Back Olga reflects on her positive experience at UA92, where the university’s student-focused approach, personalised support for disabilities, and one-module-at-a-time structure greatly aided their academic and personal development. After struggling in traditional educational settings, they found a sense of belonging and confidence at UA92, leading to academic success and a hopeful outlook on their future.
UA92 piqued my interest as a university because they are so different. The lack of exams and the emphasis put on supporting their students was a welcome change of pace from other universities that used their reputation and age as their marketing. You could never really tell what a university was going to be like because information was quite vague. UA92 gave me the opportunity to familiarise myself with their style before I ever applied.
I chose the deferred start in January because I wanted a break after going to school nonstop for years. It felt good to have the freedom to give myself time without having to wait until the next academic year. I gave the relevant documentation regarding my ASD, and I was given the option to have a meeting with the disability officer as soon as I started which made me feel comfortable – I knew I’d be in good hands.
I carried a lot of shame with me during my adolescence. I knew I was different, and it was becoming more and more obvious as I progressed through school. I struggled a lot with wondering why I wasn’t like everyone else, why I couldn’t make friends easily, why I said inappropriate things and why I was always annoyed at something, be it tags on my clothes or loud noises and bright lights. I told my mum that I thought I might be autistic after my school had an assembly on it, but the suggestion didn’t go anywhere. I was referred to CAMHS after a series of unfortunate events where I brought up the suggestion once more. In February 2020 I was diagnosed with ASD at 15 years old. Despite finally feeling recognised for my differences, I still tried to fit into a mould that wasn’t meant for me.
I was in the second year of my second college when I realised that I was unhappy with the choices I had made. I was applying for degrees in econometrics and banking and finance, so it came as quite a shock to my friends and family when I found UA92 and decided that even if they didn’t accept me, I would be doing a degree in sports and exercise science. For the first time in a long time, I felt like things were falling into place.
I moved to Manchester two days before my course started. It was hard to adjust. I was in a new city by myself, following a new career path, and I had to make new friends; I left everything behind in London and I had no idea how I was going to traverse this experience. A lot of people go through this when they start university, but it felt so overwhelming that I wasn’t sure I’d make it.
I had a meeting with the disability officer in my first week. She built me a Learning Support Plan (LSP) and guided me through applying for Disabled Student’s Allowance. Everything felt great and I felt confident enough to ask for 1-on-1’s with my teachers to personally tell them about my ASD. I was even offered provisions for my dyslexia and ADHD symptoms despite only being in the process for receiving the latter diagnosis and did not yet have the documentation that proved it. Each LSP is specific for each student and most of the meeting is spent asking you about what you struggle with and how they can help. I never felt like I was being put in a box with everyone else; I felt like an individual. Coming from an institution that didn’t give me the correct provisions until a week before official exams started then continued to fail me, I was excited to be given respect.
Being given so much support made me a lot less stressed during the overall experience and I was able to make friends despite being convinced that I was too socially inept to succeed in that regard. I bonded with my new friends quickly and felt good about my future at UA92.
You only study one module at a time so you can very easily pour your effort into that one topic, rather than spreading yourself thin across 5 or 6. Doing this allowed me to truly understand concepts that were being taught and I was confident that my grades would reflect that. I was often on the edge of failure during my education because there were a lot of subjects to learn at once and my performance in classrooms was irrelevant; everything relied on my exams. I spent hours revising and sacrificing my sleep and social life just to barely pass. Studying here opened my eyes to what I can truly do in life, and I am reaching further now than I ever thought I could.
Because I chose to start in January, the campus cleared out very quickly. After the first two modules, most students were already gone for their summer and the campus became very empty. Having less people around was amazing – the class sizes were smaller, you could voice your questions easier, and you had to wait less at the café!
Overall, my experience so far has been very positive. I am excited for my future, and I no longer feel like I have to hide behind a mask. UA92 is great for somebody like me and the comfort that the staff bring is a true testament to how hard everyone works to make sure the students get equal opportunities.