Gabriella is in the final year of studying for her MSci in Environmental Science. Here she discusses her passion for her degree and about the challenges and opportunities her neurodiversity has provided for her during her studies.

LEC Voices aims to provide a platform for sharing a diverse range of experiences of both staff and students across the Lancaster Environment Centre. For previous blogs please see here.

What’s your degree and what made you choose it/why Lancaster?

My degree is environmental science. I chose it because I was interested in multiple fields, including ecology, meteorology and geology. I also wanted to learn skills in the field and lab and didn’t want a career that meant I was stuck in an office all day. Most importantly though, I wanted to make a difference to society by helping to contribute to solving the complex web of environmental and socioeconomic problems we face in today’s world.

Lancaster was my first choice because of its high ranking in the university league tables, dedication to the environment and because I really liked the campus environment compared to other universities.

What’s been the highlight of your degree so far?

Definitely the field trips. All of them have been great fun, especially the wildlife monitoring and management trips. They really gave me a chance to connect with other people, learn new things and it was much better than being cooped up indoors all day. It's also a lot more hands on and involved than other lectures.

The Slapton Ley Field Course was my favourite as it was like a little adventure where we got to explore and sample a river catchment for a week (and also unwind by the beach).

What’s been the most challenging?

The transition from Sixth Form to University was very hard for me, particularly because my first year was during pandemic. It was difficult to balance work with life, socialising and learning how to live independently.

How have you found your degree and managing your neurodiversity?

I’ve found that my neurodiversity in some ways has been a great thing for my degree. If a lecture or module was particularly interesting to me I would hyper focus on the topic and research it for a few hours, which made it easier to study. I get very excited if I’m doing fieldwork or if my coursework is on something I love looking at and my enthusiasm often gets through to the person marking it, (especially during presentations). I also find that I can see things from a different angle to other people and therefore bring new insights to a discussion.

After I have gotten used to things, my neurodiversity is fine for studying for the most part. Although I do find it difficult talking to people in my classes, particularly if I’ve not worked with them before. Socialising can be difficult for me because I find it hard to express myself, don’t understand people’s intentions, find it hard to make eye contact and can’t read people very well. However, I’ve found that people at university have been incredibly understanding and accommodating to me and I’ve been able to embrace my neurodiversity more than hide it.

What’s been the most challenging aspect of this?

On the other hand, my neurodiversity has brought me some challenges. There have been numerous times where I’ve tried doing ‘boring’ tasks and have barely started it, leaving it all until last minute (but still feeling anxious the entire time). I often can’t follow instructions properly, misinterpret them or do them very slowly. If I’m physically shown how to do something, I can easily replicate the results but if I’m only given written instructions, I struggle.

What advice would you give to others wishing to study your degree or those with other neurodivergent conditions wanting to study?

Don't worry about trying to fit in. You'll eventually find people that you can be yourself around. A lot of people at uni and in academia in general are inclusive and supportive.

If you're struggling academically ask the staff for help. I've found everyone to be super supportive and people easily make accommodations if needs be. There are several support and welfare groups out there.

What comes next for you?

I am going to take a year out to pursue some internships, travel and get my driving license. After that I’m hoping to start a PhD and I aim to go into academia as a career. I want to try and encourage other neurodivergent people to get into science and pursue something that they truly love as well later into my career.

Links to support networks: There are a number of ways to access support for students through the University Wellbeing Team. This includes finding out more about your College Advisor Team, Mental Health practitioners, Peer-support networks, Specialist support networks and more.

If you would like more information about LEC Voices, or would like to be included in a future blog please contact Dr Alexandra Gormally-Sutton a.gormally@lancaster.ac.uk

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  LEC Voices presents Dr Suzi Ilic, Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography and the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) EDI Lead.

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  LEC Voices presents Dr Emma Cardwell, Lecturer in Human Geography and Director of Studies for 3rd Year Geography Students.

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  LEC Voices presents Dr Jackie Pates, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science and LEC Undergraduate Programme Director.

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed by our bloggers and those providing comments are personal, and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lancaster University. Responsibility for the accuracy of any of the information contained within blog posts belongs to the blogger.