#Survival Guide - High School : Navigation and High School Logistics

High School can be a difficult time for any 11 year old starting in a new school. But for an Aspergers Girl the thought of crowded corridors, time limits to get to lessons at the other side of the school building and concentrating on what teachers are trying to teach you can be tough.

Don't panic and have no fear as I have come up with trusty tips and tricks to make sure that you can beat the corridor crushes, minimise stress and even be on time for lessons. High School will be a little less daunting and hopefully a little more enjoyable!  

This post is all about familiarising yourself with your surroundings and knowing short cuts and assessing which areas of the school are going to be busier than others and at what times. 

Starting a new school can be scary and can provoke constant anxiety attacks and many arguments with the parents but in the end we all have to go to school as it is required by law. 

Yes that annoying fact does not factor in your condition or the fact that High School is bigger than a primary school and from being Top Dog as a year 6 you are now bottom of the social pile. 

One of the key things I have learn't when I was a year 7 and a newbie to the high school world was to familiarise myself with the buildings of the school and know where my lessons where throughout the week and then form little routes and short cuts using the map provided to me by the school. 

I was a little bit of a control freak with the routes that I used to create and would colour code each day and trial and error the routes I had come up with as at the beginning I did not factor in Corridor Traffic or Crushes as I used to call them! 

For any Aspergers person the thought of being in a tight space with loads of people surrounding you, screaming and shouting and all crushing you to get to their lessons is a NIGHTMARE! 

In High school this is a daily occurrence and one that can be avoided with some careful planning and time management. Knowing key corridors where there is a major congestion problem (I visualise these situations like cars backed up on a motorway.) and at peak times during the day and the exit routes to where to avoid them can be a clever way to stop any more stress and anxiety that you may be feeling up to this point in time. 

So here are my key tips:

1. Always plan your route : 

Yes it might seem silly for me to say this but knowing your route can save you time and stress. 

When given a map of the school keep it even after you know the layout of the buildings by the back of your hand. The Visualisation of the problem corridors and where to go when it occurs can be jotted down on the map. Remember to refer to your time-table for room numbers as this is they key to knowing where you need to go!  Also take note of the peak times and lessons when the corridors can be busy - it seems a lot of effort but it will pay off. And will help you in later years - Trust me!

2. If you need to change the route- DO IT! 

If you are finding that you are still hitting problem areas that are not making any difference, always change your route. Be aware of time though as getting to your next lesson on time is the main objective! 

In this case I would always familiarise myself with where all the exits are located to go outside and go round the building rather than trying to get through it. Always be aware of where your classroom is on the other side. If it isn't near the main , over-used entrance but near a different door then use it!

In the case where there isn't any way to get to the classroom by your cleverly planned changed route then stick to the old one and make some changes if they can be made. 

3. My lesson is in another building - WHAT DO I DO? 

Ah yes the annoying thing about this is that some lessons will be located in different buildings dotted around the school grounds.   

In this case at break times and lunch times when you are aloud out of the dinner hall- have a look around the school grounds and plan the best ways to get to different locations. 

For Example: 
"So say your in Block A near to the main Road and you are going to Block D for a lesson which is at the back  of the school grounds and there is three or four major problem areas that need to be avoided. What would my solution be?" 

The Solution would be: 

Look at your map and see where you need to go for a start. After that look around and try to find an exit door near to where you are (sometimes you might have to walk slightly down an congested corridor to the nearest exit!) Once outside think about where you need to walk and where the congestion will be at it's worst. If you know that another building nearer to your destination is worse than being out of the rain - The rain is the better option! 

There will be areas outside that seem worse than they actually are and a little bit of the crafty i-pod in the pocket and the headphones fed through the jumper act is a good relaxation tool I used to use it to counteract noise and other stress factors. 

Once you've got space and home free get to your lesson and remember to remove your headphone from your ear and also turn off you i-pod! 

4. My Route involves Stairs! 

Stairs are a pain in the backside! 

You've already got through the struggle of constantly packed corridors and now there are stairs with two way human traffic which is not moving that quickly and there is no escape route. I can't really advise to stay at the bottom of the stairs and wait until the traffic has cleared. I would however advise that you slot find a space where you feel comfortable and just move at everyone else's pace. 

The next important problem that I faced at school was that the school decided to change the layout and added new rooms where they thought students did not use the corridors! OH HOW WRONG THEY WERE!

If this event happens, you cannot control it! 

But the effect that it has can be detrimental to you and how you cope and move around the school. If you have to revise any routes due to unexpected developments in your school always take note of where the problem areas will arise and how to counteract them as well as you can. I know it can be a pain but in the grand scheme of things your health is more important than the school throwing obstacles in your way. 

There will be the question of :

"What if there isn't any other route and I have to go through the problem areas?" 

The answer to that question is again use the coping strategies you have to hand. If it's more of a noise issue rather than a crowd issue - use a MP3 Player to drown out all the external noise. If it is a crowd issue than unfortunately if you really cannot avoid it then focus on your breathing and the music in your ears and take note of how much space you have. If someone is pushing you up against the wall by accident - make yourself known and if all else fails let out a shout to let them know HEY I'M HERE! 

I hope these little tips help you through the stressful task of navigating through day to day problems! 

Next week it's all about Classroom Nightmares! 

Sophie xxx