By Brent Bynum, Student CLE Davie

Normal, for me, is based on structure. Being able to keep my schedule without any changes occurring to it.

Normal, for me, and by extension other students of CLE, can be different from other people. CLE students require structure in order to get through their day, in order for their day to be normal. But a normal day for someone else could be the opposite, having no structure or expecting things to change at a moment’s notice.

The need for structure aids CLE students, such as myself, to be prepared for the future, where everything we do—such as paying bills, keeping our apartment clean and arriving to appointments on time—will need to be done by ourselves independently.

A normal day for a CLE student can start with a wakeup call from an ILS instructor in order to ensure they start the day when they need to. Afterwards, the next part of the day is to go over their schedules to see what they have that day, determine when they need to head there and make reminders for themselves if needed. Once that is done, a student would go about their scheduled day by going to CLE for appointments, going to work or jobs groups, or going to their school for classes. In between appointments and classes, a CLE student normally heads to the student lounge to relax and socialize until their next appointment.

Normal for a CLE student can also be the type of appointments they have, such as tutoring, grocery shopping and cooking meals with a group.

Things that are normal for CLE students to do can be challenges for them and thus they need the structure and support of their schedules to accomplish them and maintain their lives. Through this structure, a CLE student can work their way to not only independence but also towards living a full and successful life.

An example of this independence was the opportunity of an internship for me at 3DMagine. I had started this internship a year ago in the summer and have been working there since. Not only did this give me experience in a work environment, but it also gave me hands on experience to put what I have learned at school into practice. 3DMagine is a 3D printer store and repair shop that offers not only printers and materials, but also custom-made prints and lessons in 3D design and printing. I have had a chance to do many things there, including customer support, printer maintenance and teaching classes during the summer. These have helped me with public speaking, putting my A++ hardware certification to good use and tutoring others.

As you can see, a normal day in the life of a CLE student is what leads to a normal life in their future.