Introduction

Hello. My name is Jakob Cotton and, at the time of writing, I am 20 years old. I am also an autistic person and I have struggled a lot throughout my education. In 2020, I took a great leap and decided to move to Manchester to study Media and Communications at a new university called UA92 (University Academy 92). I knew this was going to be radically different from my sheltered experience living with my parents in the Yorkshire Dales. Below are some photos taken in the area I'm from, not far from a town called Settle.

Searching for a new experience

At the beginning of 2020, I was doing what hundreds of thousands of other college students were doing. I was searching for a university and course so I could submit my UCAS application. I was considering numerous options but there was one that stood out to me. I found the website of UA92 and was intrigued by the strong emphasis they put on personal development. My mother also felt strongly that UA92 would be a very supportive environment for someone like me who has autism. This helped to make it a strong contender for the 5 university choices I could include on my application.

It didn't take long until I received responses from my application. To my surprise, I received a few unconditional offers, including from UA92. Of course, this wasn't a decision to take lightly so I spent a while sitting on these offers and thinking about it. I eventually accepted UA92's offer. It seemed like a very inclusive, supportive environment that would prepare me for life and treat me not just as a number, but as someone to be valued.

I was very, very excited upon accepting the offer. In the months leading up to my accepting UA92's offer, I had grown very sick of the experience I was getting in the Yorkshire Dales. Parts of it are very scenic and it is a very safe place to live but there's very little to do for people in my age group. It just wasn't what I wanted out of life. Those last few months living in my quiet little village were filled with excitement about what was to come next. I set a countdown on my phone, the days went by and the time eventually came.