Moraine Valley Community College Top Questions

To not procrastinate and make my decisions early on.

Make you sure you use a planner. Organization is the key to success. Even if it seems silly, color coordinate your folders and notebooks, get a daily planner, write a lot of notes, and stay organized overall.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to enjoy high school more but also to become prepared for college. I personally studied a lot my senior year of high school because I was inspired by my math teacher, and I wanted to earn good grades so that I could follow in her footsteps by becoming a math teacher myself . I would tell myself to develop good study habits and to use more resources that the high school has to offer. I would also tell myself to truly appreciate what the high school has to offer because college is so much more expensive and the books cost money as well. This is a hard adjustment for me because I am so used to receiving my books in class without having to pay money for them. I would also tell myself to have a sense of what to do with your life because it will make the scheduling of classes so much easier if you have a general direction of where you want to be in the future. I would tell myself to keep on working hard because in the end it will pay off.

Go to community college. High school doesn't really matter. Save your money and go to CC. Make sure to get a 3.5 or higher GPA, and keep track of scholarships too. Do extracurriculars for financial aid when you go to university.

My advice is get involved on campus. From what I can tell about college, it’s important to get involved in clubs and organizations. So, my advice is to get involved in clubs and organizations that interest you. It would be important because it would also teach me how to balance my social, academic, and personal life. It would also look good on a resume and may lead me to get a job or an internship. More importantly, it would help me gain a better perspective on certain areas in academia. People may be able to help me understand a topic better and even help me grow individually. Not only that, but it would also help me know my interests and hobbies. From there, I could go and see if I would want a job in that field or for a major. That would be my advice to my high school self.

When I was in high school and I had to choose a school to go to, I had a hard time picking just one school. A couple of my older friends suggested I go to Moraine Valley since they love it there and it is also close to home. I considered their idea and looked more into the school. If I would have known how great this school was, I wouldn’t have even considered my other options that I had in mind. If I knew all about Moraine before attending, I would have told myself to not be afraid to get involved and to not be afraid to talk to professors or advisors. I used to be afraid of asking for help or trying something new, but Moraine is such an organized and helpful school, that they literally help you through all the difficult situations you might have. Getting involved in clubs or organizations is so simple and very welcoming. Another really nice thing I wish I would have known my first year I attended Moraine is the job center. They offer internships, job, mock interviews and anything you would need to get a job. This is honestly amazing.

If I would have known what I know now my senior year I would have pushed myself more then. Just like many other seniors I took not so challenging classes and was just worried about prom and graduation. Although my GPA was at it's highest senior year, I could have challenged myself more. Taking all fun classes my senior year had me in a lazy stage, so when I got to Moraine Valley I was still somewhat in that stage. I wasn't ready for all the work about to be thrown at me. Even though I did get through it, it took a bit longer adjusting, because I was used to not having any work. I did learn from it though, and this semester I took on more challenging classes, because I need to prepare myself for the transfer to Illinois State University in the Fall of 2010. I know it's going to be more challenging there, especially since I'm going to be taking classes for my major. My senior year was enjoyable, but I think I could have enjoyed it while challenging myself as well. .

If I could go back in time, I would. As a student at a community college it is hard not to envy your fellow friend that chose to go to a big university. If I was given another opportunity; I would not be lazy, I would not procrastinate, I would have done the research necessary, but most of all I would have applied to different universities. As an architecture major, completing your general education before hand isn't necessary. In the architecture programs you start right away in architecture classes. Unfortunately this means I will be behind and I never wanted that. If I could go back in time I would have applied to different places and hoped for the best. Comunity college should have been my back up plan, not the actual plan.

If I could go back in time to talk to my high school senior self I would tell him. College is very different form high school it will be hard but it is also the most rewarding. During college you will find out who you are and what you are meeant to do. try everything sieze every oppertunity that comes your way and regret nothing. I would also tell myself to follow his dreams and he should become a counselor because I know he really enjoys helpng people and that for him is the best way to accoplish his particyular goal.

Your degree is what will get you in the door of a career, but it's the knowlege that you've gained from your classes and experiences that will keep you there.