by Paige Bishop
College life can be challenging for anyone, but for those who are neurodivergent, the hurdles of higher education tend to be harder to navigate.
Reports suggest as many as 66% of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) leave the education system within two years of finishing high school. So it is important to carefully consider where to attend college. Research the best colleges for neurodivergent students as well as any that offer grants specific to your needs.
Once accepted to college, one of the largest challenges neurodivergent students face is being able to study. Whether because of issues with concentration, distracting environments, or how a module is taught, barriers to learning can make life tough.
In this short guide, we provide tips to alleviate these issues. We break down the most common pain points and suggest actionable strategies to conquer different aspects of studying when you are neurodivergent. Keep these handy study tips in mind to optimize your time spent learning.
Carefully Choose Your Classes
Picking the right modules is a huge factor in not only enjoying your course but staying fully engaged.
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Look to see what adaptations individual courses make for those who are neurodivergent.
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Reach out to educators beforehand to ask for a detailed breakdown of the full course syllabus.
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Pick something that you know you’re going to be invested in for a long time.
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Consider how your classes might impact your future career if you already know what field you want to work in.
Create an Effective Study Area
A cluttered or noisy study environment can negatively impact how efficiently you absorb information. Keep the following in mind when picking the perfect study area:
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Remove excess mess or clutter from the area.
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Remove anything from your study area that might distract you.
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Make sure you feel comfortable in your space. Your mind needs to be able to relax.
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Only use the area for studying, so your mind associates it with learning.
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If it helps, use a white noise machine to help keep you focused.
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Include a visual timetable in the area to make sure you’re keeping on track.
Make Efficient Use of Your Study Time
Optimize the time you spend reading and studying to get the most out of these periods. Here’s some advice on how to achieve that:
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Create a detailed study schedule to ensure that you’re balancing time across different subjects.
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Spend more time studying things that you find tougher to understand.
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Play to your learning strengths. If you work better with visual information, try cue cards. If you’re an auditory learner, try listening to podcasts or YouTube videos on your chosen subject.
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Orally “explaining” things out loud is a good way of cementing your learning. Pretend you’re talking to someone else about a subject to reinforce the information and evaluate how well you understand it.
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Make sure to take brain breaks. Failing to do so could make learning tougher, as you’ll feel fatigued.
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Don’t be afraid to stim if it helps you concentrate while working.
Studying with neurodiversity can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to derail your college experience.
Employ these tips, and you will be on your way to college success.
