Kyle was terrified when he started university. He wasn’t eating properly, and could hardly talk to his flatmates. The walk to and from campus was almost unbearable, and he could only cope by blocking things out with his iPod. Kyle couldn’t pick up a phone, let alone use one. He spent most of his time alone in his room, and didn’t expect to make any friends. He had never really travelled anywhere on his own.
Now Kyle has held 3 signatory positions in a Student Union (SU) society, had a part-time job in a fast food restaurant (where he has been promoted twice), uses his mobile phone, has made friends, can interact better with people he doesn’t know, has improved his body language, and developed his presentation skills. He has travelled around the UK with the SU society, and even been abroad by himself. He has gained new interests in things he never thought he would. By the start of his final year, Kyle had met his partner, and they moved into a flat together. Kyle graduated in 2015 with a 2:1 degree.
What changed? A combination of things, starting with Kyle’s determination to push himself, and his desire to learn new strategies and to improve his skills and abilities. He also feels he owes a lot to the Disability Team, and to the Disabled Students’ Allowance, for providing him with equipment and human support (including Sue as his mentor).
Kyle says that his mentoring sessions really helped. They enabled him to stay on track with academic work and life, as well as equipping him with knowledge about social skills, body language, etc. which he then tried hard to put into practice. He also benefitted from having a study facilitator. Both these forms of support reduced over time, as Kyle’s independence grew and he needed them less. The mentoring was reduced from weekly to monthly, and the study facilitator stopped altogether.
It’s not all been easy. Kyle has struggled with depression at times, and has not always been able to keep on top of the academic work. Some situations still make him extremely anxious.
Kyle’s advice to prospective students?
‘Take advantage of all the support that’s offered to you – you can always reduce it later. Attend a pre-entry visit, and bring someone who knows what questions to ask (in my case, disability staff from my college). Once you start university, join a SU society, as I found that the easiest way to make friends and increase my confidence.’