how i do school while autistic and mentally ill
im not gonna lie it gets hard sometimes but im pretty good about things and get good grades so i must be doing something right
- keep your hands busy during lectures: i have a really hard time just sitting and listening to lectures, ill just zone out if im not doing anything.
so take notes by hand if you can! even if i never look at them again, it helps me stay engaged
stim toys, brainless app games, knitting/crochet, all these things can be helpful to me to not zone out during lectures i dont need to take notes in, or like if ive already taken notes on what the lecture is about. (i also tend to browse ebay sometimes but it takes more focus away from the lecture so i wouldn't recommend it as much)
- do all the homework and practice you can: really listen to your brain and body and if youre not in a great way, just do a bit, but if its a good day really crack down
in general while doing homework i like to play white noise (asoftmurmur.com is my site of choice) and lyric-less music (any of the beats to study to streams on youtube work for me)
on bad days i like to use the pomodoro technique to force myself to work/study at least a bit to do what i Need to get done (i use tomato-timer.com) i try to work as much as i can for 25 minutes and then ill do a 5-10 minute break to browse tumblr or do whatever my brain would rather be doing, then back to work until the Necessary work is done
on good days do as much as you can. its tempting for me to use the good brain energy to work on personal projects, but really if my brain is good for focusing, i will just buckle down for several hours doing homework earlier than its due, studying and doing non-necessary practice problems, actually reading my textbooks. on these days its good to do more than you need to, and it also helps make up for the days when you can only do bare minimum
- keeping a schedule/planner can be good: i find it hard to remember dates and times so i write them down when i find them out. ill even write down in my planner my class times and room numbers incase i forget. if you have trouble finding time to eat or do homework try to plan them out too. it helps me remember club meetings, homework due dates, and i mark them off when im done for a sense of accomplishment.
overall dont be afraid to take time for yourself if you need it, try to keep a schedule and routine, take advantage of good brain days, and dont be afraid to do things weirdly if it helps you.
anyways just my 2 cents, everyones different so this may not work at all for you idk
