“I assumed university would be like being thrown into the deep end with no support, but it turned out to be the part of my education where I felt more supported than ever!”
When getting ready to start your degree it’s completely normal to feel a mix of excitement and nerves and, as someone with ADHD, I definitely struggled to decipher between the two! Before starting university, my head was filled with doubts, such as whether I would be able to keep up with the workload or how I would cope with coursework deadlines. I assumed university would be like being thrown into the deep end with no support, but it turned out to be the part of my education where I felt more supported than ever! As I come to the end of my third year, I have been no stranger to asking for support throughout my degree, and have ended up with a huge support system at uni. Here is my experience in accessing student support at the University of York with ADHD.
Getting a Student Support Plan (SSP)
Before I’d even set foot on campus, the student support team were in touch to get a plan in place for my ADHD! I hadn’t even been diagnosed yet but, because I was on the waiting list and had received support throughout school and college, I was able to get a SSP. Receiving this support so early on was very reassuring and made me feel valued and understood within the university community from day one, whilst lifting a massive weight off my shoulders regarding assessment stress. My personal support plan includes things such as, but not limited to:
- Staggered deadlines- if all of my assessments are due very close together, for example three pieces of coursework within a week, I can apply for them to be moved apart, for example one piece of coursework due per week instead.
- Extra time- I get 25% longer than other students, for example when I had a four-hour online exam, I had five hours to complete it.
- Occasional extensions- living with ADHD and struggling with time management, if things do not go as I’ve planned during assessment season, I am eligible for the occasional extension.
Knowing that these adjustments were already set up meant I could focus on adapting to the new learning style of university instead of hyperfocusing on my already mentioned worries about falling behind.
Support from your college team
In first year, many students live on campus. Living independently for the first time is a massive step for anyone, but for neurodiverse students it can be especially tricky. During my first year, the college team was amazing at consistently checking in and being there during stressful times when I was struggling with my mental health. Campus East and Campus West each have a dedicated team that oversee and provide wellbeing support for their respective colleges. So it’s great how every student has access to pastoral guidance, college wellbeing events and clinical mental health support led by our Open Door and Wellbeing Team. I’ve benefitted from them all! Also, once in a college at York even after moving off campus, you remain a member of your college, so this support never goes away!
Personal supervisors
When starting a degree at York, everyone is assigned a personal supervisor who stays with you throughout the years of your studies. For me, this has been great as it has allowed me to build a lovely relationship in which I feel supported without having to explain over and over again how my ADHD affects me. My supervisor has supported me through assessment seasons when the deadlines build up and I struggle to process things, creating action plans to break the different things I am balancing (like uni, work, and a social life) into bitesize tasks so everything is dedicated the time it needs to get done, and future planning by listening to my worries about post-graduation life and helping me decide on a career path.
The Open Door team
During my second and third years I also accessed support from the Open Door team, who are the University of York’s dedicated mental health and wellbeing practitioners for students. The self-referral process is completely online and the questions are clear and easy to fill out. For me, I found it quite helpful to fill in as it provided a space to reflect, figure out what I was struggling with and what I wanted to gain from my sessions. My practitioner has helped me to build practical, day-to-day techniques to manage the executive dysfunction and focus struggles that were consistently affecting me, and even helped me adapt them to my life post-graduation.
Final thoughts
If I could give one piece of advice to prospective students, it would be that everyone within the university community will do everything in their power to help you succeed. Taking the first step in admitting you need a hand is often the hardest part, but it is so worth it for the support that is available, and more often than not you only have to reach out to one person and they will point you in the right direction!
Thanks for reading 🙂
Em (she/her)
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