July 19, 2017 at 11:10AM

Reddit scan:Apologies if this is the wrong sub (and also the length) -- first time seeking advice like this!So here's my situation: I'm about to start studies in Computer Aided Industrial Drafting this September. I'm going in with no experience and pure enthusiasm as a full time student. I have enough funds to cover for the first half of the length of my studies, but I need to find some way to cover the final half once the time comes.I'm 25 of age (about to turn 26 next month), and returning to school after having worked for the last five years or so. I've only taken up jobs as a Game Tester, since it fit in with my "quirks" in such a way that I was able to pass for a functional person. My current workplace is slowly catching on to the fact I might not be able to keep up with their expectations, however. I missed out on my last promotion because of my attention span problems, and that I "don't talk enough to others" or "need constant guidance".So here's the deal. I have a combination of mental health and sensory issues that make me unable to keep up with most service-jobs. I have a nice cocktail combination of ADHD, Aspergers, auditory processing issues, occasional panic attacks... A bunch of other things that, on their own, are harmless, but in the long term will often fuck me over.The combination as a whole means:I can't do service-industry based jobs because I can't answer phones, remember spoken words, follow spoken instructions, get a clean "read" on people, or intuitively understand what they expect of me without it being in explicit writing or short sentences.I can't do highly-detailed work due to my ADHD attention span. It's not that I don't want to do the work -- it's that I'll write down the wrong answer to the wrong questions, get numbers wrong, likely mix up instructions, or otherwise forget what I was supposed to do in the first place.I can't do heavy physical labor jobs, because I'm 5'1" and barely clipping past 90 pounds. I'm physically weak with no stamina, as much as I would like to change this somehow.My classes will be weekdays, from 7am to 4pm, roughly. The above issues normally get in the way of Academia, which is why all I have right now is a Highschool Diploma. One of the few things I have going for me is an okay-understanding of 3D space, and a general ease with computers. I'm going to be using all of the mental energy I can muster to try to get through school, but there's a very real possibility that I might not even have enough psychological-stamina to take on a part time job on the aside, in order to keep up. But I want to look at all of my options before I throw in the towel pre-emptively.Right now, these are my main monthly expenses:Rent: 661$Hydro/heating: 56$Internet: 30$Public Transportation: 50$I'm working on adjusting my phone bill right now, I'm guessing it'll be at 40$Groceries (and cat supplies): 250$Therapy: 120$ (two 60$ sessions a month)Other expenses (music streaming, household items, unexpected costs): 100$Main Question: What can I do to either lower my expenses, or look into as a part-time income?Right now, I'm mostly doing art commissions to get the occasional 30$. I put some things on Redbubble that can also get me an extra 10$ a month, but right now it's still pretty thin. I'm also entirely not against drawing furry porn if I have to -- I'm just not that well known yet for artists to come seek me out specifically.I tried camming, but my goods are no-good. (Maybe it was just the wrong website? Who knows.)My illustration skills are in that awkward area of "slightly better than amateur but not quite professional". Should I just keep pounding the digital pavements for more commissions in the long term? It doesn't seem very secure nor offer any 'bonuses' that I could get from working someplace that might have free food, but you get what you can.I have some experience in cleaning out horse stalls, but I live in a city now.I have no driver's license.I could look into part-time game testing, though I'm going to school to avoid having to spend another year in this job.I live in an open-studio apartment with two cats, my own washer/dryer, and while I have a pull-out futon bed, I don't think anyone would want to rent here. There's absolutely no privacy and I'm an anti-social anxious slob.I like to think I'm pretty okay at writing.My knowledge of 3D space extends to crafting objects, sewing, sculpting, painting, and minor repairs. I have zero professional training in anything, though I learned to use a CNC machine recently, and I know of a public Makerspace that allows free use on Thursdays. I can go there to learn more skills or work on some craft project. I don't know clothing alteration yet, but I'd like to, and I feel this is something I could do for myself or others.Communities I'm involved in are: game-makers, Roleplayers, Transgendered/Queer spaces, furry community, and I'm slowly getting more involved with crafters and other artists. (I'm mostly limited by materials and tools I can or can't purchase.)I know this is a lot, and "sacrifices will need to be made", but the sacrifices to my lifestyle might be pointless if I get no benefit from giving up those things. (Quitting therapy is probably a bad idea, and my grocery situation is a constant struggle of tricking myself into eating food. A room mate would probably stress me out into being non-functional.)One way or another I'll get through this, either through work, fundraisers, or gods know what else. If anyone has any suggestions, or websites that could help, or anything at all, please let me know. I want to know what I don't-yet know.tl;dr: autistic semi-closeted trans-gendered furry nerd seeks financial/saving options for school. http://ift.tt/2tfxXjz by Towson Makerspace