Kami
Make sure you work hard, and always have a job of some sort besides that of a student.
Kami
Don't procrastinate when it comes to school work. If you keep up with work, life is much nicer.
Travis
Get good friends. At college you will face many obsticals as you step into this new portion of your life. You can do it alone, but you won't have a social life if you try to do it alone. Now is your chance, find friends that will last for a lifetime. Make sure that they are good friends that give only positive peer pressure. Don't go it alone. Build relationships and work together toward your futures.
Joseph
Do not be discouraged. You will have a challenging class or end up completely broke at some point in your college career. It's inevitable, there's nothing you can do about it. Don't stress too much, but at the same time don't stress too little. Keep youself in check.
Dominique
When choosing the right college nmake sure that the college suits your needs. Vist the college before hand if possible. Make sure that its somewhere that your can be comfortable, somewhere that you can picture yourself living for a long time. Most importantly pick a college where you can the best education, meaning dont pick the college that has the hottest parties and most fun (even though that maybe what you really what you want lol). College is not just about fun its about preparing a brighter future for yourself, so pick somewhere where that you can be focused. When entering college be optimistic and open minded to things that you may not be used to, try new things and talk to many people. One of the best things you will gain from college is a great experience so have fun, be open minded, but also be smart and make good decisions.
Joseph
Make sure you pick a school that will compliment your style of learning as well as your social style. Just because a place is big and looks very good might not suite your style if you like to have a more personal relationship with your professors. If you dont mind being a number then big schools are great but if you like the teacher knowing your name and being able to have a relationship with the people in your class then smaller schools could be the way to go. Never let the look of the school be your final decision, its about the educational quality that you are paying for, not the scenery.
Brishia
When you graduate high school, do not go to a college based on the athletic teams that you may have supported throughout the years or the mileage to and from your hometown. It is important to focus on what's really important, your education. Make sure that the university has your top 3 choices of interest for study. It never hurts to do a little research before you attend the school, find out why other students attend that school, what views students generally hold, and the extra-curricular activities that you can get yourself involved in. College is a time for you to slowly grow-up, by the end of your 4 + years, your university should have helped you find yourself and the place you should go next. As you will be spending years of your life at this college or university, it is important that you are happy and are able to enjoy every minute of it, even if you are in class.
Gabrielle
In order to find the right college, it is incredibly important to look at the extracurricular interests of the student. Yes, academics is an essential ingredient to the college experience, but no one could make it through all of that without the proper outlets to make friends and stay true to oneself. It has been proven that getting involved on campus brings up ones GPA, but what advisors and orientation leaders will not tell you is that getting involved on campus helps you to become the outstanding student that you truely want to be, that it will shape you to be an outgoing, friendly, and - most importantly - successful member of your college campus.
john
go visit the school and pick the school that fits the student not parent best
Stephanie
Make sure to take advantage of any oppurtunity to take a college tour, or to visit the any colleges you are interested in. Don't wait until your orientation, go during the school year, when the whole day isn't focused on impressing newcomers. If you going on a random day during the year, you will see what the school is really like.
Join extra curriculars, I strongly suggest Greek Life, but anything will work, just get involved. You will make lots of friends, and it will help you feel more accomplished. Also, as cliche as it sounds, go to class, and do you work. You will really regret it if you blow off your freshman year, and then have to stay an extra year to retake a couple classes.
Remember, college is a new place, with new people, and new oppurtunities. If you didn't like who you were in high school, now is the time to change it. No one will judge you here, we don't know you were the dorky kid in high school. Be whoever you want to be.