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Atriment
Emu Egg
Joined: Oct 29, 2008
Posts: 1
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 Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:42 pm Post subject: What's College like for Aspies? |
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My family and I moved here to the U.S from Argentina about 5 or so years ago so obviously I had to learn English which didn't take me so long, at least writing, understanding and listening didn't but I'm still far from being decent at speaking because my accent is very noticeable and I'm not really good at pronouncing words so I find it a little bit difficult for people to clearly understand what I'm saying so sometimes kids make fun of me when I'm forced to read things out loud in class. Which leads me to my point...
Right now in high school I've had a lot of problems when it came to Group assignments or presentations and all that stuff and I'm worried that I will probably have to do a lot more of them in college. In fact, last year, I failed my English class because I got F's in all the presentations we did that year, I even talked to the teacher about doing some other type of work to at least get enough grades to pass the class but she refused anyway so I had to go to summer school to get the credit for the class, which wasn't so bad because the teacher there didn't make us do any of that, just write a bunch of essays, but still, I missed my summer that year.
Because of that, I can't stand the thought of facing similar scenarios in college even though I've read that professors tend to be more considerate towards people with Asperger's syndrome or any disability (which I don't know if it's exactly right). I'm graduating next year so this is putting a lot of pressure on me.
So tell me, what is/was college like for you? |
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AspE
Toucan
Joined: Jan 01, 2008
Posts: 277
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| Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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| I loved it. I took a class in public speaking, and although I was nervous, it really helped. I didn't know I had Asgerger's in college. My schoolwork wasn't my major focus anyway, I just enjoyed the freedom and yes, the social life. |
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JerryHatake
Die Hard Mason Fan
Joined: Jul 02, 2006
Age: 20
Posts: 9918
Location: Woodbridge, VA
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| Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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I loved Mason so much since it is a great school and it is the number one upcoming national university in the states. I'm also the secretary/historian of the Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society for individuals with disabilities.
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Sciatrix
Raven
Joined: Oct 19, 2008
Age: 18
Posts: 105
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| Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 9:17 pm Post subject: |
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I am really enjoying being at my university.  With the exception of my Chemistry lab, I've had absolutely no group assignments and I find them fairly rare. Generally, I've seem professors prefer a paper or completed problems over a class presentation, particularly in larger classes. I have one class of over three hundred people--how would we all be able to present?
I have not disclosed my AS to my college, but I don't see why you couldn't get accommodation if you needed to, particularly if you went to a professor during office hours. |
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NalaFontaine
Emu Egg
Joined: Oct 29, 2008
Age: 27
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 12:25 am Post subject: |
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I had been outcasted in highschool, but things got a bit easier for me in college because I was in an environment with a greater variety of people and I got to attend classes that where in my fields of interest.
Anyway, it can only get better. Slowly perhaps, but you'll find your niche eventually, and you'll be working on socializing from there on.
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"I am weird and proud of it" |
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Cyanide
Leader of Shadaloo
Joined: Sep 25, 2006
Posts: 1450
Location: OR
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| Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:50 am Post subject: |
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I hate college. I find it to be mundane and unengaging. The people are also really archetypal and boring. Maybe I'm just in the wrong place?
As for group work though, the only class I've had to do that in is Chinese. |
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AnonymousAnonymous
Unemployed Student
Joined: Nov 24, 2006
Age: 18
Posts: 7050
Location: Portland, Oregon
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| Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 2:51 pm Post subject: |
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I love college. I go to a community college in North Portland, 30 minutes from my house.
The average class size is 20 students to 1 professor.
Mid-terms will end the first week of November, so that's a relief.
Although it is very boring trying to make friends.
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AspE
Toucan
Joined: Jan 01, 2008
Posts: 277
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| Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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| An aspie friend of mine is doing college over the internet. He says it's great. |
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chever
'Mud'
Joined: Aug 22, 2008
Age: 20
Posts: 1668
Location: Earth
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| Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Cyanide wrote: | I hate college. I find it to be mundane and unengaging. The people are also really archetypal and boring. Maybe I'm just in the wrong place?
As for group work though, the only class I've had to do that in is Chinese. |
Transfer, maybe.
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Gurath
Blue Jay
Joined: Oct 13, 2008
Age: 18
Posts: 81
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| Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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| I am in my first semester and loving it. I am responsible for my own success and the teachers will give me an assignment and not mentally beat the tar out of me as collateral if someone didn't turn it in, like in highschool. |
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Space
Phoenix
Joined: Apr 03, 2006
Age: 25
Posts: 1769
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| Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 12:51 am Post subject: |
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| Socially, it is sh**. Even worse than high school. Much worse, actually... Academically, it's better. |
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Cyanide
Leader of Shadaloo
Joined: Sep 25, 2006
Posts: 1450
Location: OR
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| Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 1:50 am Post subject: |
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| chever wrote: | | Cyanide wrote: | I hate college. I find it to be mundane and unengaging. The people are also really archetypal and boring. Maybe I'm just in the wrong place?
As for group work though, the only class I've had to do that in is Chinese. |
Transfer, maybe. |
I would, but I would not be able to stand living in a dorm. If single dorms exist, then maybe...
I'm definitely transfering for grad school, though. |
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Frogger11758
Butterfly
Joined: Oct 21, 2008
Age: 19
Posts: 17
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| Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 7:10 pm Post subject: |
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I go to a rather small liberal arts college, so I can only speak to that experience, however:
-My classes have required endless amounts of oral presentations. There are very few classes where it has not been required.
-However, when I speak to the teacher in the beginning of the semester about the fact that a) I have Asperger's, b) I have a fairly strong accent (regional difference based), which can make it difficult to understand me, and c) I have a very obvious, very violent neck tic, I have yet to have a teacher refuse to come up with an alternative way of me making the grade. Whether it's through a powerpoint that runs itself, or a documentary which I write the script for and some one else narrates or just a straight up paper, they're always willing to make an accommodation.
-The benefit of college compared to high school is the presence of a disabilities board. If I have an issue with a teacher not making a proper accommodation, I go to them and they talk to the teacher. If necessary, we have a mediated meeting and work it all out. I haven't yet been to one, but even mentioning that I'm willing to go to them with an issue will usually make a professor change their mind.
-It might help that my school is very Aspie-intensive, (50 out of 2000 students), so most of the professors are relatively knowledgeable about autism and how they can make the classroom a less stressful environment for their students. Looking into this could be a great help when choosing your college. |
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Kirska
Phoenix
Joined: Aug 12, 2008
Age: 22
Posts: 726
Location: Dallas, TX
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| Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Space wrote: | | Socially, it is sh**. Even worse than high school. Much worse, actually... Academically, it's better. |
Ditto to this response.
I despise college social life, and I will be very glad to get out of it soon. It's nothing but who got the most drunk at the most frat/sorority parties the weekend before. I'm a 5th year and I have never even set foot inside a greek house.
But yeah, perhaps one of the best parts of college academically is being able to avoid things (usually) that aren't interesting or useful.
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to you I look no more" |
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networkgeek
Butterfly
Joined: Nov 08, 2008
Age: 32
Posts: 15
Location: Alabama
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| Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 12:51 am Post subject: |
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I had a terrible time in high school but college was better for me. If you are going into a field that really interests you, then you will have classes with people that share your interests. This really helps being able to talk to them in those "in-field" classes you take. And those same people will be taking the regular classes where you are thrown in with everyone like english, history, etc. So if you get in the same class as some of those it helps.
I had almost no one I would call a good friend in high school, but I made several in college with students in my field.
As far as the "college life", I never got into the fraternity stuff, I just went to classes and went home (or to work) |
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