Sunday Soiree -- 22nd March 2026

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@AlwaysMyself wrote:

Ah, research! What a great idea @Blackcloud 😍. And I absolutely believe that a lot of the autistic traits can be so well suited and harnessed to excel in the right research environment. Especially monotropic focus! Lets work with our brains here! 😁

But I hear that getting through the diverse subjects and time pressures of the degree to get to the research degree can feel stressful and at time overwhelming. But you can take it slow 😊, and if you decide to change your mind later when you see a better pathway for you - that is always OK too!

(I worked at a university for a few years early on, and I liked the "no-nonsense" and reliable academics much better than the "fluffy" and unreliable ones lol. I know both types exist from my own experience.)

Masters by research and PhD appeals to me (I haven't done either) because you choose the topic and you are autonomous in it. 😍 I'm wondering if those factors may also resonate with you?

I am wondering what helps you feel more able to achieve the 65%+ scores in assessments that you expect will be required for this entry pathway?

I am wondering if there are modifications/adjustments that can be made (lifestyle, study supports, etc) that can help with this?

And remember - a lower grade on a single subject/unit doesn't significantly alter your GPA if the rest of them are doing above the "required" level. 🤗. Remember I missed an exam work 40%? I got 0/40 marks for it. 😂 and 52/100 for the unit overall. It didn't ruin anything because the rest of my work was above what I needed as a minimum for my aim.

If I knew a subject was going to be boring or difficult (or a lot of work!) I either paired it with an "easy" subject at the same time, or selected it to be one of the semester that I only did 1 subject during (so i could have more time/breaks whilst slogging through it).

PS - different universities have different pathways to research degrees. 🙂 I know when I worked at one (over 10 years ago), they changed their pathways so that there was a specific Masters course for research, but also possibly I recall a pathway from Honours into PhD too if someone achieved Honours (4th of Bachelor) in a science course.

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@AlwaysMyself thank you for that (with the taking slow part) ❤️ that's why I only aim to study just 1 unit per trimester for now 😁

yes I remember you mentioning to me about that time you missed that exam and you still passed the unit from memory 🙂

I appreciate your help and advice ❤️

@Blackcloud Yay, I'm so proud of you! Lab reports are so stressful, they are literally set up to be impossible to get perfect. It is amazing work to get it done and submitted.

Sometimes it can be great to study for the sake of study. Psychology doesn't lead to a lot of jobs, but that doesn't have to be your aim at all. Learning is a worthwhile pursuit on its own. I never got a job with my psych degree, but it was still an important goal for me.

@Blackcloud Oh wow that sounds like an amazing placement. I've always wanted to run a peer group for autistic people. I'm glad you live somewhere where this is an option. I find the way non-autistic people are very difficult to understand- I can see the advantage of working entirely with other autistic people. So are you studying a Cert IV in Mental Health AND an undergraduate in psychology right now? Or is it something else you're studying?

@Mustang67

@AlwaysMyself @Blackcloud @Mustang67 the lack of autistic environments is why I'm having so much trouble finding work. I also feel like I'm not really able to survive in my non-autistic family either. I've had to distance myself from my family, which I've been really depressed about. But I can't mask to the standard they need me to. It has felt like trying to grow in an environment without water.

@Ruby26 yes, I’m studying both of the courses in part-time mode. I’m only doing 1 unit on each course. 🙂

@Blackcloud oh, wow, that's a lot of work. Starting one new course is a lot and you're doing two :D. I hope you're very proud of yourself.

@Ruby26 I can say that I personally would love a lived-experience peer group (social and/or chat about life challenges) that was for autistic and/or "people who value autistic perspectives and communication style" (i.e. "allies"). 🥰

Part of my self-realisation pre-diagnosis that I was not neurotypical was my friends pointing out that none of my friends (themselves included) considered themselves neurotypical 😅 and how there is a known trend for autistic people to non-intentionally "find" and befriend the other like-minded. 😆.

I would attend a peer group run by you for autistic people if only you had one and i could 😊.

...and that it was consistent and didnt have last-minute changes often 😆🤣 (schedule & location) lol.

@Ruby26 exactly!! It’s so worth studying a degree you’re interested in just for study purposes without having to worry about needing to chase for a relevant career right now after you finish it. It’s amazing how a lot of people don’t realise this & in my opinion I find that trying to study a degree just to try and chase a career right away is gonna stress you out. And considering how the job marketing is right now as well, yeah….

@AlwaysMyself aw, thank you so much.

I would also love to be in an autistic support group again. At this point there are just too many barriers in place. I do have some great neurodivergent friends, so I don't need groups as much as I used to anyway though.

Yeah, that happens in my friendship group too. I have a friend who I'm sure is autistic but he doesn't know it yet. Being only interested in hanging out with autistic people and getting along really well as an equal with everyone in an autistic friendship group is a pretty clear sign.

Oh, I wish I could invite you when I host a social event. I am the most consistent person ever with schedule and location. Same restaurant, same time, same table. I only change the schedule if there's an actual problem (restaurant shuts down, covid etc). I've had people complain that I'm too boring before, but I just tell them to organise something themselves next time then.