First day back in school

[AspieFocus]

Hi. I went to my first college class this summer, and I started having a panic attack even before I got into the class room. When I finally got in, I started pouring sweat and shaking for about an hour and some change, during the entire lecture. I just couldn't control myself, and I felt extremely embarrassed about how I must have looked, covered in sweat, shaking, and looking totally out of control. So, as soon as I came home, I tried to find a forum to talk about this, and found this forum. If you have any ideas about what to do to make this better, please let me know.

 

[IContainMultitudes]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

I had some similar experiences when I first started college. My solution to that was usually to just go find a bathroom stall or somewhere else semi-private, take some good deep breaths, maybe cry a little if necessary. I don't think I got my first mp3 player until about a year or two after that, but I had had one, I probably would have listened to some soothing music on it, something I frequently do now when I feel a little stressed.

I don't know a whole lot about your situation, but I can't help but think that if you're finding college that stressful, maybe you should question whether or not you really want to be there in the first place. When I first went, I wasn't really well-prepared for it and I ended up dropping out for a while before going back a few years later when I was better prepared for it. Or, of course, maybe this is just kind of a new situation that will take a little time for you to adjust to.

 

[Droopy]

Are you receiving any kind of support or classroom assistance at your college? Are there any support groups that you could join? It may be worth trying. Hopefully your anxiety will decrease as you adjust to being back at college.

 

[Pedro]

Hey, AspieFocus. How is it going so far?
I think people could help you a little better if you were more precise about what triggers your panic attack. Is it the new classroom/environment/people?
I've graduated in Law and Business Administration. Those took nine years in total. From my experience, I can tell a few things.
1 - First days in school can be a pain, but the truth is everything is the same. You get to know new cool people and new a-holes. By now, you should be mature enough to not get bullied by the latter or let them get on your nerves.
2 - Most people are too concerned about themselves to pay attention to other people. Most people never noticed you broke a sweat.
3 - Neurotypicals also get insecure about themselves. Some are probably having some of your issues.
4 - Something that always helps is to pay attention to the hotties. I don't know if you're a guy, but you get the point.
5 - I think the most important thing you should realize is: nothing is as terrible as fears. I guarantee you nothing can go as terrible as you might think.

I reckon you should think about what you want to accomplish in college. It would be much more productive to focus on the subjects. What's gonna be your major?

 

[juffur]

Here is my unofficial college survival guide for aspies! I have had a lot of experience in this department..

1. Walk to class 15mins after classes get out or 30mins before it starts. This means the amount of students walking on campus will be limited and thus limit anxiety.

2. Arrive to class early enough to get a good seat. For me it's usually in the back of the room or near the door. (In the back you can wait for the class to empty before leaving, and near the door you're the first one out and avoid the crowd!)

3. Find quiet areas on campus and use them to walk between classes and other stuff you are doing. I developed a routine for how I walked to class to avoid people.

4. Find a quiet area on campus you can hide. For me this was the library or faculty bathroom (they didnt know I used it! haha)

5. If you have a lot of anxiety from speaking in class, email the professor before it starts, and let him/her know.. This will prevent him/her from calling on you in class.

6. If you drive to campus, avoid the main parking area. Walking a little extra distance is better than dealing with the anxiety of people fighting over parking spots..

7. If possible, take the online version of the class.

8. Act antisocial during the first week of class and everyone will leave you alone and not talk to you.. (if you want that sort of thing).

9. If you have to take a class such as speech, email all of the professors who are teaching it to see their reactions to your disorder.. Then pick the best one accordingly.

10. Bring a few key essentials to help with the sweat.. Such as tissue paper and such. If it's really bad, just leave the class and go to the bathroom. Clean yourself up and come back. That will also help reduce anxiety.

11. Don't eat lunch on campus... I used to drive 10-15mins away to get lunch. Avoids a massive crowd of people.

12. This one could get you in trouble.. Observe which classes are empty and use them as your own personal room to relax. I do this at my current college for studying, and it works great.. but I also work on campus now so I have an excuse to be in rooms.

 

[AspieFocus]

Hi, apologies for the tardiness of my reply. I'm going to be a Liberal Studies with concentrations in History and Psychology, and I was thinking of maybe going for more stuff related to History. However, I'm getting mighty sick and tired of school, and I'd just like to start working. I've only got one more year (thank God!), and then I'm out of there.