My experience as a neurodivergent student at Falmouth

This article was written by Illustration BA(Hons) student Sage.

In this blog, I’m going to talk a bit about my experience being a neurodivergent student at Falmouth Uni! I was so anxious thinking about living on my own at uni, as everyone is, but I think being neurodivergent can make this experience a bit different. It was definitely much easier for me than I expected!

A big worry of mine was socialising & fitting in and a big part of this for me was accommodation. Most people move in around the same time, so you get to meet a lot of people early on and you sort of naturally end up hanging out with flatmates when you're cooking etc. Most flats and accommodations make a group chat too. There are lots of flat parties etc. around the beginning of the year and events in town, like in the Cornish Bank (for example, gigs - some are free! Or they're quite cheap).

If parties aren’t your scene, there are also lots of societies (more info here), so you could meet people with similar interests to you! I really recommend going to the Freshers' Fair for that. There are also a bunch of little introductory events that you can usually see listed on the Students' Union website. You meet a lot of people through your course too, especially in the first lessons. When you start the course, they do a couple of big introductory sessions where you talk to people and do group activities. There are also group projects, so you definitely get to know people!

I found wandering around the Falmouth Campus for a while great for helping me feel settled - it's SUCH a lovely nature-filled campus (and there are adorable visiting cats too!).

It's also just really nice to wander around Falmouth, whether it's with people or on your own. Getting to know my surroundings a bit better and developing little routines definitely helped me feel settled-in quicker than I expected! I really do love Falmouth (when it's not raining haha), it is small but I still really love living here 2 years in. I think it depends what kind of person you are, personally I love charity shops, nature, walks & going to gigs and I really like the local cinema (they have a great membership card).

One thing I was thinking about before going to uni was accessibility and support. I've been really happy with my experience here at Falmouth! Everyone is really understanding and helpful. The Accessibility & Inclusive Learning Team sent us a screening test before we arrived, then they helped me get an ADHD assessment (the Uni paid me back for this), which I then used to apply for DSA, so I can get support from the government in my studies (such as software and equipment etc). They also set me up an Individual Learning Plan. The main things I have are, adjusted deadlines (so I can always submit work later if I've had difficulty meeting the deadline), extra time in exams and permission to leave class early if I feel overwhelmed without explaining. I also have a Mentor and s study skills tutor! It very much depends on you as an individual as to your accommodation, I'd definitely recommend emailing the Accessibility & Inclusive Learning Team team on accessibility@fxplus.ac.uk - I've found them really helpful! - or check out the info here (there's more info on accommodation here). The Uni also has free counselling and mental health support, there's more info on that here.

As for everyday life, I think establishing a routine helps a lot. It can be easy to get into the habit of not going out much etc. when you have so much going on, but I've found it really helps to establish a good routine with sleep and going out somewhere to work instead of at home. Whether it be on-campus, a cafe or even Wetherspoons (they have £1.45 infinite coffee haha!) and as I said above, I really can't recommend the Uni's accessibility support enough! They’ve been such a big part of helping me through rough patches and some of my friends!