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Preparing To Transition To University

Written by Cary Hobbs

Disclaimer: this is a personal blog by a BuDS member. The views expressed are personal and don’t necessarily represent those of BuDS or our Trustees.


“Making the change from sixth form or college to university can be quite daunting, especially as it is often the first time you’re moving away from home.

I’ve done first year twice, doing two different courses at two different universities so I’ve got a lot of experience of what did and didn’t work for me when I went to university as an autistic student. Here are my five top tips for things you can do now to start preparing to transition to university.


Tips for preparing to transition to university.
Work out what your personal limits are and try not to fight them.
Try to find an accommodation type that works for you.
Give yourself time to adjust and get familiar with your surroundings.
Check what support is available and get in contact with them.
Find out what sports, societies and extra-curriculars are on offer.

Tip number one: work out what your personal limits are and try not to fight them. 

My first attempt at university didn’t go very well. I was completely burned out after finishing A-Levels, and in hindsight I probably should have taken a year out. I was often up very late trying to get work finished, which just made me more tired and more burned out than before. By the time Covid started to make an appearance, I was ready to leave the course and take the year out that I needed.  

My second attempt at first year has gone much better. I’ve submitted all of my assignments and I’ve started getting my results back. I set myself a rule of not working after 9:15pm because I knew from last time that if I pushed myself to work too late, I’d just keep struggling to keep up for the whole year. 

It will probably take some time to work out exactly what works for you, but working out what does and doesn’t work is really helpful. Set yourself achievable goals to help you stay on track. I have a goal that I want to drink at least 500ml of water each day. Yes, the suggested daily intake is a lot higher, but I know that I can always get at least 500ml so that’s what I aim to do. 


Tip number two: find an accommodation type that works for you.

If you know that noise, or other people affects you, trying to find accommodation that has quiet flats or studio options may be helpful. 

During my first attempt at uni, I was in a room right above the kitchen in a flat of people that very much enjoyed playing very loud music until late at night and early in the morning. This led to many a late-night sensory overload and messages being sent asking them to turn the music down. 

I’ve just finished my second attempt at first year and I was in a quiet block in the room furthest from the kitchen, and I had no problems there at all. One of my friends ended up moving to a studio flat where they could have their own space and that worked well for them. Having an accommodation that meets your needs is really important, so try to talk to your university about what can be done to help you. 

If you find that things aren’t working out for you when you get there, then do try and talk to someone. It might help to find out who you should contact before you get there to help reduce some of that stress. There should be an accommodation support team who can help you with problems and may be able to help you arrange a change of room. There may also be a team of students from older years who host events and offer extra support so they may be able to help you too. 


Tip number three: give yourself time to adjust and get familiar with your surroundings. 

I know that I take a bit of time to adjust to new places and new routines. So, when it came to choosing when to move in for my second attempt, I chose one of the earliest days so that I would have time to adjust to my new room before my university welcome week started. This meant that I was only having to get used to one thing at a time. It also had the added bonus of being able to get the best cupboards and fridge/freezer shelves! 

I then used the week that I moved in to get familiar with the city and the campus so that I knew where to go. I know that I tend to get quite anxious about arriving late to places, so I walked to different buildings from my accommodation and timed how long it took me to get there. I struggle a lot with time blindness and not knowing how long things take, so this really helped me.

If you can’t move in early, then you could also try visiting your university during the summer and have a look around then. If you know you will be using public transport to visit home during term-time, it may help to practice this with someone familiar too so that you know what to do.

Depending on your university, you may have a mixture of in-person and online lectures. When I go to my in-person lectures I make sure I always wear my Cambridge Mask which helps keep me safe. When possible, I also like to get to my lectures early so I can choose a seat where I’m unlikely to be close to people I don’t know. Covid can be a really big unpredictable factor and it caused me a lot of anxiety at various points of the year, but doing what I could to keep myself safe helped me a lot. 


Tip number four: have a look at what support is available and get in contact with people who can help. 

Universities generally have a wellbeing service or student support centre. At my university, I have a student support plan which means that the staff know how to help me in day-to-day university tasks. My university also had an amazing summer school for students who were worried about the transition to university, so have a look for things like that too. 

Each university will have something slightly different, so it’s worth looking up what student support is on offer and introduce yourself. If you put any disabilities on your UCAS application form to the university, they may already know that you’ll need extra support. 

Universities often also offer support in maths and English skills, and often have librarians who can help you work out what books and resources could help you for your assignments. You may also get a personal tutor who is someone you can talk to if you need support with your course. 

Remember, they are all there to help you, and they want you to succeed. But you also need to remember that they aren’t mind-readers! If you need something, make sure that you or someone who knows you tells them so that you can get the help you need and deserve. 


Tip number five: find out how you can get involved! 

You’ve probably heard this a lot of times already at university open days, school talks, and even through your own research, but societies, sports and other extra-curriculars are great ways to make friends and try new things in a safe place. 

Have a look at your university students union website and have a look at societies you might want to join. Most universities will have a Fresher’s Fair where all of the societies and sports clubs are there for you to talk to and sign up. 

Some universities have a quiet hour, so have a look out for that if you need it. If the thought of going into a big room full of people fills you with dread (it definitely scared me the first time), you can generally talk to the people who run the societies on social media or by registering your interest online. Student wellbeing or support may also be able to support you with signing up to things, so you could try talking to them too. 

This might be difficult during Covid, but there are still things you can do. I got involved as a course rep and I joined various of the campaign groups at my university which helped me meet some amazing people and do fun things in a Covid-safe way. You can ask your societies to do Covid-safe events like picnics outside or online game nights. 


Bonus tip: it’s okay if you’re nervous! 

I know it can be difficult transitioning to university – I’ve done it twice now and although it gets easier, it can still be scary. Do your best and make sure that people around you know what they can do to help. Take a deep breath, and good luck!”