Columbia College-Columbia, MO Top Questions

If I could give my high school self any advice it would be to be sure to be present in the moment, enjoy that moment, and take a more zen approach to college in general. Too much planning can reduce ones ability to be present in the moment just as too much dwelling on the past can. I would tell myself that college is not about perfection but about the ability to adapt appropriately and come out of challenges improved. Enjoying the process would likely be the main point of my conversation with myself. I would stress that college will be one of the last times where I can focus only on being a student without any potential distractions such as career, children, etc.. Another important thing for my past self to know would be to be comfortable being yourself. Pretending to be someone else is too much additional unnecessary work and it is often seen through. Lastly, I would tell my past self to utilize every resource available and never be afraid to ask questions. You will never know until you ask has never been more true than when one enters college for the first time.

Start out by taking class at a communitiy college. Just the basic courses: math, english, social studies, etc. That gives you time to decide what major you would like to go into. Then you can decide what colleges you want to go to by the major you have decided on. Start looking for scholarships RIGHT NOW!! Do not wait until you are in college. The more financial help you can get is better. NO LOANS!! You con't want to spend all of your money after you graduate on loans AND interest. Grants and scholarships are the way to go. If you want to pick a couple of AA's along the way, it is OK because it will give you more ideas of what you really want to go into and give you a wider range of knowlegde.

If I could go back and speak to myself as a high school senior, I would say, "Elisa, you have been through some really tough times and life is about to get a little bit harder. Do yourself a favor and stick with vocal performance. You have been fortunate to receive a full-tuition scholarship for your voice, so don't waste it. Remember, if a boy tells you he loves you and then tells you not to go to school, he doesn't really love you. Keep going to school until you get your Master's degree, no matter what you decide to major in. You are smart, creative and talented. Don't let yourself think otherwise. Lastly, don't marry the first person who asks you. Even though you will learn valuable life lessons, he will stunt your growth. Wait until you are 30 to get married, you won't regret it!"

I would have started with what I needed to take first and not wait for my math classes at the end of school. I would have came here first because the other university was to big I enjoy this all adult school.

Don't worry about having fun and living life to the fullest, without an education you will never find a job that lets you live the way you want too.

I can easily imagine my seventeen year-old self heading off to college- nervous, uptight, and completely naive. If I could go back in time and give myself some advice I think would tell the old me to relax; to open my mind, and stop being such a perfectionist. Though having good grades and behaving properly may seem important now, experience has shown me a different set of priorities. An "A" is not nearly as important as the process of learning itself. You gain more from talking to people with experience than you can ever learn from a book. And perfectionism is impossible, so give in to the unpredictablility of life and you will be delightfully suprised. These are the lessons I would share with my former self, with the hope that I would make the choice to heed my own advice and open up my world view at a much younger age.

Don't take out student loans, get by on less and work harder on grants and scholarships. Study harder, work harder, pay attention to deadlines. Attempt to check on teachers before applying for their classes. Get more involved with other students and attempt to make lasting relationships with them.

If I could go back to high school, I would tell myself to not sweat the small stuff and look more into scholarships. In sweating every small thing that happened when coming to school, I gave myself anxiety attacks and paranoia for no reason. By learning to relax, I have been better able to enjoy my first year at Columbia College and take in everything that college life has to offer. Also, I would have looked more intensely into scholarships. Since I didn't look into them as a senior, I now have loans for the full amount of tuition where if I put time and effort into scholarships, I wouldn't have the stress of having loans and paying back so much. Scholarships are highly valueable if you take the time to apply and research.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would remind myself that life doesn't end here and that it gets way better as you mature and put yourself into a different environment. Who you are in high school does not determine who you are going to be. You will meet so many new and interesting people that will influence you in many ways, be it positvely or negatively. I would also tell myself to work harder in everything, be it a job or school, but most importantly, school. The better grades you get in high school, will make college a lot easier. The better grades you get in college, may not guarentee a six figure job, but the knowledge you aquire will put you that much closer to it. IT ALL STARTS WILL HIGH SCHOOL!

I would tell myself to start school right away and not wait. At least get your generals done even if you dont know what degree you want to pursue. I am almost 30 and I am just starting toward my masters's degree and I could have been done now.

So far in my two years of my college experience I have gained alot as a student, but even more as an individual. I have matured much more over the two years from the choices I made, actions I have done and the work ethic in my studies. I learned to not always take the easy way out. A successful future has its roads to make it there and some roads are hard to conquer, but are very capable of doing so. I also learned to get what you want, make it happen. Everything in life is not going to be handed to you, you must work and give your best efforts to achieve what you want. There are going to be times where the school work will be extremely difficult and make you want to quit, but it is only making you stronger and preparing you to be the best individual you can for the future. Choosing to attend college has been one of the best choices I have made. Through the ups and downs it has been quite a ride and I will continue to give college my absolute best until I am successful in the end.

I have gotten so much out of my year and a half at this school. I have learned to accept others and hope that they are accepting of me. I attend school online adn have had to adjust from living on campus, to living off campus as well as not going to the actualy campus a lot. I have had to learn to be more outgoing and to inject myself in to activities. I find these to be valuable assets for myself, since I am normally so shy.

I started college right out of highschool, attended for a year and then had to put it all on hold until now. Every day since I stopped I have told myself in the back of my head I need to get back in there, there's so much left to learn. I feel that because of this having to start and stop and start again, I have gained a valued perspective on college that other students may not have. I plan to grow plants and sell them for wholesale, being in the plant business things are constantly being discovered, what I learn at horticulture school in the next 4 years may not be the same in 10 when I have my own business. College has surrounded me with knowledgable people, who I can turn to in the future, and who are all researching the same things I am, college has also taught me the most valuable thing of all, how to research. Without research, I would never be able to succeed and my education would stop the day I graduate. If college cannot teach us how to discover outside the classroom, we are only as smart as our professors.

I originally began college in 1987. I completed my Associate's degree in 1990 and was continuing my education for my Bachelors until discovering my impending pregnancy. While I did have a great support system backing me, it was still very difficult to maintain a college schedule and home life. I gave up my dream of continuing my education to raise my family. I returned back to college to pursue my Bachelors again in 2003. However, once again, life's obstacles derailed this endeavor again. Finally, I was introduced to Columbia College by a co-worker and enrolled in 2008. I completed my first Bachelors in General Studies in June of 2010 and wanted to pursue my Masters in Criminal Justice. I am now working on the required prerequisites for the Masters in Criminal Justice and pursuing a second Bachelors in Criminal Justice. I hope to be accepted for the Masters program in August 2011. Columbia has greatly enriched me in that it allows me to maintain my home life and obligations to my family while offering me a more suitable non-traditional atmosphere to study and achieve my goals to further my education.

I have been able to work my full time job, and have a family while getting my degree here at Columbia College. They are very affordable, the teachers all have Master's degrees or higher and it is accredited so that all of my classes can tranfer to another college if I were to transfer. The schedule options are good for those who cannot do a traditional schedule of 3 days or nighters per week for 16 weeks. Columbia College offers a flexible 8 week session that is 1 night per week. This helps when you have a family and work full time as well. They offer online classes as well. Columbia College does everything they can to help students succeed. The diversity with students and staff brings more learning experience to the classroom. Enrollment, financial aid, and websites are all user friendly. Columbia College offers value, quality, and commitment to serve at a price that is not like other private colleges in the nation. I have never seen a college that has the participation of alumni that this college does. I am proud to be a Cougar.

In college, I have learned how to work hard for what I want in life. I have learned what I do, and don't want to do in my future. It has been valuable to attend because I have made great friends and I know that I will go far with my education.

During my College experience I have gotten alot out of it. I understand hardwork and what that feels like when you make a grade letter A. The fact that these courses in college are harder pushes me more and allows me to learn my personal strengths and weaknesses but to fix those weaknesses. I am more appreciative about my education because I am paying for it myself and i know it will pay off in the end. This is valuable to me because I know that my work ethics will continue to get stronger and I will be a better person. I look forward to my potential career of nursing because I know that, that's it's own reward to help others in need.

Columbia College online offered me a chance to continue my education while having young children at home. I was able to log on and do work when I found the time each week, so it was very flexible. The professors there were fantastic and were quick to answer questions. There also offer online tutoring for english and math! After being out of school for several years this was a perfect way to get back in the swing of things and boosted my confidence. I am now applying to 4 year schools with an Education program - if it wasn't for Columbia I don't think I would be doing that right now!

There was a great saying spoken by an actor years ago, "We must do what we have to do, in order to do what we want to do". This saying ahas stuck with my heart for years. I started college in 1999. I began and I stopped, began and stopped was my pattern. It has taken me years to attain an AA. I knew that it would take me some time. I was a full time mom, a full time Solider, and part-time student. I knew from the beginning that I was going to complet my degree, this is why I neve gave up. Resilience and perserverence were my keys. No matter what came my way, "I would finish this". My education means so much to me because my mother never finished high school and my grandmother had to drop out in the fifth grade. My mom told me she had one request, and that was for her daughters to finish school. I did that and now I am going beyond.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to return to finish my bachelors degree. I am a mother and wife and thought I would be much older before I could return, but Columbia is perfect for people in my situation. I have learned so much, have been challenged and feel so grateful and happy to be finishing this goal finally. Attending any school and getting whatever education one can, is a privledge in our country and education to me has been and always will be valuable I am glad I am able to be a good example to my children about the blessing of an education. My children have taken their school studies more seriously since I have returned and it has been the most valuable things to me, as a mother. the only thing, honestly taht could make it even better is being able to find some money to help pay for tuition so I can keep the family budget in tact. Columbia is a wonderful solution for people wanting to return to school or even start college. They make it so easy and fun!!