The Graduate

On the morning of Thursday 22nd November 2012, I achieved something which has been the biggest goal that I have tried to achieve in my lifetime to date.

I’ve graduated from a BA (Hons) degree course in Sports Journalism at Southampton Solent University and by doing so, escaped from a four-year hold of mental distress and ill feeling that made me look at my life in a completely different way to how I seen things before I began studying.

Sure, the classification of the qualification which I ended my time at university with is something that I still feel odd about, but I can now appreciate that I have gone a long way along my own personal journey by living independently, making friends and studying.

A degree of happiness

Readers of My Autistic Life, I have been insolent of late and have failed to write any new articles for two months and a day. I apologize, but I have good reason for doing so and I hope you will agree too.

I have reached a degree of happiness in completing an actual degree course at Southampton Solent University.

A BA (Hons) Sports Journalism degree. A chance to wear a mortar board and a gown will hopefully come along at a later point in 2012 if I get the marks that I require to pass the course and graduate, but I have worked incredibly hard for the last couple of months to get all of my assignments completed.

Moving into the friend zone

By trying to gain a better education by studying at university for almost four years, it feels quite ironic that one of the strongest lessons which I have learned is in the art of friendship.

Making friends and then maintaining any sort of relationship is something that I have always struggled with.

Not being alone as it isn’t uncommon for somebody with autism to have poor communication skills, this lack of being able to interact with others is something which is felt by many.

‘Striving as an autistic student’ – An article written by myself for Sonar Magazine

- In an article written for the Southampton Solent University Student Union magazine that is produced monthly during term-time, I decided it would be good to share my experiences for a source which could inspire other students in my situation:

As a student at Southampton Solent University who is 24 and still finds himself in full time education, it could be considered by an outsider with limited knowledge of another person’s situation that periods of time have been wasted by merely sitting back whilst opportunities to earn valuable experience in any area of work has constantly evaded them.

This would be an understandable thought because life is often about grasping chances when they come along which may change any career for either good or bad reasons, though there are also people who blossom slower than others for circumstances beyond their control.