Collin County Community College District Top Questions

Dear Barbara, I am so proud of you for graduating high school and all the hard work you put into passing your classes. I want to let you know that you are smart enough to go to university however continuing your education at a local community college is a smart understandable decision. One thing you shouldn’t be ashamed of is your good grades. You studied so hard for them and deserve them, forget about others using you for your academic achievements, you’ll make real friends in college. Speaking of college here is a little advice; first do your research before registering for classes. You’ll want to take a look at Ratemyprofessor.com and also ask around campus for opinions on certain professors; it will help in avoiding disorganized and poor quality instructors. Next you should spend some time looking for used or rentable books online and at bookstores, use the campus bookstore as a last resort. When faced with a challenge ask for help from your professors. Your professors are there to help you all you have to do is speak up, don’t be afraid. Good luck! Sincerely, You - a 2014 Collin College Graduate

Looking back at my senior year in high school there are many things I wish I could have done differently. My advice that I would give myself would be to have applied for every scholarship possible. Coming from a mid-classed family it was very difficult to find anything to apply for because my parents income was considered "too much". I was turned down by all federal grants which in result discouraged me from even trying to apply for scholarships. I wish I would have had more faith and didn't give up so easily because even if I would have recieved 1 scholarship for any amount, it would be helping me reach my educational goals with a little more ease of not having to worry about how I am going to pay for college.

My advice would be to focus more on academics and treat each class like a job. The harder you work during each class would provide higher financial gain in the future. Try to become more aware that in order to succeed you must prepare yourself. The amount of preperation academicly seperates you from the rest as in a nutshell you are in competition with others in the world.

If I could go back in time to my high school senior year, I would give my past self the advice to kick my butt into gear and work on winning scholarships because I have found it very difficult to find scholarships that apply to me and the few large renewable scholarships I have found applied to high school seniors only which I have had the unfortunate luck to miss out on. I would still encourage myself to attend a community college, at least for the first two years and take all of the transferable classes for my intended university for my major since the costs would be low and I could live at home without worrying about finding an apartment. It would give me time to adjust to college life from the comfort of my home without the stress of a new environment and new experiences. I regret not earning scholarships my senior year and I want to emphasize how much easier and stress free it would have been for me if I had just applied for them the first time.

Having been homeschooled all my life, I had no concept of what college life would be like when I enrolled at my community college. I was equivalent in age to a high school senior and I was terrified of the unknown, but somehow I found the courage to enroll despite my fear that I would fail. If I could talk to myself at that time, this is what I would say: "Don't be afraid. College is where you will find the freedom to be yourself and learn what it means to be an adult, because your classes will test your sense of responsibility just as much as they test what you know. Don't be ashamed to ask for help understanding your lessons; we all need help sometimes, and we pay forward those who help us by helping others in kind. Talk to your professors about anything and everything -- these are the people who will show you what you are capable of, and who will encourage you to be your best possible self. You can't control where you have started, but you choose your own path and your own destination now. Do not fear the untrod road."

Hey Jade, i'm coming back in time to tell you the things I know and learned, so LISTEN UP. You know your family doesn't have the background of college, make sure you have a plan. First, make sure you work hard on getting scholarships; you never know what you can win. There are so many different websites, just look hard. Second, think about loans. Some people say don't get loans, but it's all about discreation, don't over do it; responsiblity is key. Thirdly, finishing your core classes and transfering the credits are way cheaper, just make sure you know which credits you need. You don't want to waste time or money, time is of the essence. Also, make sure you know what school you are transfering to. Visits help a ton. Lastly, Make sure you gather all information on the schools you go to. (i.e. cost, dorms etc.)

I would tell myself to not worry about choosing a Major. Feel free to explore your options. You have plenty of time to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life, and even then, it’s okay to change your mind later on. I’d tell myself that if you don’t think you’ll be able to work with an instructor, then go ahead and drop the class. There are other classes that you can take, and you can always take it another time with a different instructor. Relax. Don’t get too worked up and stress out about the small stuff. Get your work done, pay attention to deadlines, and most importantly, don’t read too much. That way you get enough sleep to stay awake in class.

Advice I would give myself are to get involved in more school activities, such as clubs and sports. Also, never get to involved in relationships (Girlfriends) because it is most likely that it wont last forever and besides; school is a lot more important than relationships. I could do that later on my life. Concentrating more on my studies will pay off later when I am pursuing my career in the real world. I should never slack in anything and always study. This doesn't mean I won't have a regular life. I always have the weekend to relax with my family and friends. High GPA is very important to many schools and that is what i need to get.

I would tell myself not to stress or worry. I would say that I was extremely prepared for all of my classes due to the excellent educated provided by my High School. I would tell myself that I have great potential in my future career and that stressing over things you cannot change is not healthy. I would say that I have made many wonderful friends so i should not worry about all my friends leaving for other schools. Finally, I would tell myself to relax and to enjoy the ride because these times will go by extremely fast.

If I could go back in time and give myself any advice about college, the advice I would give myself would be that I should have motivated myself better in regards to mapping out exactly what my plan would be in college. that would include knowing what classes to take and when to take them, and planning out my classes so that I would be able to transfer my credits to a graduate school, where I will receive my masters degree.