Starting university can be an exciting time – but if you’re neurodivergent, it can be a little more challenging. You may feel nervous being away from home or worried about making friends, but Braw’s handy guide to surviving freshers (the neurodivergent way) is here.
There’s no sugarcoating it. Move-in day is stressful – even if you’re neurotypical. There’s so much to do, and so many people you’ll encounter. But at Stirling the move-in team is very helpful, and accommodation support is 24/7. You’ll normally collect your keys from some very friendly volunteers who will help show you to your room if needed. Your flatmates may already have moved in, or you may be first there. If you’re the first to arrive, you can take this time to explore your new flat and get used to where everything is.
You may want to pack some things from home to keep you company; maybe a stuffed animal, or a picture you particularly like. Most importantly, decorate your room the way you want to. Don’t feel pressure to make it the way you think a uni room has to look. Do it for yourself. This is where you’ll be staying for the year.
There’s no pressure to party
There’s undeniable pressure to meet people during the first week of uni. Going out drinking, partying, going to society give-it-a-goes. While there are so many ways to meet people, only do it when you’re comfortable. It’s good to get out there but you will always find your group or friends when you’re ready to – many people at Brig only started writing in their second, third, or fourth year and found their group here. Do not pressure yourself to act a certain way to ‘impress’ people or drink because they tell you to.
It is also a good idea to look into DSA student funding & amp; any additional support the university offers to get this in place as it may take a while to be processed. The uni offers free One At A Time counselling, but for those with more complex conditions, this may not be suitable as it only focuses on one issue or worry per session. However, there are more specialist support workers available for those funded by DSA. It’s also important to get an ARRUA if you’re entitled to it, as this will give you the ability to request extensions if needed and inform the tutors about any support you’ll need in class.
You can read more of Brig’s advice for neurodivergent people here.
The National Autistic Society provides further information on topics in this article, which you can read here.
Featured Image Credit: Pexels.com
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Arts Editor 24/25
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