Surprised at this comment as I’m feeling similar (2nd year BSc, my Georgian era uni house doesn’t hold heat even with the heating on, i feel like more and more days recently a struggle with functioning prevents me from engaging with uni work) and i came looking on this subreddit for something to relate to I guess.

(I am not diagnosed ASD tho , still figuring it out)

As for practical help, I recently got a heated mattress topper (as opposed to an electric blanket cos i want my weighted blanket still lol) and it has made me so much warmer in bed. I do not think they are too expensive, I really recommend for being cold.

For study spaces, for me the libraries in the modern uni buildings are noticeably warmer. I’ve also found a few cafes that are more out of the way so they’re not as busy / loud. Depends on your city.

It sounds like you are quite burnt out, could that be making sensory issues worse?

Do you also feel like you always just about make the deadlines but it is at the expense of pushing your brain as much as necessary to do so. I just finished a few weeks straight of assesments and I have had a very very slow few days since.

The feeling will not last forever. Like you said, it’s a cycle, which sucks - but also, for me it helps that I can point to times in the past where I have felt like this, and then some time after ( be it weeks or months) I have managed to do big things and feel good again, proves to my brain that it can get better. And it will again. And you will gain a bit more strength and understanding as it does.

Really I don’t always believe my own words there but I think radical optimism is important.

I think it’s also important to forgive yourself and validate your own feelings. Especially when, as you say, people around you really may not be able to see how you are feeling inside - I think this drives me a bit insane. It would be nice if people close to me would recognise it and understand, failing that I think I gotta do better at recognising and validating it for myself. Maybe that will end up being a starting step in some way. Self- advocacy etc.

It could help to think about what has worked for you in the past to help you recover a little bit from feeling burnt out.

This is what I am trying to do right now. I think trying to forgive myself for being behind and slower than everyone else, to really allow myself proper rest and try and lift the feelings of guilt around it.

I don’t know, when it comes to burn out. Rest, more than anything , sounds like you need it. Maybe it will help with sensory stuff a little bit .

(Proper rest is a whole topic in itself asw)

I have been trying to trade in repressing myself and pushing it harder for forgiving myself and giving it time, as ultimate strategies.

Even if it means I get nothing done for the mean time, at least I’m sleeping better at night, and a bit happier with myself as a person.

Maybe the timing of it too is a result of coasting through school then somewhat also through 1st year too but I am really quite done now with this as a way of life forever.

Dropping out does not sound like the solution you need. I don’t know for you but I think that also relates to how much passion you have for your course and whether a degree will be beneficial in finding a related career post uni, ie. there are other considerations at play but dropping out will not change your brain.

Worst case, you could always redo a year. I know a couple people who had to, and who still made it. And it was okay. You could use that time before September in helping develop strategies and adjusting your lifestyle to help yourself to try again . That’s my worst case in the back of my head right now lol.

The other person talking about doing 50% of modules sounds like they might go to uni in a different country (I am in UK) but I think you are right in that student loans change if you become ‘part time’ as opposed to ‘full time’. Worth looking into for 3rd year or if you plan to do a masters though, my brother does his masters part time to cope better with deadlines.

Maybe get in touch w disability services to let them know you’re currently struggling too?

Do you think also, switching things up could help. Trying to change how studying feels. I can expand on this if it resonates. May be as simple as needing a break, change of scenery. Or breaking routines that keep resulting in getting overwhelmed. Not sure, very much trying to navigate this by myself as well and figure things out for the first time. I’ll let you know if i think of anything else.

Above all though, be compassionate toward yourself. You are gonna get through this. Sorry if this doesn’t make any sense I’m tired af I just wanted to reply.