Carthage College Top Questions

If I could go back in time to when I was a senior in high school and give myself one piece of advice, it would be, ?you know yourself better than anyone else, so don?t let anyone fool you, but don?t fool yourself either!? As I have made the transition to college life I feel like I have had a hard time trying to find out who I want to be and where I want to go. It?s tough trying to maintain who you were coming out of high school, but fill your spot in the college puzzle. I have run into people who want me to be one thing when I know I?m really another. On the other hand, I have tried to tell people what I am, when in reality I know that I?m not. Its been said that college is a place where people discover who they really are. The part they don?t tell you is that it?s not that easy. My advice is just a simple guide that if I follow, I know that I will succeed.

I would tell myself to stay true to who I am, because it is so easy to get caught in the drama that comes along with college life. I would also advice, to brace myself for the emotional rollercoaster, because at times I really miss my family and it's a struggle to be one of the only African American students in class at times. Most imporatntly, I would remind myself to stay grounded and keep my strong academic legacy alive because, I still need money to pay this private college tution and making bad grades is an expensive mistake. But I would seriously just remind myself why I was going to college and the importance of begin a first generation college student in my family and also the imporantance of begin a young, African American woman in college. For those before me, roads that have been paved and moutains climbed that have made the journey a little more smooth for me, and that's more imporant than going to parties and blowing classes off. That would be the advice I would not only give to myself but to other people who plan on going to college.

I would tell myself not to worry about whether or not I'm going to make the transition easily. It's a lot better to just take it easy and let it happen, because as we all approach adulthood people have begun to care less and less about how you look, or how you talk, or how you carry yourself. In fact, I've found that in college, the trend has been a move from how you are, to who you are, and there are very few people out there who aren't good people. If I'd have known that, I don't think I would have been nearly as worried about living for a new life at a new school in a new state. But at the same time, I don't know if a younger me would ahve believed that no matter where you go, people are never going to be that different, because deep down, we all just want to be good people, and as our lives blossom into adulthood, people are finally starting to realize that being a good person is all that's really important.

A lot of pressure is put on the process of choosing a college, and I remember finding the decision very stressful as a high school senior. But even though it is important, what matters more is how you act when you get there. College can feel very overwhelming at first, but if you make an effort to get to know other people that helps so much. My school had an excellent orientation program, and I soon learned that everyone was in the same boat when they came to college. It is an experience like no other because everyone is a stranger and everyone needs friends, so the other students are exceptionally friendly. College is different than high school in that you are likely to have many different friends rather than a single clique, but that will challenge you to think about the world in new ways. The most important thing is to fully immerse yourself in the new environment, and figure out what it is that YOU want to get out of college. Chances are, you will find it.

Do your best. Thats all there is to it. Try your hardest, focus on your studies. Take a foreign language. Be sure you know what you want and what is important to you before you leave highschool. Because in college it is so easy to bend and fall to peer pressure. Be strong and secure in your own lifestyle choices and be sure you know at the end of the day who you want to be. Always think with a critical mind, because if you don't so many people will play you. Don't give into temptation when you know it will not help you achieve who you want to be. Do not fall because your friends fall. Be strong and secure even when you're alone. Because if you cannot survive on your own you will fail. And you will get hurt clinging to others just because you're afraid to rely on yourself. You're afraid to be alone. Conquer your fears of lonliness and rejection and you will succeed in anything and everything you do.

Choose one of the three: Great social life, Top student in your class, Good amount of sleep...When you enter college this list will be one of the main first things that you will encounter. When I was a high school senior, I saw this through one of the applications via Facebook and honestly, I laughed. I didn't think that it would be that big of a deal to handle all three of these and have all three go well too. So, to be short and sweet, I believe that I would tell myself to really think this through and come into college with a mind set, and my goals on turbo drive. There are so many different things that college has to offer and nobody can handle them all no matter what. When you enter college you are an adult, and as an adult you need to have your priorities straight. With this list, you are showing that you know where your priorities are at in life.

For me the most important piece of information to tell myself is start applying for scholarships and grants even if you think you have all the time in the world to finish the applications, you do NOT. Money is hard to come by and to obtain while in college so save the money you have and do not spend on things you think you need or want. Another helpful hint about saving money is to study for the AP exams so that you can go into school with some credits and jump start your degree-related classes. THis will save you months of classes and money. With the academic theme going, I would mention that college classes are similar to high school, but most of the learning is done outside of class through homework and projects. A lot of people I have met while in the first semester of college tend to get overwhelmed by the extended out-of-class work; do not worry, take breaks and relax nothing is impossible. Lastly, I think a Congratulations is in order because I made it through High School and have a chance to extend my knowledge.

My advice to myself would be simple. Listen to your elders. You don't know everything. At the age of 16, I thought I knew everything. At the age of 18, I thought I knew everything. Finally, upon entering college, I realized that I had a lot to learn. Not to say that I screwed around in high school or rebelled at every chance I got, but I wish I had stepped back and accepted my ignorance. People have a lot to offer, regardless of if it benefits you. By listening to others you can learn more about who you want to be and maybe even more importantly who you don't want to become. Fortunately for me, I have realized this with time to change....but imagine how much more I could have learned if I had known this in high school?

In evaluating my current situation at school, I feel that I should have done more prioritizing and made a logical self-evaluation of what I was looking for in my college experience. I would tell myself as a high school senior to take a leap of faith and move to the city, where I can help myself to discover more independence as well as help my potential career in music and theatre. I would also tell myself that I can't be afraid of what the possibilities are, and that by devoloping more confidence and a thick-skin, I can't go wrong. I truly feel that confidence and independence are the keys to a successful college experience, and an even more successful future. With that said, I wish I would have pushed myself to my full potential, and never let meaningless obstacles bring me down. I have found that in high school I didn't give myself enough credit. Therefore, I would have told myself that I am capable of anything that I put my mind to; and I truly believe that.

Throughout high school, whether you have liked it or not, you have not had to make all your decisions. Most of the difficult decisions are being made by mom and dad regardless of what you want. Once you are in college, those tough decisions are yours to make. The most important decisions you make will weigh between doing what you have to do and what you want to do. Please choose wisely. These decisions will help you prioritize your schoolwork, sports, social life, and lifestyle. They will help you earn great grades, make exceptional friends, and provide an all around fantastic experience. You need to look back on the decisions and lessons learned from mom and dad to succeed in college. I have seen many people struggle adapting to college life because of their new independence. I see them take the ?easy? road, or the ?fun? road when there is work to be done. It will be easy to settle in to college life and be successful if you maintain the course that has been set for you. I think that you will already know what the ?right? decisions are, you just need to be strong enough to make them.