Did you drop out?

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I didn't drop out of secondary school purely because I liked history and geography. Second last year of school I did English by myself with a teacher working purely on material for the exam, still failed it, and I still don't see why the only way to pass English was to identify tone in a book or poem among other things. Last year of school I did two subjects history and geography and was hardly in school, my subjects totalled 520 minutes per week and school was meant to be 1800 minutes. That was the only reason why I finished school, because I was there much and in one of my classes there was only me and one other person.

As for uni, I lasted a week at a proper uni, it was way to unstructured and I couldn't deal with having to go and find the laundry rather than it being down stairs and to get food you had to take a bus which I can't do. I now go to a much smaller one which is much more structured and only 20 minutes away so I can drive. I hopefully will finish the course because I really like the course.

I dropped out of high school half way through year 11. My parents were academics and I didn't understand that you could leave school before you got your PhD. As soon as I found out that you could I was out of there. Back in those days they seemed to think that they could cane autism out of people. I was in detention most days and always in the headmaster's office - when I turned up. I started high school in the highest classes and by the end I was in the bottom classes.

I then dropped out of a mechanics apprenticeship, mainly because the head mechanic was an intolerable bully and used pull my ears. But also at that time in Sydney the corruption in most aspects of business was rife, police, bikies, racing identities all mingled together at the garage - there was no way someone from my background was going to be let into their world.

I didn't venture near education for 15 years, I did a TAFE course in visual arts (more to get the DSS off my back)which went quite well and got me into a uni fine arts course. Which I dropped out of more for financial reasons and a fine art degree I couldn't see as being any use for anything. And no one explained to me how uni worked, everyone else seemed to understand the workings but it was all a mystery to me.

In the last few years I have been doing an English BA, but I have taken this year off and am not sure if I will continue, as in this stage of my life I find it pretty useless. I find if I want to learn anything I just go and do it myself and I don't need any certificate to prove I have learnt adequately. I average Distinction grades at uni.

Did you drop out in high school?

No. I would say almost dropping out is an accurate statement.

If no, then how successful were you during your high school years?

I was at the top of my class until my last year. I had spent three months at home (they mailed me my assignments to complete and submit) after being institutionalized for a suicide attempt that had to do with an abusive home life, pressure I put on myself to do well in school (if I wanted a college scholarship), and taunting from classmates and even their parents as my high school academic environment was very competitive. I got a scholarship to a university that wasn't very good. I look back at that time with a lot of shame.

Did you drop out in college/university?

No.

If no, then how successful were you throughout college/university?

My family life imploded, my longtime relationship blew up, and I lost a lot of friends senior year due to the nature of my staying in that abusive relationship. I graduated in four years, but I attribute a lot of this to insomnia. I stopped caring my senior year, my grades did suffer, and professors were doubtful of my academic ability to do well in either law school or grad school (They did not know about my personal issues. Very few people knew who were teaching me). I did manage to get into law school, although I decided to take a break before doing that next year. I'm just glad that I finished college in four years, and it sucks that I wasn't taken seriously just because I didn't have a 4.0 GPA.

Had you already been diagnosed?

No. I have had multiple diagnoses but I am getting assessed for ASD in the next week.

I finished high school but not college. Looking back on it, I wish I had dropped out of High School. High school was almost a total waste of time.

I was actually forced to stop 1 year before finishing a Ba in Science of Music (granted by the social system). I was delayed by family sickness and I wasn´t allowed to finish, and I couldn´t get a job, so I went on the dole instead, and that was it.
It was very challenging to come there every day among so many people, so I found a spot with a classic statue and took my breaks there. The strain may have delayed me even more, as it cost me a lot of mental energy, just entering the building each day.

I very much wish, I had been diagnosed back then. I might hav got some help.