u/misss_americana

My sister and I, who have been fans of the show since 2015, have a running phrase every-time we rewatch that Monty’s always on the right side of each situation and the most genuinely compassionate character 😂 But seriously though has he ever had a serious fuck-up? We could be wrong!

Can any other autistic women, specifically younger college-aged women relate to this?

I'm a 20 year old college student double majoring in psychology and philosophy. I love learning and filling my schedule with classes, studying, and even sometimes sitting in on classes I am not even enrolled in simply because I just love the pursuit of knowledge. I have constantly strived for good grades and a 4.0 GPA, and it's (unhealthily) something I put an immense amount of pressure on myself to maintain. I also love class discussions and talking with peers in class contexts to hear their opinions and engage academically. I just love being in an environment where I can learn, learn, learn! Furthermore, I also spread myself pretty thin with extracurriculars. I intern at a local community center, volunteer at a men's prison, and work as a research assistant in 2 psychology labs on my campus. I really just love being busy, and like pursuing activities that make me feel like I am learning, growing, and bettering myself as a person. I used to be incredibly socially awkward and shy, but I force myself to participate in class and in extracurriculars, and I've become great at working with and talking to people. And I really love being around people, just listening to others, studying people's behaviors, people-watching, etc.

The catch is that I don’t have friends. Yet I strangely do not find myself wanting or yearning for friendship. Because of this, I don't make any real meaningful effort to make friends. The times I have tried in the past did not really work out, because I appeared quite eager and overly enthusiastic, which I think scared people off a bit. I have acquaintances in my extracurriculars and will form a "study buddy" every once in a while in class, but these have never panned out outside of school or work. Yet, I have never truly felt like this has been a major loss. I find myself in many social contexts and environments constantly, with an ability to connect with others and talk, but the bonds I form with people tend to just be surface-level and never go any deeper. I find it is difficult for me to go beyond the surface-level of my life and open up to others, which may be what is impairing me from forming them. Yet despite this problem, I have never felt truly like I am missing out on these types of friendships. I am not sure if this is an unhealthy way to think, and if I should be wanting these relationships. I feel sort of just content and fulfilled with the people in my life now, even if we aren't best friends. Is this an unhealthy mindset?

My parents have been the major support system in my life, and were the ones who set me up with a therapist during the pandemic when I was a teen, and support my decision to be tested and eventually diagnosed for autism. They have been nothing but supportive, have helped me my entire life, and I feel like my healthy relationship with them is my rock that keeps me grounded.

I've never had a boyfriend though, and I find that this is the relationship I do yearn for and want badly. I am very shy around guys my age and my self-esteem dips low when I am near them, which is something I need to work on. I think I have also missed a few opportunities when they presented themselves where a guy maybe liked me, but I was too shy and awkward to see the signs, and could not fathom a guy ever liking me.

Can any other autistic/audhd girls relate to this sort of life? Does anyone else find themselves not really seeking out friendships? Is this something I need to work on, and if so, how should I work toward wanting to let friends into my life?

Does anyone have any experience living at southview terrace, a little further down from the hilltop apartments? I might be signing a lease there soon for the upcoming school year.

I’m currently trying to decide which sort of role I can take on this upcoming year that will be more valuable and meaningful for my future graduate career. I want to either get a masters or PhD in child psychology and hopefully become a child psychiatrist/therapist/psychologist. Should I focus on working as a research assistant in a psych lab, or look into an internship/field study role? Which one would stand out more in graduate admissions?

Anyone here have any prior experience taking PSYC193? What was the workload like, how demanding was it? What kind of internship/field experience did you do or can you do if you take this? Any insight would be helpful, there is almost no information about it. Thanks!

How doable is a course load of being a research assistant in 2 different labs, plus 3 upper div classes? Has anyone ever done this, and if so how did you survive?

Is it easier to look for a single bedroom off campus in a housing group with friends, or just by myself? I’m starting to look for a single bedroom off campus, I don’t really have a preference for type of house or if I live with other students or not, but not sure if I’d have better luck forming a larger group with friends to look for a house, or just apply on my own. Any thoughts/personal experience of when you applied either alone or with others? Thanks