My gap year and preparation for college were similar to a band preparing for a show. Whereas a band’s preparation would include practicing for a gig and rehearsing repeatedly to get the set perfect, my preparation for college would include putting deep thought into what I wanted to pursue, how I wanted to navigate college, and finding different strategies for success.

NEAR THE END OF MY SENIOR YEAR, while other kids were committing to colleges, I was torn on what I was going to do. The idea of going to college and pursuing a career I would love seemed like a great opportunity. However, I knew that I still had a lot of work to do, and that if I wanted to go to college, there were steps I would have to take to make it a positive and successful experience. Knowing that my current school had a post-high school program, I decided to take a gap year. I talked to my parents and case manager, and we agreed it would be a great idea. Following that, I started to plan for my gap year, in an effort to prepare myself for college.

From personal experience, my gap year and preparation for college were similar to a band preparing for a show. Whereas a band’s preparation would include practicing for a gig and rehearsing repeatedly to get the set perfect, my preparation for college would include putting deep thought into what I wanted to pursue, how I wanted to navigate college, and finding different strategies for success. In both senses, the hard work pays off and successes pour in. Whereas a band would gain many fans through their hard work and dedication, I would be able to successfully get my Master’s degree and eventually pursue a speech-language pathology job (my dream job).

Everybody learns at their own pace, and moving at your own pace is crucial

1.
Use your final year of high school to your advantage.

You might be tempted to go straight to college, but while that may seem beneficial at first, it could eventually turn into a challenge. If you’re not ready for college and you decide to go anyway, you could get overwhelmed, flustered, or may need to go back home to regroup. Personally, I recommend considering a gap year, and making a list of things that indicated to you that you might not be ready for college just yet. Ask yourself, “what steps can I take to propel myself into a 4-year college? What do I want my college experience to be like? What would I like to do to prepare myself for the years ahead?” Everybody learns at their own pace, and moving at your own pace is crucial when it comes to having a successful, productive college experience.

2.
Take time to expose yourself to more neurotypical surroundings.

Prior to my gap year, I spent most of my time in neurodiverse environments, without many neurotypical individuals around my school. Having been enrolled in special education my whole life, and not having had a ton of experience with neurotypical people, I decided to look for opportunities to work with non-autistic people. I started off by enrolling at my local music program, School Of Rock Norwood/Walpole, where I got to introduce myself to more neurotypical people. There, I learned how to communicate with students that weren’t as experienced with learning disabilities. Through this experience, I learned how to pick up on social cues, and gained team-building skills.

I then proceeded to take my first college class ever at MassBay, and eventually proceeded to get a job at Target. At both of these places, I continued to meet many neurotypical kids from local public high schools in the area, while building on my skills at the same time. Exposure to neurotypical people made me much more aware of communication barriers, how to navigate difficult situations, and achieving a greater understanding of how people without disabilities operate, compared to those who do have them. By exposing myself to a wide variety of people, I learned how to interact with people of all sorts of different disabilities, as well as neurotypicals through college and beyond.

I started off by enrolling at my local music program, School Of Rock…Through this experience, I learned how to pick up on social cues, and gained team-building skills.

3.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

It is NEVER too late to do so, and asking for help is never a sign of weakness. In fact, it is one of the biggest signs of strength you can show! I also have learned through experience that there is value in getting help before things get too bad. A crisis can be avoided by seeking help at the first sign of trouble. Be sure to advocate for yourself, stand up for yourself and let the adults in your life know what you need to be successful. If you take college classes through a post-high school program (like I did), use self-advocacy to your advantage by requesting support from others. Take time to work with an academic tutor, continue to work with the adults in your post-high school program (if you attend one), and continue to seek out tools for success, such as time management, writing a college resume and preparing an accommodation letter. In my counseling sessions, I learned to put little failures in context so that way I didn’t blow them out of proportion, compared to before I attended college.

Many disability offices require you to submit an accommodations letter, so be sure to see what your future college requires and take care of that before you get there! Continue to update your letter every semester, too. Doing all of these things got me ready in time for college, and I still continue to seek support through resources such as the Academic Achievement Center and Student Accessibility Services. I have had an incredibly accommodating and supportive experience with the disability services office on my college campus. If you take advantage of these resources, I think you will have a positive experience too.

I also have learned through experience that there is value in getting help before things get too bad. A crisis can be avoided by seeking help at the first sign of trouble.

4.
Stop worrying about what others think of you.

Throughout my gap year, I spent a great deal of time worrying about whether or not people liked me, and trying to be liked by others. I was worried about whether or not my peers liked me, whether my teachers disliked me or not and whether my future classmates and peers at BSU would like me or not. In the past, I would’ve let these things ruin my whole experience. I eventually realized, however, that I shouldn’t have to try to be somebody I’m not in an effort to be liked. As I made my way to college, I realized that the less time I spent thinking about what others thought of me, the more I was able to be myself and show what I have to offer to the world. And if you’re an incoming college freshman, I know you can do that too. Worrying less about what others think of you will make your transition into college a LOT easier, too. Learn to accept that not everybody will be your friend, and if people condescend you and try to drag you down, don’t take it too personally. People who condescend you tend to do so out of their own insecurities. It’s not about you! So don’t spend your time focusing on the few people in your life who don’t like you, when there’s legions of people out there who do love you.

5.
Lastly but not least, expose your independent side and take the initiative to do things on your own.

My gap year was unarguably the year where my inner drive came out the most. No one directly told me, “you have to get a job,” or “you have to go to college.” Knowing that these were the paths that I wanted to take with my life, I knew firsthand that if I wanted to get a good job and go to college, I had to take matters into my own hands. I applied to work for Target on my own. I applied to go to college on my own. I used self-advocacy to a great extent, to get the resources I would need to succeed. I took the steps to do what I needed to do to prepare for college, such as finding what I would need and who to talk to. And all of this results in my biggest bit of advice: have faith in yourself. Remind yourself that anything is possible, and that making it to college can absolutely be a reality IF you expose your inner drive and take the steps you need to get there.

Going to college may be a difficult process to get used to. If you need to, take a gap year and use it to your advantage! Between taking a gap year and doing the things I listed above, I was very well prepared for when I got to college. As I go into my second year at Bridgewater State University, I feel more prepared than ever to take on the challenges of college living. Hopefully, this blog and the tips I mentioned will help you do the same.

My gap year was unarguably the year where my inner drive came out the most.