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How To Navigate College When You're Neurodivergent

How To Navigate College When You’re Neurodivergent

Neurodivergent traits are likely to inform many aspects of your personality that deserve to be celebrated. However, you know better than anyone else how they can also present certain challenges. One of the situations many people living with cognitive processing differences (CPDs) find difficult is the transition to life as a college student.

The traditional education system has historically been geared toward neurotypical students. The designs of classrooms, the curriculum, and even the social structure have developed on the assumption of typicality. This is despite the fact that a large part of the student body may fall somewhere on the neurodivergent spectrum. The actual number of neurodivergent individuals enrolled in college is hard to determine. In fact, only 37% of students with disabilities report it to their university — and some neurodivergent individuals aren’t diagnosed until later in life, if at all. Further, neurodiversity is complex, often not being categorized as a disability

Unfortunately, this can make the college experience feel less inclusive. Many universities are taking steps to address this imbalance, but the situation is far from perfect. As such, you may find it helpful to develop strategies and adopt existing tools to suit your needs. There are a few tactics that can help you navigate college as a student with neurodivergent traits.

Seek Relevant Resources

Unfortunately, when education is designed for neurotypical students, the resources available to those with neurodivergent traits don’t always jump out. This doesn’t mean they don’t exist, you just may have to search a little for them. Neurodivergence takes various forms and encompasses a range of neurological frameworks. Even within the definitions of the autism spectrum, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and dyslexia, individual experiences differ. This means you may have a very specific set of challenges and needs to address. It’s important to look for the resources that are most relevant to you.

While neurodivergence is not a hindrance but, rather, a difference in neurological functioning, you may still need to take the same route as those seeking accommodations at college under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Usually, student support services will be able to direct you to the resources available to you on campus and arrange meetings with any relevant members of faculty or staff.

It can be important to prepare before making these inquiries or having meetings. If you know what tools you need to effectively learn and navigate college life best, take these details along. However, if you’re not sure what resources are available, make a list of the circumstances and tasks you feel you’re likely to find challenging in college. This is not only a starting point to explore the options, but it can also help you to feel more confident when seeking resources.

Find Your People

College is a more manageable and positive experience when you make meaningful connections with other people. This tends to be true for both neurotypical and neurodivergent students. It may be the case that your CPDs contribute to the challenges of social interactions. This can make it even more important to establish a social group in college that can celebrate your differences and support you during difficult periods. After all, isolation can often add to the experiences of stress and anxiety.

Finding your people doesn’t necessarily mean you’re hunting for other neurodiverse people. Look for those who share similar interests as you. Join on-campus groups and societies. Get involved in political or social initiatives you care about in the local area. Your passions, particularly those you find easiest to talk about, can be a valuable gateway to building relationships in college.

It’s also worth considering that this approach can be a tool to bolster your life beyond college. Adopting solid networking practices now can mean you’re in an easier position to extend your circle in enriching directions later. Indeed, taking a healthy approach to networking can relieve some of the anxiety you may feel in social situations. Prepare some talking points beforehand and loosely schedule your routine leading up to it. Importantly, be clear about the emotional boundaries you want to set.

Maintain a Dialogue With Your Professors

It’s an unfortunate fact that your college curriculum and the methods used are likely designed with neurotypical students in mind. This doesn’t mean your professors aren’t able to provide support. Nevertheless, it’s important for you to make the first move here. Empower yourself to start a meaningful dialogue with your professors that you can develop over time to make your college experience more positive.

Chatting about your neurodivergent traits and how these factor into your learning is a good start. In all likelihood, your professors won’t have been provided with any advance information about your needs. Talk about the positive factors your unique perspective brings to your experience of learning and the subject you’re studying. Discuss any specific hurdles you have found in your previous learning environments.

Prioritize Self-care

It’s important to put some solid self-care tools in place to help you process the difficult elements of college and maintain your physical and mental well-being. This may involve creating a safe and calming space to reset in. You’ll almost certainly be sharing your space with a roommate, but work with them to agree on decorative elements that promote tranquility. Utilize neutral colors on the walls and soft furnishings where possible.

You should also build regular forms of self-care into your day. Much as your college timetable is scheduled for control and clarity, treat your wellness tools with equal importance. Take a few minutes for meditation and mindfulness on a daily basis if you feel it will help. Plan blocks of time for your interests that help you feel relaxed and positive in between your classes and work. Maintaining your well-being is a vital part of navigating the college transition.

Conclusion

Navigating college when you live with neurodivergent traits can be challenging. It’s important to gain clarity on your needs and seek the most relevant resources. Make regular efforts to form social connections and maintain positive dialogues with your professors. Remember, utilizing self-care tools can help you decompress during difficult periods. With a few additional strategies, there’s no reason your college experience can’t be as enriching as you deserve it to be.

SEE ALSO: How Students Manage Time to Watch Anime Movies

How Students Manage Time to Watch Anime Movies

How Students Manage Time to Watch Anime Movies

Before exams, teachers often tell students to study and get enough sleep. But every student has a routine that helps them study. Some people like to relax by listening to music or watching a movie, but others might prefer to watch anime instead. Some ways to relax before an exam are to watch the same anime seasons show over and over or get a favourite drink at a coffee shop. Still, it’s important to study for the test. There are many different kinds of tests. You should try as hard as you can to study and get the best grades possible.

The best way for each student to study for tests could be different. You can choose to study alone, with friends, or all night long. Most of the time, students choose the way to learn that makes them feel most comfortable and works best for them. Before getting down to business, it’s fine to put in an anime or music video. In other words, you shouldn’t force yourself to study the same way as other students if you find that it doesn’t work for you. On the contrary, watching anime can be a good way to study. But they can be too interesting and make it hard to study and saying yes.

Is there a way to watch your favorite shows and do your homework at the same time?

Learning how to use your time well is a skill that will help you not just in school, but for the rest of your life. If you use it well, you’ll get something good in return. You’ll need to make good use of your time if you want to do well in school. Make a schedule. You can divide it up so you can watch anime, study for tests, and do your schoolwork. If you make a plan and follow it, you can learn how to write an essay in one day. You can still get your anime research paper done on time and still have time to study and watch anime.

Use services that make your life easier to reduce stress and get more done.

Is it possible to do well in school and watch anime at the same time?

College and university students often say that their professors give them too many writing assignments. You can always go back to your anime culture and watch your episodes, right? As deadlines get closer, you might feel pressured to finish your projects. You have homework to do, but you just don’t want to stop watching green movie season. Because of this, you might be wondering what to do next. If you use a professional writing service, you might be able to free up some time. Don’t worry about how you’ll finish all of your homework when the due dates are getting closer. Use one of these services to write less and have more time to study or watch anime.

On top of that, anime can be watched while doing schoolwork, which is a nice bonus. As was already said, some people can study better while listening to music or watching certain shows. With these tools, they can better understand the idea and keep up with their homework. There are also some smart students who learn how to write essays quickly. Still, a lot of teachers and parents are against this. They think that they are a waste of time that will keep you from focusing on your schoolwork. This might make you wonder if you can watch anime while you study without getting in trouble with your parents or teachers.

If you’re the kind of person who can understand something while doing something else, like watching a movie or listening to music, then go ahead and start. But don’t let your interest in anime keep you from doing your homework. Your professor might give you an anime essay to see if you’ve been paying attention in class and if you can show that you know a lot about the genre.

If at all possible, study before tests and quizzes

If the end of a movie makes you want more, you might get too caught up in it. You might be interested in seeing what happens in the other episodes. You don’t have to do your schoolwork right away. You can put it off until a better time. It would not be smart to do this. It would be more fun to watch anime instead of doing homework. You can do jobs that would normally be too hard for you. You can choose to buy an essay for sale and still finish your work on time. If you do this, you’ll also have more time to study and prepare for tests.

Is it possible to do well in school and watch anime at the same time?

It’s safe to say that a lot of students like to watch movies and listen to music. Still, most people don’t know how to find a good balance between school, extracurricular activities, and free time. They feel this way because they want to do well in school and don’t want their love of anime movies to get in the way. So, if you’re worried about how to keep your balance, you don’t need to be. With the above tips, you can find a good balance between watching anime, doing your homework, and studying for tests.

SEE ALSO: Adulting 101: Preparing for Your Post-grad Life

10 Things I Wish I’d Known In College

10 Things I Wish I’d Known In College

As a recent college graduate, I can look back on my school years with some fond feelings and some memories that I’d rather just forget. So that you don’t have to make the same (many) mistakes that I did, here are the 10 things that I wish someone had told me before I’d set off for the chaos that is freshman year.

Your major will not define your entire life

This is one that I feel particularly passionate about because I seemed to spend most of my college years trying to explain—whether to students who actually had their lives figured out, or to my grandma—why I’d chosen to major in a “pointless” subject like English. This proved pretty difficult considering I wasn’t even sure why I’d chosen to go to college and “but I don’t want to be an engineer” didn’t seem to be a good enough answer. Obviously, the first thing to glean from this is that taking your time to make an educated decision about something that’s going to take up a lot of your time and resources, is probably a good idea.

Luckily, I discovered the concept of transferable skills. Sure, if you major in “Bowling Industry Management and Technology”, you’ve probably got a specific career path in mind. But if you decide somewhere down the line that bowling isn’t for you, you’ve learned management skills that can be applied in any workplace. More importantly, I loved English—and isn’t that the point?

Grades are actually important…

Unfortunately, despite the many transferable skills you might learn at college (like how to do laundry, or perhaps how to sleep and look like you’re concentrating at the same time), employers do evaluate you on your GPA (many companies actually filter applications by GPA). When it comes down to it, you’re at college to learn, so prioritize your studies, work hard and try your best to maintain a good GPA.

But a bad grade is not the end of the world

Throughout college, it was not unusual to find me shuddering over the memory of one particularly terrible grade. The dread and nausea had been made worse because I knew that I’d deserved it—I’d rushed the assignment to spend more time with my friends. With all my plans to graduate and stumble upon a career, it hadn’t really crossed my mind that I could, very possibly, fail college. This grade told my sleep-deprived and caffeinated self that my future was over.

After an extremely emotional and somewhat embarrassing visit to my professor’s office, and a math calculation by a friend who actually understood numbers, I was relieved to discover that this blip had barely affected my average. It turns out that we all have good and bad days, and if anything, this terrifying reality check shocked me into trying harder at everything else.

You don’t have to go to college straight away

One of my biggest regrets is not taking a gap year. With the relentless pressure to go to college, staying on at school can feel like the only option, but the reality is: it’s not. Your college education will still be there when you’ve had a bit more time to figure it all out.

Having a part time job is underrated 

Having something that is outside of school and being surrounding by a completely different type of friend is refreshing. Looking back, the excuse to leave the house for an environment where I had fun and physically was not allowed to study, definitely got me through my final semester. Also, the extra money and experience didn’t hurt.

Make the most of the experience

It can be easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks of college and adult life. Unfortunately, this stress does not stop after college, so you might as well make the most of it while you can. Say yes to classes that intrigue you, join in activities, learn a random skill and always take advantage of fresh air when you can.

Toxic people are to be eliminated from your life

It took me a good few years to get this mantra down. When you go to college, you’re thrown together with random people and forced to make friends or else have nobody to borrow milk from during times of need. This does not a good friendship make.

If somebody is negative, belittling or controlling, or simply brings way too much drama into your life, it’s okay to distance yourself. Toxic people will always drain your attempts to be positive and drag you down with them, which is not part of the college experience.

College can be lonely and that’s okay

Especially in freshman year, there’s an expectation that you should be having the best time of your life. Often on social media, this is reflected by constant partying, social engagements, and people spending money that they don’t have. Whilst I was happy to enjoy this unrealistic way of life for a while, it quickly became exhausting.

Surrounded by a crowd of semi-familiar faces, it is actually easy and normal to feel lonely at college. After moving away from everything you’re familiar with, it’s important to take time out to assess your state-of-mind and recharge.

Stop taking things personally

This is one that I’m still working towards. Being in a competitive situation that forces you to compare yourself to your peers can damage your self-esteem and solicit your defence mechanisms. By knowing your worth, not jumping to conclusions and letting things like a bad grade go, you’re automatically promoted to the master of your own emotions and energy levels.

Being addicted to coffee is totally fine…probably

My dependence on caffeine is definitely helping me now that I’ve graduated and actually have to get out of bed in the mornings. Take this advice at your own peril.

Further reading: 5 Reasons to Have Houseplants in Your Dorm Room

Bullet Journaling

Seven Effective Bullet Journaling Tips

By Rose Martin

College life can be extremely stressful. Balancing multiple responsibilities, projects, examinations, extracurricular activities, work and social life is an overwhelming experience for most students, often causing them to lose sight of their long-term aspirations. Every student struggles with effective time management and organization amidst the chaotic college schedule, which may contribute to stunting his/her career growth. If you are looking for a simple and effective way to organize your life, bullet journaling can help you manage your tasks and set your priorities right, putting you on the fast track to success.

A neat and organized bullet journal with intricately-designed pages and handwritten notes speaks volumes about your personality. Though bullet journaling isn’t easy, it is a quick and effective technique to get a grip on your life, inspiring you to stay organized, creative and productive.

Here are seven valuable bullet journaling tips that will help you stay organized and manage your time, enabling you to build a bright and successful future.

  1. Determine your objective

Before you dive into bullet journaling, it’s crucial for you find your motivation. Determining your expectations and motives for starting a bullet journal will help you document your life events and goals in an effective manner. Moreover, your primary and secondary objectives will determine the format of the journal, enabling you to include the necessary sections or collections.

For instance, if your primary objective is to organize your college life, your journal must give due importance to your lecture schedule, the study time, the extra classes and the examination schedules. You could have other objectives of starting a journal, namely planning your diet and workout sessions and/or monitoring your savings and expenses.

  1. Focus on the basic elements

The index, the collections, the rapid-logging, and the migration make up the basic structure of a bullet journal.

Index  

The index typically takes the first page of the bullet journal that helps the journalist to organize the various sections or collections, ensuring easy navigation through the journal pages. Make sure you include all the important topics with the corresponding page numbers and leave enough space for sections you might want to include later.

Collections

Every page in the bullet journal is given a topic that serves as a means to organize similar ideas. These topics are referred to as collections which may utilize several pages of the journal. The three main types of collections are –

  1. Future Log – This section is used to note down events and appointments in the future
  2. Monthly Log – This section enables you to organize your month using the calendar page and the task page. The calendar page must have enough space to enter short notes or events that you need to remember.
  • Daily Log – This section helps you manage your daily tasks, events, and notes in order of their occurrence.

Depending on your objectives, collections can also take additional forms, namely meeting notes, shopping lists, expenditures and mind maps.

  • Rapid-Logging: Rapid-logging helps you make entries in the short-form notation using bullets and signifiers. You can use the task (indicated by a dot), the event (indicated by an open circle), or the note bullets (indicated by a dash) throughout the collections to signify whether they are scheduled, changed, or completed.

A few examples of signifiers are a star symbol (*) for priority tasks, an eye for ideas you need to explore, a dollar sign ($) for purchases, and an exclamation mark (!) for a new inspiration.

  • Migration: Migration helps you review your performance and filter out the tasks that haven’t been accomplished. It is typically done at the end of a month when preparing the next month’s log. Evaluate whether the unfinished tasks are still crucial and worth doing and migrate them between collections on a monthly basis.

Further reading: Six Helpful Time-Management Tips for College Students

  1. Use signifiers and doodles creatively

Embellishing your bullet journal with signifiers and doodles will make it look arty and appealing. Signifiers give the bullet points an additional context, enabling you to enter short notes in a creative manner. Elements such as dots, circles, dashes, stars or asterisks, crosses, right and left arrows and exclamation marks help you chart out the daily, weekly, or monthly plan quickly and easily.

  1. Invest in good-quality tools

For bullet journaling, you will require tools such as a notebook, pens, sketch pens, rulers, Washi tapes, and stickers. These tools will determine the life and the attractive appeal of your bullet journal. Moreover, good-quality tools will help you stay committed to the cause, motivating you to use them creatively in your journal.

Invest in archival-quality paper that is acid-free, enabling you to keep your handwritten records safe and fade-proof. Most bullet journalists seem to prefer notebook brands, namely Leuchtturm 1917, Moleskine, Rhodia and Essentials. Pigment and ink pen brands like Sakura Micron, PilotFriXion, Staedtler Triplus Fineliner and Uni-ball Jetstream can help add a touch of color and creativity to your journal.

  1. Don’t go completely off technology

Traditionally, a bullet journal involves penning down your daily activities, events and future goals. However, amidst your demanding schedule, you may miss out on some important events or deadlines. Use digital tools such as Google Calendar, Todoist and Evernote along with your bullet journal to manage your appointments, project deadlines and tasks effectively.

For instance, at the beginning of the month, enter your monthly plan in the Google Calendar and use your bullet journal as a daily tool to compile and monitor the tasks, the events, and the goals by referring to the digital calendar.

Using the best of both worlds (on and offline) will help you organize your life and focus on your professional and personal goals.

  1. Don’t be afraid to experiment with bullet journaling

Bullet journaling is a creative journey in which you constantly need to experiment in order to come up with the most effective organization style that meets your needs. Since you are new to this process you may be tempted to follow the various formats available online. Regardless of whether you try the original Ryder Carroll style or other contemporary ideas, remember to experiment and be open to change. Retain what’s working for you and get rid of formats that are not helping you achieve your objectives.

  1. Get inspired, but avoid comparison

The internet is full of inspiration with millions of Instagram and Pinterest users posting gorgeous bullet journal pages. It’s ok to refer to them for a few creative ideas, however, avoid comparing your journal with others. Every person has a specific objective for maintaining their bullet journal and the format will change accordingly.

Comparing yourself with others will disappoint you and stop you from trying new things. Your bullet journal is unique to you and must meet your requirements. For instance, if you like to express everything using symbols and doodles, nothing should stop you. Similarly, if you prefer scribbling your goals instead of using symbols, go ahead and do it.

College life is all about planning and organizing tasks, managing time effectively and setting objectives that help you realize your purpose in life. Use the above-mentioned bullet journaling tips to take control of your life and build a bright career.

Rose Martin is an editor at Book Siren. Book Siren helps readers learn about various book publications and authors. Rose likes to travel with friends and family. Her main interests are music, reading novels and fitness. Reach out to Rose at martinrrrose@gmail.com.