The ringing of the Sun Link passing by. The sudden roaring engine of a car. Someone’s voice on the megaphone. Imagine trying to focus on your assignments but these noises stress you out or stop you from continuing on with your routine. For neurodivergent students like me, when immersed in a place with everyday sounds, it can be stressful and uncomfortable. It’s not just a simple noise, it’s a distraction to your flow and focus.

These noises can also become devastating to neurodivergent students’ mental health and prevent them from going on with their lives. When someone has to adjust and accommodate to their surroundings every day, it can be difficult to maintain productivity. Neurodivergent students struggle with emotional and mental regulation when their senses are being overloaded and it can render them vulnerable to an environment that constantly affects their wellbeing, such as a university. According to Neurodivergent Insights, sensory overload can cause one to be caught in a whirlwind of chaos, confusion and anxiety. Attending lectures, studying in libraries and participating in discussions can shatter concentration, which leads to students to struggle with absorbing ideas and processing complex information. 

For me, sudden noises give me a shock and it sometimes leads to a headache or nausea. I try to mitigate it by wearing headphones but even then the sound can become bothersome. Having to hear an engine or a plane in the early morning hours while trying to get to class can be harmful. According to the World Health Organization, the noise level for universities should reach around 55 decibels, but it has been shown to constantly exceed that number and classrooms themselves can hit around 80 decibels, which is higher than the recommended limit of 70 decibels. Having noise levels that high can impact a student’s wellbeing and academic performance. 

Another example of this is when there are loud people at the University of Arizona Mall near the Student Union Memorial Center. When I’m minding my own business walking to one of my classes, someone will come up to me and try to promote something with a giant sign. It’s okay, but when they are loud and in my face about it, I get stressed out. People like that can cause a disturbance in someone’s rhythm when they are walking to class. Most students who walk at the Mall are just trying to get somewhere, they don’t need someone in their way yelling at them about having a pie in their face. It’s unsettling and frankly annoying.

Although loud noises may have a purpose, it can be disturbing for anyone who just came to the university for an educational purpose. Neurodivergent students who want to be at a university are susceptible to this problem and it can make being a student more challenging than it already is. It’s disrespectful to a student’s mental health to have an environment filled with noise and it shows that an institution doesn’t care about its students. We should address this issue by asking drivers to be aware of the noise they are creating with their vehicles and pedestrians to be more mindful of what they are doing so it doesn’t disturb other students. That way we can create an inclusive and supportive academic community that is welcoming to all students.

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Isabel Vidrio is a junior with a major in journalism and a minor in public health. She is also a part of UnderSkore, the University of Arizona’s first official K-pop dance team. Her interests include music, anime, video games and pop culture.