There can be lots to think about when transitioning to university. This can be both course related, for example how your learning needs can be met and non-course related, for example new social experiences or living independently.
If you have difficulties or differences that may affect your ability to manage in course or non-course related areas, then we recommend that you contact the university that you are to attend before your start date. You can usually find information about University Student Support and Disability or Special Educational Needs on the university webpage.
You may find it helpful to:
- ·Share information about yourself, your strengths, communication preferences and learning needs.
- Share your one-page profile or support passport if you have one.
- Talk about the support that you find helpful and how you, and your university can work together to meet your needs / make reasonable adjustments. These could be course related for example lecture notes being made available in advance or using audio equipment to record lectures or non-course related for example opportunities to spend time on the university campus or at the university accommodation to orientate yourself before the term starts, for example in the holidays. You may also want to find out more about adapted social activities such as alternative Fresher's or Welcome Week and different opportunities to meet with peers and develop a social network.
It can also be useful to think about the skills needed to live independently, for example budgeting, meal planning and preparation, laundry and so on, and to practice these skills. For example, practising meal planning at home by choosing your meals and snacks for 1 week, writing a shopping list, buying the items that you need, safely storing these, preparing the snacks / meals, washing up and tidying away or using the washing machine, drying your laundry and putting away. Once you have an idea about which bits are challenging for you, you can work to get better at them. Backward chaining is a good way to develop new skills with the support of the people around you.
Other things that may be helpful include thinking about strategies that you currently use to manage your everyday experiences. It may be helpful to think about these with someone you know well.
For example:
- Different ways to ask for help if you need it. You may want to think about how you feel most comfortable doing this for example you could speak to a lecturer at the end of session, email student support or contact someone you trust to think about what you could do next.
- Recognising the demands of everyday activities and interactions and ensuring that you have enough social energy / recovery time to manage these day-by-day and week-by-week. More information about social energy can be found here: LINK to ADYSS social energy
- How you could plan for something that you have not done before such as using public transport or taking a new route. You might want to practise the journey from home to university and university to home before term starts.
- Thinking about how you experience your sensory environment and strategies that you may find useful if you were to feel overwhelmed.
