University

Survival guides for navigating accessibility in university.

The single most important thing you can learn in university: the difference between being bad at something and that thing being inaccessible to you. This distinction will shape your decisions during crucial developmental years and affect how you see your own abilities.

If your current university is genuinely incompatible with your needs, consider transferring to the University of Washington Seattle—they’re famously strong in accessibility.

What’s Normal for Neurodivergent Students

From an economist’s perspective, these are normal and acceptable choices:

✓ Taking longer to graduate
✓ Changing your major
✓ Not doing honours
✓ Having student debt

However: The majors you pick and early jobs you list on your resume set signaling mechanisms for your entire career. Neurodivergent Upgrade helps you navigate these transitions strategically, so alternative timing doesn’t get misread as lack of ability.

Self-Advocacy & Accommodations

Learn to recognize and request what you need.

Self-Advocating

Asking for what you need in academic settings

  • University Self-Advocating - Strategies for requesting accommodations, navigating disability services, and advocating effectively with professors and administrators.

Accommodations

What to request and how

  • University Accommodations - Common accommodations for neurodivergent students, how to get them approved, and when to disclose.

What is Respect

Recognizing healthy vs. hostile academic environments

  • University Respect - Understanding what respectful treatment looks like in academic contexts and identifying when you’re experiencing discrimination vs. high standards.

Academic Work & Coursework

Practical strategies for different types of assignments and courses.

Picking Classes

Strategic course selection

  • Picking Classes - How to choose courses that match your cognitive strengths, avoid overload, and build toward your goals.

Testing

Exam strategies and accommodations

  • Testing - Test-taking strategies, managing exam anxiety, and using testing accommodations effectively.

Essays

Writing academic papers

  • Essays - Breaking down essay writing into manageable steps, managing perfectionism, and meeting academic writing standards.

Labs

Navigating laboratory courses

  • Labs - Strategies for lab courses, including managing sensory overload, following procedures, and working with lab partners.

Class Projects

Group work and project management

  • Class Projects - Surviving group projects, managing time, and navigating team dynamics.

Technical & Research Skills

Specialized support for technical coursework and research.

Coding

Programming and computer science courses

  • Coding - Strategies for learning to code, debugging, managing frustration, and succeeding in CS courses.

Models

Working with mathematical and statistical models

  • Models - Understanding and building models in economics, statistics, and sciences.

Research

Undergraduate research opportunities

  • Research - Getting involved in research, working with faculty, and building research skills.

Social & Professional Life

Managing the non-academic parts of university.

Roommates

Navigating shared living spaces

  • Roommates - Setting boundaries, managing conflicts, and protecting your sensory and emotional needs in shared housing.

Professionalism

Understanding academic professional norms

  • University Professionalism - Navigating the hidden curriculum of academic professionalism, including email etiquette, office hours, and building relationships with faculty.

Planning Ahead

Graduate School

Deciding whether to pursue advanced degrees

  • Graduate School - Assessing whether grad school makes sense for your goals, what programs to consider, and how to prepare applications.

Remember: Neurodivergent Upgrade exists to help you make choices that work for your brain and your future—not to make you fit a neurotypical timeline.