Hailey
Go to JCCC, you will save money and be able to afford graduate school more. Don't worry about what others say about the school being for poor people, its not true! Its a great transistion school for first time college students and has a large diversity.
Nathan
I would tell myself to look for more scholarship opportunities. I want him to know that to achieve good grades as well as working you need a good schedule. I would also tell him to get a job that he loves to come to day after day. I want him to not party as much and do more homework. Telling him he should look into fafsa more to get more scholarships. I would also shout at him to dig deeper in his parents past to make sure he does not get audited for his father’s lack of paying taxes for seven years. Making sure he knows that it is a great idea to room with a friend who is hygiene conscious. I want him to know that life will get harder but don’t have it get me down. Lastly, I would tell him to keep on going to church, enjoy the little things in life, and take one day at a time.
hannah
Don't give up, don't take summers off just get it done because it only benifits you. The partys will always be there and so will school but if you goto school now when your successful later in life you can have all the partys you want. Friends come and go so dont skip school to hang with a friend today who probably wont be there tommorow
Logan
Stay focused on school and work diligently towards your goals. Constantly fill out scholarships to minimize debt and be as involved as possible. Make connectinos with students, professors, advisors, administrators, and more at the college you will attend. Create good, efficient study habits and stick with them, they will definitely be needed. Discipline yourself to stay grounded, work hard, help others, and prioritize the important things that will matter in the future. Do not slack off and continue to keep moving forward, because it will pay off.
Shannon
I would tell myself to coordinate all of my classes at my community college with the classes I need to take at the university I am transferring to. I have done this mostly throughout my college career, but I took a couple of classes my first semester that were a waste of money. Also, I would tell myself to apply for more scholarships. I have not received any financial aid, so more scholarships would have helped tremendously. Instead, I have been draining the savings account that I started when I got my first job at 16. But, I would tell myself not to worry as much because Johnson County Community College is a great school and it is very reasonably priced. I'd tell myself that it is all going to work out and to relax more and spend more time with friends and reading.
Cassidy
I would tell my high school self that each decision in life is going to lead you down a different path. By choosing community college over a four-year university, you save a lot of money, but you also miss out on the activities that only a four-year university can offer. There is always something to gain, but also something to lose with each decision. Weighing both sides will eventually lead you to a decision that will point you in a direction. Ultimately, chose whatever's going to fill your life with happiness because you're only going to be this young once in your life. I would emphasize that sometimes it's more important to choose the experiences over the options that'll save you money. Money is always going to be a factor in life, but those one-time experiences that you share with friends are special and unique to that moment. Those lifelong friendships are going to mean more than any student loan ever will. It's vital to work hard because that's how you'll get where you need to go, but it's important to remember, "Classes can be retaken, but life cannot!"
Matthew
Focus is often lost at the end of each high school seniors’ year. Now knowing the consequences of such actions, I would explain to my senior self the importance of staying attentive and realizing how much I have to offer to the many colleges I failed to apply to. While Johnson County Community College is excellent for undecided students, I would have rather started off my college education in a university with programs unique to my interests. Maybe I could prepare myself for the transition into college with one conversation, but the conversion is tough and difficult to realize until experienced. I would let myself know the importance of applying for scholarships earlier and the ideas of college fairs. Most of all I would stress the significance of looking into career options and deciding at least an idea of what I wish to do for the rest of my life. Adamant about success, I know I have always held the motivation to go after my dreams, but at the time of my high school senior year I had not figured out exactly what those dreams meant or even what they were.
Morgan
Fill out the FAFSA and apply for more scholarships. It is worth your time.
Jonathan
After spending the past few years of career searching, I realize that what I want to do now is what I wanted to do all along. Being a chef is what I've wanted to do all my life. I just didn't realize it until my senior year of high school. I would have to tell to myself a few things. I'd start with," It's going to be tough, but stay focused. This is what you love to do. Stick with it, and you'll be happier." I didn't know that and made immature decisions that eventually led me to putting my education on hold. "Don't be stupid, and know what kind of people you hang out with. The wrong ones will get you in trouble," is the next thing I would say. I don't know if the younger me would take my advice, but I hope that I would. After the things that I've gone through, the career changes I've made, I've never been happy. But now that I'm back in school, and doing what I love, I'm happier than I've ever been.
Brian
Don't go to K-State, don't do what you think people want you to do, and get some direction; I was in college because I had to be. Oh, and more importantly, those friends you'll meet? Ignore them. Find better friends - real friends. Just be yourself, figure out who you are now instead of four years down the line, and go to college for what you want to do! If you don't know what that is, be undeclared and take classes in EVERYTHING until you figure it out! Don't limit yourself to "gen ed" classes.
Sydney
If I could go back in time and inform myself about the college life and the transition the first thing I would say is apply as soon as you can. I wish I would have started looking at colleges and different scholarships earlier in the school year. I waited until about October or November just to start applying for college. I should have been searching for all kinds of scholarships, student loans, and grants by then. I did not think through how expensive college really is. If I would have realized that before I definitely would have been more efficient about gettting all the financial help I could for my college career. But, since I did not do that I took a tennis scholarship at a community college. It pays for everything except my living situation and it is saving me a lot of money than I would be at a univeristy. However, if you do not like the college you are at it can be pretty miserable and figuring that out first hand makes me wish I would have tried a little harder in searching for financial help for my extended education career.
Jamie
Well, I can admit that I did not take high school seriously. As a senior I had an extremely bad case of "senioritis". However, I don't regret spending my time partying senior year, only because I got all my fun out of the way. So, by the time I had got to college I had grown up a lot. Getting in the swing of things in college was a lot harder for me because I had never been into studying. It took a lot of time but one day I learned how to study, time manage, and get good grades in school. I know I didn't take my free education seriously in high school, but in college I knew I was paying for it and it was voluntary. I now take pride in my grades because I realize that school is the one thing that I can control; what I put into my studies, I get back. I like learning the hard way, it makes the lessons I learn stick with me. I wouldn't tell myself anything, just live it up and keep on keepin' on.
Colton
I would probably catch myself at home skipping seminar on a thursday. I would approach myself and start off by giving him a hug and telling him that everything will be alright. He may not want to hear what I have to say but, If it could change my life I will tell would tell him everything. First, the first love, you like her but, she is not the loving girl you think she is. Later on in the relationship, the one you sacraficed your wealth, time, and your own personal beliefs for will leave you for another man. That man is "God". The next bit of news I would share with him is that his older brother who he looks up to because, of all the mistakes he made to prevent another from making, will die by those mistakes. He will have passed away later that year when I start my first semester of college, shocking my core to the point where it makes education almost impossible to handle. Do not fret though, you can make these changes, talk with "the one" and talk to your brother and tell him how much you love him.
Ashleigh
"If I knew then what I know now...." That phrase never seems to affect us or have any real meaning in our teenage years, but eventually everyone has that moment of clarity. Luckily for me, I managed to get that moment early in my twenties. In high school, I was an active honor roll student. Some of my honors included President, section leader, and librarian of my orchestra, place winner of many debate tournaments, member of the Spanish club, volunteer initiative and various other groups. Not to mention I also worked 30 hours a week at Mcdonalds. Going to college was never an issue or a problem for me. What was, however, was how I was going to pay for it. "Apply for scholarships, you're brilliant!" My parents would tell me. But I ignored their pleas, thinking that I would be able to get scholarships during college. Now, with graduation around the corner, I have the 60k+ dollars in student loans I must pay back looming. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to apply for scholarships to make my college tenure much more enjoyable.
Alyssa
I would tell myself to get a jump start on growing up. It's a week before school starts for me and in that next week I have to get my driver's license, get a car, go to work, arrange a budget, and buy all my school supplies. I was so stubborn then. I didn't feel that it was my job to get a job. It was my job to enjoy my youth. I did that quite well. But now I have to grow up in seven days. I would have told my senior self to get a move on. I would tell myself I could still have fun, but that it was time to be responsible as well. I would tell myself that I really needed to grow up before the whole real world came crashing down on top of my head.
Carolyn
?Believe in yourself! Take that frighteningly big leap of faith and go to college. You know you are smart enough, and you have enough passion and drive to succeed. Don?t settle for what comes easiest, or cling to the comfortable safety of family and friends. Nothing worth having in life is easy, nothing will be handed to you. There will be many tough decisions in life. If you don?t make your own choices the world simply will make them for you. It?s not selfish to want an education. You will never get a good job without a college education no matter how hard you work. It may seem like you have no clue what you want to do with your life, and that?s alright. That?s what college is for, to help you find your way. It?s not just about the books you read, or the papers you write, it?s about life skills. College will be the experience of a lifetime, and if you don?t go now you will regret it later. Your opportunity is here, and the window is small. It only gets harder as you get older, so go for it.
Petra
Don't worry! Don't worry about what you should wear-- there all kinds of people there dressed all different ways, so it really doesn't matter if you dress stylishly or wear sweatpants and a baggy shirt to class. Don't sweat about the classes, either-- yeah, it's college, but just think of it as the next grade higher in highschool, and that's about as hard as the class is going to be. The only thing different is that you'll have to read more. Don't worry about whether to pack a lunch or eat out-- in college, no one cares about that, and you're not going to be considered "uncool" if you do pack your lunch. And definitely don't worry if you don't have a clue what you're doing. You may feel like the only ignorant person on campus, but trust me, there's probably at least a hundred other kids feeling the EXACT same way! Don't be shy about asking questions-- teachers like students who do; it shows you're paying attention. Most of all, HAVE FUN!
Laura
If I could go back as a high school senior, I would do a lot of things differently. I would first start off by telling myself to enjoy my senior year. I would also tell myself to not work so much, I worked full-time through my senior year and I feel like I missed out on that experience. I would also tell myself to study harder, I didn't get bad grades, but I should have had better study habits. I would also tell myself to talk to my counselors more about colleges. I am finding that I am still asking questions while in college and if I would have asked those questions while I was in high school, then I would feel better prepared. I didn't have a bad senior year, but things would be a lot different if I knew then what I know now.
Andrew
Not to waver on applying somewhere, anywhere. I left high school early, and obtained a GED, but neglected to enter a school for fear of wasting time and money on things that wouldn't pay off. That I would start a degree program and back out of it; go to a school I didn't like; take classes that didn't help me. Sitting in my thumbs instead of going out and obtaining an education was a far bigger waste, though; I could already be nearly done had I simply done something instead of nothing.
Whatever concerns you have about college are not enough to keep you from applying. The time and money lost on a useless course is better than the time and money lost not gaining an education.