Life as a college student is frantic. The pressure to achieve high grades, maintain a personal life, and squeeze extracurricular activities into your weeks makes it easy to fall into a funk and become submerged in college life.

But for those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder, this is exponentially more challenging. 

ADHD and Autism, which are classified as neurodevelopmental disorders, affect those diagnosed in their everyday life. From communication and social interactions, to organizational skills, to sensory issues, these struggles can be extremely intense. The combination of these particular disorders with an already stressful college environment brings forth a difficult college experience. 

Growing up with a younger sibling that has both ADHD and Autism created a unique challenge, but also gave me a different perspective on the disorders. It offered me a chance to learn through first-hand experience, how the disorder affects you. Watching him go about and live in a world he didn’t necessarily understand at certain points, taught me how to become a bit more patient and understanding, while also showing me his strength and resilience, especially in times of personal victories he achieved. 

I know from personal experience with my younger brother that he becomes overwhelmed in certain environments and situations. Especially as a child, there were times when certain sounds, the lighting within a room, or the number of people within a space would throw him off, and he would retreat into a corner or anywhere away from the main focal point of the room. 

I can recall a particular instance in which it was the 4th of July and the annual 4th of July holiday parade was going through our neighborhood. Of course, this comes with the entire community gathering along the main road, food, loud music, kids laughing, and in particular, the bringing about of the main attraction, which was the fire trucks. The honking of the fire trucks would send him into a whirlwind in which it would take upwards of 20 minutes to calm him down. 

Now, with that being said, imagine the environment that is a college campus: crowded educational buildings, the hustle and bustle of getting to class, dining halls, and student centers. It can become quite difficult to concentrate to participate in certain activities. College is always looked at as the opportunity to expand socially, make new friends, and network to set up your future. However, with someone with autism, college presents a peculiar challenge. 

Things we may see as simple such as starting and maintaining a conversation could be one of the most difficult things to do for those on the spectrum. And consequently, the process of creating and building new relationships can become a strenuous task due to overthinking, and the worry of saying or doing the wrong thing during social interactions. 

One thing that has helped my brother academically speaking, was breaking his assignments and tasks into smaller pieces and completing them one at a time to avoid the overwhelming feeling some get, especially when completing something that is going to be analyzed and graded. Creating a calendar with multiple reminders of due dates and different tasks he has to complete throughout the day has improved his efficiency in completing his work. 

Be sure to always take breaks when you feel as though you need it, and this isn’t just a message for people with ADHD or Autism, this is something that all could use to their benefit. If it’s something like putting on headphones and listening to music for 15 minutes, or taking a walk outside around campus or your neighborhood. Anything to recharge and reduce the overwhelming feeling that some get, while in large or noisy environments. 

Socially speaking, don’t feel a need to fit in with the rest of the crowd. The term quality over quantity comes to mind. There shouldn’t be a need to make tons of friends to broaden your social footprint. Focus on building more meaningful relationships with people you can organically connect with. There are various groups you can join here at Rowan that assist those with Autism such as PATH, a program that supports the neurodivergent students and alumni in the transition to meaningful employment post-graduation.  

Self-love is also an important part of navigating through college with ADHD and Autism. Don’t be afraid to give yourself a bit of recognition for any personal accomplishments you may have in college. Whether it’s the completion of an assignment, or being proud of yourself for simply just talking to a certain amount of people on a particular day. Be proud of yourself for building a sense of resilience throughout your college years, and even after graduation. 

Navigating college with ADHD and Autism is a difficult thing to do. However, it is an opportunity and a chance for personal growth and experience. Yes, there are different obstacles regarding the overwhelming of your sensory inputs as well as the various difficulties with time management relating to the completion of assignments. But there are outlets and different strategies you can adopt to traverse through the buzzing environment.

Support is vital to having a productive experience. There are different support groups here at Rowan to assist those with neurodevelopmental disorders, like PATH, which is a program designed for neurodivergent students and help them transition to the workforce post-graduation. There is ERG, the Neurodivergent Employee Resource Group, a private community exclusively for neurodivergent faculty and staff. Lastly, there is also the Center for Neurodiversity, which was created and is occupied by neurodivergent students, faculty, and community partners throughout the area. 

For comments/questions about this story DM us on Instagram @thewhitatrowan or email opinion@gmail.com