Estrella Mountain Community College Top Questions

Till this day I remember how I felt at my graduation. As my principal spoke “Congratulations class of 2014” , I just remember feeling like a looser. When I was younger I was known as the smart one. That was my identity, Tiara the smart one. When I entered high school everything changed. I made choices that I’m not proud of and there I sat on graduation day feeling awful because I could not get into ASU. My choices hindered that. Today as an 18 year old, almost done with my first year at a community college I wish I could go back and tell my senior self that things will be ok. I need to stop hating myself for the mistakes I had made, and start loving myself for the future I was going to build for myself. I am now determined, a 4.0 student, and I am happier than ever. I wish I knew then I was not a looser, I was capable of so much more. I just needed the right resources around me.

If I had the amazing opportunity to go back in time, and give advice to myself , I would tell myself to grab a chair, and listen carefully. I would tell myself the following: Education is one of the most important things you can do for yourself, family, and the future ahead. You have to understand that sometimes things seem hard, but do not let things deter you from moving forward, and finishing your education. Most importantly you have to be able to have a burning desire to get through every semester. It will be your obligation to make sure you apply for a great deal of scholarships, financial aid, and apply for a job on campus. Do a extensive research on how to become a better student, and how to use your time properly at all times. Finally, have confidence that you can achieve anything in life, and remember do no quit.

It would not really make much difference going back to talk to myself as a high school senior about college because I spent most of my senior year already in college. Of course, there was still a transition going from high school student to full-time college student, and I would tell myself that there was (almost) nothing to worry about. The transition has been fairly smooth for the most part. Although, if I could talk to myself from before I actually started taking college classes, I would probably give the advice not to be worried about what to expect because everyone I have met has been helpful. I have done well in this school and had a good time doing it and there are not many things I would want to change.

If I could go back in time I would let myself know to take school much more seriously. Sadly, I was caught up with the wrong friends in high school and never applied myself with the fear of being labeled as a "nerd." Unfortunately, that thought process carried over to my first year of college which put me behind a little in my degree and has definitely had a negative impact on my GPA. Once I realized that all my high school "friends" who would make fun of me for being successful were purposely bringing me down, I chose to move on, take my future more seriously as I should, and cut loose any negative people in my life who did not support and encourage me. I always knew I was intelligent and capable of accomplishing many things, but I did what a lot do and gave in to peer pressure. If I knew what I know now when I was in high school I would have straightened up much earlier, even if it meant me graduating high school with no friends at all.

Doc has just finished building the DeLorean and we are hanging out at the Twin Pine Mall. I ask him,"Hey Doc. Can I ask you a favor?" "Anything," he replies. I tell him the date and...ZOOM! I am off to May 29, 2009. I found myself walking the baseball field were the graduation ceremony was held. "Jess!" I yell out, "Wait! I am you from the future. I need to talk to you." Finally, I convince my past self that I am really her and we find ourselves sitting in the dugout. "What do you need to talk to me about?", my past self asks. "School," I tell her," There is some advice I need to give you. I know you are planning on going to the community college, which is a great plan, but be careful on where you transfer. Consult your counselor on the classes you need, especially if it is out of state. Some of the schools don't accept the classes you are taking. Contact the school's counselors for guidance. You don't want to take unnecessary classes or repeat classes. Counselors are your best friends in college; utilize their talent and knowledge."

If I had the opportunity to go back into time and talk to myself a year ago, I would have told myself to study a little harder and prepare for the placement test so I could score higher. I scored a couple points away from going into the next classes so I feel like I could have prepared for that. I would also tell myself to take another class because I am kind of bored right now with four classes and they are easy. I want more, I want challenging. I would give myself tips to succeed and tell myself that I’m doing fine right now and to keep on my track because I’m doing very well

When a high school senior is in their graduation they assume that life in college will be an easy to complete. These were my exact thoughts about life after high school. I continued seeing college as high school and wouldn't take college seriously. I would complete my homework but I wouldn't study enough for tests. During my first semester in college, I wouldn't look at my grades that often to check if I had missed an assignment which led to chaos. This took effect when taking a psychology class my first semester. It occurred when I noticed a missing test grade that I took in class. I messaged the professor and she told me it's your responsibility to keep track of your grades and I received an F for the class. I suddenly realized that it's not high school anymore where teachers will notify a student when an assignment was missing. After that moment I was promt which replaced the F for an A in psychology. My advice to graduating high school seniors is that having responsibility, dedication and being independent is crucial to survive through the hard and studious years for a college student.

If I can go back in time and give myself advice about the college life, I would tell myself to not waste any time. Unfortunately, I found myself taking more classes than I can handle, in order to graduate on time. I would also tell myself to not procrastinate because in college, teachers are strict with due dates and when it comes to procrastinating, I find myself working on multiple assignments at the same time. Lastly, I would tell myself to focus more on my career goal and to not give up. With all of the distractions and other events in my personal life, it is easy to stray away from focusing on the future and only worrying about the present.

If I could go back and talk to myself there are various things I would love to say. First of all, I would start of by advising myself to go straight to college because I have no time to waste considering the career that I am currently going for. Another important notice I would tell myself is to immediately do the research to decide what I truly wanted to be in life so that way I could have been more passionate and motivated about my future. Life passes by you way to swiftly to let any moment of possible progression go by. Every day counts so if I wanted to be the best in my field I would have to study and be determined like the best in the field. I would address the importance of staring college right away do to my extended career path of going from wanting to be a police officer to pursuing a career as a physical therapists. Being a fist generation child in college I would tell myself at that moment that it is possible to pursue my ultimate dream I would just have to learn how to do so.

If I had the opportunity to go back in time and talk to myself while a Senior in high school the first thing I would say is don’t focus so much on the school work. College is more than just learning the academics. Go out and meet new people, see new things and have new experiences. See the world around you and take it all in. Go ahead and get a job and make a little extra money but remember to have fun too. Take lots of different classes in different areas, find out exactly what you are interested in and really enjoy. Don’t take the easy route; don’t trust that your friend from high school will always be there. It doesn’t work out that way. But, most of all, follow your heart and do what you feel is right. It does eventually all work out for the best.

Take your schooling seriously for it will be your future. Take time to understand and choose what you want to go to school for, let it be your passion and something you could dream about everynight. Don't want to go to college for something just because it's good money or because someone thinks it's right for you, dream it, live it and love what your going to do. Know in your heart that its never to late to chase your dream and when you reach it and have it in your hands it will feel like you have just been born.

If I was given the opportunity to go back in time as a high school senior the advice I would give myself is to recognize that high school is easy compare to college. In college I can use my free will to the maximum. If I wake up in the morning, on any given day, i can choose not to attend my class(es) and not be affected by it. My homework could become secondary to my daily workouts or my favorite tv show. I would tell myself to become a self motivated person if I wasnt already and to use the advantage of my free will to succeed in my classes. I would also give myself the advice that college prepares you for adulthood by teaching me to be responsible, willing and hard working.

If I could go back to my senior year and give myself advice about college I would definately tell myself to become more organized. I would tell me to use planning and organization tools like a weekly planner. I would also advise myself to take better and more detailed notes, because college professors often do not supply the notes but that it is the students responsibility to do the note taking. As for the transition from high school life to college life, I would tell myself that college is no longer a "popularity contest" and it is possible that people older than your parents may be in your classes. It would be benificial to tell myself to be ready for a change of scenery and style of learning. All in all, I would want myself to be aware of the vast differences of people I would be meeting and the style of classes I would be attending.

If I could go back and be a high school senior I would tell myself to go to college right after high school. I would stress that even a semester off is not a good idea. I would explain the stresses that arose because of the choice to take a couple of years off of school. The second thing I would promote, is to save as much money as I can, because even if scholarships are given, life still costs money.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, knowing what I now know about college life and making the transition, I would tell myself this - go to community college first. Even though going to a university straight out of high school sounds like the better idea, it really isn't, because it's much harder to handle the transition from high school to a huge university than it is to handle the transition from high school to a small community college. Also, attending community college isn't as expensive as attending a university.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself not to sweat all the little things that seem to make high school so bad. If I could tell myself to study harder and do more work on say scholarships than it would be worth going back and giving myself advice. As a senior I was very stuborn and didnt like the school or town for that matter that I was in. I never liked it since my freshmen year but a few words of advice would be to chrerish the last few months I have with my friends who would be moving away. Even a small thing such as calling up a lonly buddy and asking if he or she would like to go out for some pizza. I would also tell myself to stay strong in my christian faith, I decided to become a pastor when I was sixteen. There were alot of things in high school, especailly senior year that I am not particullarly proud of; considering a possible drop out of high school, attempting suicide, and just being a real jerk to people would top my list off.

I would tell myself, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING! GET YOUR MIND OFF GIRLS AND ON YOUR FUTURE!"

If I could talk to my high school self, I would start by reminding myself to stay strong. Afterall, it was not soon after graduation that I lost my home and job. I would tell myself that you cannot always rely on others, it is because I trusted a friend that I remained homeless. I would say that every semester offers a precious oppertunity to prove myself and to discover one more bit of the world. If I had known two years ago that I would be where I was, I would have faught much harder. College should not be difficult, but soetimes it is, that is just life. Then I would give a rib-crushing hug and smile wide!

Remember that it is just college, there is no reason to be scared or unwilling to ask the teachers or classmates for help when something seems overwhelming or diffacult to understand. Another thing to do is to try and get scholarships in order to help pay for school, scholarships are here to help and encourage students to stay in school. Also be willing to talk to people and make friends there, there is a chance that you might be there for a little while and it is not a crime to make friends with other students and also teachers, teachers will be there for you and attempt to help you in any way they can, not just with the work for their class but also to help out with the future and the goals you might have set up for yourself. College is a great experience and should not be missed out on, make sure to try your best and to not settle for second even if things might seem hard at first it will pay off in the end.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school senior self and knowing what I know now about college life would be to stay focused. They always said that your grades would matter in the future and I never believed it until now. I would also advise myself to strive to do better and take more advanced and/or honors classes. I was smart enough but I never took them. Finally I would tell myself that education should be more important than social standards and what your friends think. School work should be taken more seriously than what I took it for. I just think that kids in general need to understand that education is worth it and it is a gift, it should be taken serious. Be independent and have fun. College is fun when you make the right choices and take the fun classes.