The Student Room Group

Living in Halls with Asperger's

As the title says, I have asperger's syndrome and have applied to live in Halls. Will there be any particular challenges that I will face because of my disability?
I also am planning to tell everyone in my block that I have asperger's once everyone has moved in, just so they know and know that they can ask me any questions they need (I'm very open with talking about my disability). Is this a good idea?
Original post by mollyjm
As the title says, I have asperger's syndrome and have applied to live in Halls. Will there be any particular challenges that I will face because of my disability?
I also am planning to tell everyone in my block that I have asperger's once everyone has moved in, just so they know and know that they can ask me any questions they need (I'm very open with talking about my disability). Is this a good idea?


It's up to you whether you tell people. Generally speaking, (I was diagnosed post-uni and it was why I dropped out) I find many people are judgmental about it.

As for challenges - probably different for me because I wasn't diagnosed. But I couldn't deal with the social side of uni at all. I can't stand loud noise or the large social groups either.
Reply 2
Its fine people won't think any different of you.
Reply 3
Original post by Tiger Rag
It's up to you whether you tell people. Generally speaking, (I was diagnosed post-uni and it was why I dropped out) I find many people are judgmental about it.

As for challenges - probably different for me because I wasn't diagnosed. But I couldn't deal with the social side of uni at all. I can't stand loud noise or the large social groups either.


I hate loud, busy, rowdy, drunk people. It hurts my ears a lot so I plan to avoid the going out clubbing thing. I just hope that by telling folk they'll be more respectful and keep the rowdy drunkeness outside the block!
Original post by mollyjm
I hate loud, busy, rowdy, drunk people. It hurts my ears a lot so I plan to avoid the going out clubbing thing. I just hope that by telling folk they'll be more respectful and keep the rowdy drunkeness outside the block!


If you can request quiet halls, do so. Otherwise it will be totally unpredictable what sort of environment you get- whether you have quiet or loud flatmates, respectful flatmates or ones who ignore any requests to be quieter.
I wouldn’t bring it up straight away, if at all, just say clubbing isn’t really your thing, prefer pubs etc.

(I got through Uni without mentioning it to anyone)
Original post by mollyjm
I hate loud, busy, rowdy, drunk people. It hurts my ears a lot so I plan to avoid the going out clubbing thing. I just hope that by telling folk they'll be more respectful and keep the rowdy drunkeness outside the block!


You're not gonna make friends by being completely unreasonable, asperger's or not. You can't ban everyone in the block from making noise or drinking, just because you don't like it.

I've got a very loud snorer in the next room. I don't mind him snoring as long as he doesn't mind me going into his room and poke him to make him turn over which stop his snoring long enough so I can nod off. The dude is cool about it so we're all happy.

Happiness is learning to compromise with people who are different to you. If you're unwilling to do that, you'd need to live somewhere else, like in an quiet block (if the uni have one).
Reply 7
Original post by jelly1000
If you can request quiet halls, do so. Otherwise it will be totally unpredictable what sort of environment you get- whether you have quiet or loud flatmates, respectful flatmates or ones who ignore any requests to be quieter.


It said on the application that I'd be given a questionnaire to fill in about my exact preferences. I haven't yet been given this questionnaire but I expect to receive it around April
Reply 8
Original post by ThePricklyOne
You're not gonna make friends by being completely unreasonable, asperger's or not. You can't ban everyone in the block from making noise or drinking, just because you don't like it.

I've got a very loud snorer in the next room. I don't mind him snoring as long as he doesn't mind me going into his room and poke him to make him turn over which stop his snoring long enough so I can nod off. The dude is cool about it so we're all happy.

Happiness is learning to compromise with people who are different to you. If you're unwilling to do that, you'd need to live somewhere else, like in an quiet block (if the uni have one).

I'm not trying to be unreasonable, or ban folk from drinking or making noise because I don't like it. I'm not saying that I won't allow anyone to make noise because I simply can't do that, that's not right of me, that's not fair of me. I'm fine with folk making noise and drinking. I drink too. What I was trying to say is that I hope people will be a bit more respectful and not go overboard with unnecessary noise, such as shouting and smashing stuff.
And it's less a matter of me 'not liking it', it's that I struggle to actually process it all which results in sensory related problems and panic attacks.
Many universities do have a quiet block and you could reasonably request a place in one as a reasonable adjustment for your disability.

Which University btw and what course?
Reply 10
Original post by TheMoreILearn...
Many universities do have a quiet block and you could reasonably request a place in one as a reasonable adjustment for your disability.

Which University btw and what course?

Sheffield hallam, and illustration
The thing is, I don't want to be put in a different place to other people, that's why I posted this in the first place to see how to make living in Halls a bit easier for me, I've always been isolated from everyone and I want a chance to better integrate with people. I understand based on some replies that people may not respect my difficulties, but that's what I want to know how to deal with, without separating myself
Original post by mollyjm
I'm not trying to be unreasonable, or ban folk from drinking or making noise because I don't like it. I'm not saying that I won't allow anyone to make noise because I simply can't do that, that's not right of me, that's not fair of me. I'm fine with folk making noise and drinking. I drink too. What I was trying to say is that I hope people will be a bit more respectful and not go overboard with unnecessary noise, such as shouting and smashing stuff.
And it's less a matter of me 'not liking it', it's that I struggle to actually process it all which results in sensory related problems and panic attacks.


I work in an office with autistic/aspergers guys in a noisy open plan office. The autistic/aspergers guys are in the quietest part of the office. If you live in halls, living with quiet roommates can't be guaranteed.

In halls most people won't be shouting or smashing up stuff, but they can get a bit noisy when they return from a night out or they're partying in the common areas. The folks in my block tend to be a mixture of noisy and quiet, but low noise level can go up/down as different people move in/out during the year. This will make things difficult for you if the quiet people move out and loud people move in.

I think you might want to explore moving to a quiet block or in a block with other autism/aspergers students.

Appreciate that like my colleagues, you can't change what you are, but you can, like them, find a way of living with a noisy world - and succeed.
I think it is very important to be opened up your problems/difficulties. I found it made dealing with them easier. I tell my co-workers and class-mates about having anxiety and sort of PTSD. I explained how it effects me and it was much easier to deal with it and for them to deal with me when I had those episodes. I mean when people understand your side and know what to do it makes it easier to be around you and it will help both sides in any case.
If you explain how asperger's effects you, and what to expect from you if they come back loud and drunk from a party and you'd be mad at them or something, if they know you may react a certain way it'd be easier for them to deal with you if you do react.... I hope you understand what I mean...
Original post by mollyjm
As the title says, I have asperger's syndrome and have applied to live in Halls. Will there be any particular challenges that I will face because of my disability?
I also am planning to tell everyone in my block that I have asperger's once everyone has moved in, just so they know and know that they can ask me any questions they need (I'm very open with talking about my disability). Is this a good idea?


I have Asperger's too, and I'm in my second year of living in uni halls.

I probably wouldn't tell everyone in your block that you've got it, mainly because the chances are that you'll rarely encounter many other people outside your flat/corridor, let alone get the chance to explain to them about your AS. I think it would be better to wait until you've met all of your flatmates and got to know them a bit, and if you feel comfortable with them, explain to them that you find things like loud noise, lots of people etc difficult to cope with, and that you'd appreciate them taking this into consideration.

A couple of challenges that I've personally faced are loud noise coming from my nextdoor neighbours, typically music, movies and loud talking/giggling which can last all night sometimes. Occasionally it does get too much to deal with, if I have a test the next day for example, and I get emotional/angry (though no one knows that), but using earplugs and generally getting used to the noise has helped. A lot of universities will also have a team of people called something along the lines of student halls representatives, who you can get in touch with if you're finding things difficult to cope with and are being unnecessarily disturbed.

Frequent fire alarms are another aspect of halls life. Obviously, fire alarms caused by carelessness etc can't be anticipated, but it's possible that you may be able to request an email in advance of planned fire drills, so that not all of them will be unexpected.

I hope that helps :smile:

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