Queer and Weird

Over the course of this semester I have been working with a group on campus that deal with mental health issues. With this group, I have learned a few tips to reduce stress, and thought I would share them with you since finals week is upon us. 1. Sleep Well I know this is hard to do in college, but it is important. The recommended amount of sleep for college students is 7-9 hours. Sleeping well helps you focus on studying or on a test. 2. Eat Healthy Speaking as a college student, I know that buying pizza every weekend is tempting because it is easy. But this is not good for your health. Eating fruits and veggies is better for focusing and feeling better all together! 3. Exercise I now this is easy to ignore, but this is important! Exercising releases endorphins, which make you feel happier and improves your mental state. I understand it could be too late for this semester, but try and go once a week if you can. 4. Take Time For Yourself I know it sounds corny , but put ...

Being a semi-openly queer college kid, the life I am living now is very double sided. So far, I am not 100% out at school. I only tell people about my sexuality if the situation calls for it, and I am still not out to my roommate. To be completely honest, I am hesitant to fully come out here at school. The reason being that the second you say you are bisexual, some guys might take it as some sort of threesome invitation. Which never makes sense to me because we are both single, where is the extra guy going to come from? That is a rant for a another day and article. However, I will say that coming out to the few people I have some out to is extremely liberating. This makes college much more bearable. Being home for the holidays is a different scenario. I am only out to one sister and my closest friends (who are all varying degrees of gay). I am not out to my family at all, mostly because my extended family does have some slightly homophobic sentiments. My immediate family seems fine,...

1. Searching For a "Cure"   I can see that this title might be a bit misleading. It is not that I do not support a credible organization that helps out those with Autism, I do not support an organization that is searching for a "cure". I have my own personal reasons for this, which boil down to how I was raised. I was raised to believe that being on the Spectrum is what made me unique, it makes me ME. Yeah sure it was a pain in the butt for everyone sometimes, but with a little guidance I could take all my quirks and develop them into a career. So no, I do not support an organization that wants to take that away from me and other families in the world. 2. Little to No Autistic Representation There are only two autistic people on the Autism Speaks Board of Directors. This is out of 26 people total people on the Board of Directors. They claim to "speak" for me, but they have little representation of people like me in their organization. 3. The Fear ...

Living in close quarters with someone  of the same gender can be tough for ANYONE who is attracted to the same gender. So far I have been through two room mates, both who are extremely attractive. I did not come out to the either so far because their stance on LGBT issues never came up. I do not want to make any trouble or put myself in a situation where I feel unsafe in my own dorm room. I also did not want to make them feel uncomfortable or unsafe in their own dorm room as well. Also, even if I felt comfortable around them there is a time and place to come out. Last year, neither the time nor the place presented itself. I have high hopes for this year though. I know it is only a week in, but I have talked about the LGBT community with my current roommate. She seems to be pretty open to the idea, but her thoughts could change when faced with it. So far I am playing it by ear. Here is my personal step-by-step if I hope to maybe come out to my roommate this year. 1. Ease into i...

As a person on the Spectrum, I fine it incredibly hard to stay focused on projects that are due, studying, working ahead, etc. Here are a few things I learned so far in college that have helped me a lot. 1. If Your School Has Accommodations, Take Advantage of Them! It is required by law for each school to have some sort of accommodating services department. As long as you provide documentation of your diagnosis, you can get all the accommodation service you need. My school provides me extra time for tests, paid note takers, required accommodation seating in  classes, and requires the instructors to let me type notes and essay. The department at my school has been extremely helpful in helping me be successful in school. I would highly recommend you keep in contact with your accommodations department! 2. Join Clubs/Extracurricular Activities! I know that being social is not exactly the strong suit of most people on the Spectrum, but clubs have really helped me with that. Yo...