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JulieM
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

Joined: 22 Oct 2015
Age: 28
Posts: 6

22 Oct 2015, 11:07 pm

Hi guys,
So I recently realized I have Asperger's. I've taken a bunch of quizzes online and read into it a lot and I'm almost certain that's what I have. It's a relief for me to finally have an explanation for why I am the way that I am. However, college has been a huge problem for me lately. Ever since last semester, I've been really unhappy at college. It goes in a cycle. I start out each semester thinking it will be fine and then I end up hating it by the end of the semester. What I've hated the most is the social aspect which I now understand why. I hate being around people all day in classes. I feel really overwhelmed at times by the atmosphere. I feel like I don't fit in there. I don't really have trouble working on homework unless it's group work for a project. I even thought that if I joined anime club, things would finally be better and I'd make some friends but I was wrong. It started out fine but I've just started to feel overwhelmed by the amount of people in the room and the atmosphere. I guess I just don't like being around people.
I guess what I'm asking for advice on is what I should do about college. I've been thinking maybe I should take a semester off and find out more about Asperger's and other options like online school, but I don't know. It also doesn't help that I have to register for new classes for next semester in a week or two and I feel like I don't really want to do it, which is why I want to figure this out now. Hopefully you can help me out.



SocOfAutism
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 2 Mar 2015
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,848

28 Oct 2015, 10:47 am

I just made a post in reply to something else, that basically said this same thing. I'm neurotypical, but I guess I'm an odd person and I don't get along with the other people in my classes. I never have and I've been in *a* college my whole adult life. I just sent off an email to get references to start the PhD program next year, which was the last thing I had to do. I had been considering just not doing it.

The people aren't going to change, so there's no point in taking a semester off. You should just get school over with. Keep in your mind that you're only doing this to get a job, so get out of school what you need to for that. Let's say you're going to school for computer networking. Make sure you learn about Exchange, like how to actually do stuff with it if it's broken.

Take something comforting with you to class. I take coffee or tea and I draw pictures of dinosaurs eating the students I don't like. I draw them as stick figures so no one knows it's them. Sometimes I draw them as cats. You know, whatever, so you have a little of your power back. I have also taken my laptop, opened up a word doc and typed cursewords in there before. Then closed it without saving. I HAVE to. I get too anxious in there.

Just be unfailingly polite to the other people, and only make an effort in friendships if you really do like that person. I have ONE friend in grad school. There are maybe five others that I'm friendly with, but I really only have the one friend. I had ONE friend at my last school, although I should have made an effort with a couple more. Those people are going to go away, and it's not your fault. No one really stays in touch. They're just facebook friends and whatnot. That doesn't count.

So my advice is to hang in there, and keep your eye on the prize.



JulieM
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

Joined: 22 Oct 2015
Age: 28
Posts: 6

05 Nov 2015, 5:35 pm

Thanks for the advice