For many neurodivergent students, attendance is not simply a matter of turning up. Anxiety about what a session will be like — whether you can follow along, whether you will arrive on time, whether the environment will feel manageable — can make not going feel easier than going. This article focuses on the specific things you can do in advance to reduce those barriers.

• Set reminders and prepare in advance

• Know the environment ahead of time

• Prepare for the content

• Managing anxiety during the session

Set reminders and prepare in advance

Time blindness — difficulty judging how much time is passing or how long things take — is a common experience for students with ADHD, and it makes arriving late or missing sessions more likely. The solution is not to try harder to be on time. It is to engineer your environment so that timekeeping relies less on internal sense and more on external prompts.

• Set a reminder for when to leave, not just when the session starts. If the walk takes ten minutes, set an alarm for fifteen minutes before.

• If you have multiple sessions in a week, check your timetable the night before rather than assuming you remember what is on.

• Pack your bag the night before. Charge devices. Decide what you are wearing. The aim is to make the morning as decision-light as possible.

• For any venue you have not been to before, plan your route in advance. Knowing where you are going removes one source of morning anxiety.

Arriving with time to spare rather than rushed makes a significant difference to how settled you feel when the session starts.

Know the environment ahead of time

Unfamiliar environments can be a meaningful source of anxiety, particularly for autistic students. Not knowing what a room will look like, how loud it will be, or where to sit can be enough to make attending feel daunting.

If you are starting somewhere new, or attending a session in a building you have not been to before:

• Visit the room during a quiet period beforehand. Knowing the layout, the typical noise level, and where the exits are reduces the uncertainty on the day.

• Choose a seat that works for you. Near an exit if you may need to leave. Away from sources of noise or bright light if you are sensitive to these. Near the front if visual distraction is a problem, or near the back if having people behind you creates anxiety.

• If sensory factors are likely to be an issue, come prepared. Noise-cancelling headphones, a layer for a cold room, or sunglasses for bright spaces are practical adjustments that are easy to plan for.

Knowing what to expect, even broadly, lowers the barrier to getting there.

Prepare for the content

Anxiety about keeping up in a session — not understanding what is being discussed, not being able to take notes fast enough, falling behind — can itself become a reason not to attend. A small amount of preparation beforehand reduces this significantly.

If your tutor or lecturer shares materials in advance (slides, a reading list, a session outline), look at them before you go. You do not need to read everything in depth. Spending ten minutes on the topic and key terms means you arrive with some familiarity rather than encountering everything cold. New material is harder to process under pressure, and recognition is much easier than first exposure.

For guidance on reading strategically rather than trying to cover everything, see How do I prioritise my reading?.

For note-taking during sessions, see How do I take effective notes in classes and lectures?

During the session

Once you are there, a few things can help you stay.

Notes anxiety

If you feel anxious about keeping up, remind yourself that the average speaking pace is well over 100 words per minute — writing everything down is not possible for anyone. Your job is to capture key points, not a transcript. A name, a date, a term you do not recognise. You can fill in gaps afterwards.

If anxiety spikes

A simple breathing reset can interrupt a rising anxiety response: breathe in for four counts, hold for four, out for four. Repeat three or four times. This helps your body settle before the response escalates.

Breaking down the time

If you are struggling to stay, break the remaining time into small chunks. If there are 30 minutes left, that is six five-minute blocks. Focus on getting through one block. When it ends, decide whether you can manage one more.

Taking a break

Stepping out briefly is better than leaving entirely. A few minutes of fresh air or a drink of water can be enough to reset. If you are worried about what your tutor will think, a brief word with them afterwards — explaining that you sometimes need short breaks — is enough. Most tutors would rather know than have you leave without explanation.

You made it there. That counts.