduated high school. What I do to make life easier on me is that, once I have registered for classes, I go to the campus with my list of classes and what rooms they are in and find them. I need to know where I am going, so I usually find them in order of when I am going to them. Like, this past semester I had 4 classes, all in different sections of the campus. When I went to go look at book prices, I walked around the building and found them, and I'm glad I did. I also wrote the class name, room number, and date/time along with the professor's name inside each spiral I used for those classes, because, let's face it, I tend to forget things when I'm nervous, so when the semester started, I was constantly checking which room I was supposed to be in. As well as when I'm supposed to be there. I also take my laptop because my classes were spread out, so I needed something to do. I am not into gaming, or socializing, so I listen to music and do internet while I wait for my next class. My community college did have maps both printed and online, as well as on the wall in the main sections, but since it's a small campus, I remember where the sections are, and that way can wander a section rather than get myself lost.

Hope this helps. You'll do fine, just know where you're going (write it down, map it out BEFORE classes start), have all your supplies, and most of all, keep your confidence; you're an Aspie, you can do it!

I started at community college, and then transferred out.

The most important thing I can say is: "They do not give you homework.............therefore, you will need to accommodate for this; find a special way (for yourself) to study."

At community college, you are better off asking the professor themselves to tutor you; because they are never as busy as they seem. Other colleges would have more students and make this less practical to do. Plus it is a good way to practice your interaction mimicry, without killing the opportunity for a new friendship (since it is not a fellow student).