Mount Washington College Top Questions

If I could go back and give my high school self advice, I would tell her to never doubt her choice to wait to attend college. I remembered being consumed with worry about my future and how I was going to afford college. At 18 I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I took a lot of criticism for waiting to start. However when I look back having to wait has allowed me to accomplish so much during those seven years. This time allowed me to serve in the military and see the world. I believe life is full of choices and those choices, good and bad, define who we become. The choices I’ve made since being a young, shy and inexperienced high school student have transformed me into a woman who knows her worth. I would want my future self to know its ok to take the scenic route on the path to higher education. I would encourage her to look forward to those unique experiences and use them to build a foundation for future education. Untimely don’t worry, you will get there when its time and you will love the journey.

When I was a high school senior in 1988 my mother was a single parent with two children. Most of my decision about which college to attend was based on what my mother could afford. So I chose a small two year college instead of the four year college I was interested in. I wish I could go back and tell myself to spend more time researching what type of grants and scholarships were available so I could have had more choices for my college education. It has taken me 24 years to be able to go back to school to work toward a Bachelor's degree with the hopes of continuing onto a Master's. I hope to improve my financial situation so that my daughter will not feel as if she cannot choose the college of her dreams. My advice for my high school self (and for my daughter) is to follow your dreams, look for a school that will help you to achieve your goals and dreams, get involved in on-campus activities, make the most of your college experience because once you graduate that feeling of community and friendship is hard to find again.

If I could go back and talk to myself the advice that I'd give is to study hard now and to put more time into my studies in order to get better grades so I wouldn't have as manysimple classes to pick up in college. I would take time to fill out the scholarships that I had the chance to in order to lower tution fees, sign up for FASFA before its too late and have to work harder than ever to pay for my tution and books. If I would have taken more time in high school and less time in sports that I couldn't participate in, expecally my senior year, I could have gotten better grades meaning a higher GPA and less credits to pick up when I transfer to a junior college. By filling out my FASFA early and not waiting until my second semester I could have saved and been in better shape for more schooling after finishing two years at the junior college. I would diffenatly have put more effort in learning math and worked that much harder in all my subjects. I did not realize how much math matters in LIFE!

"Enroll in a writing class NOW. You have no idea what those college people are going to expect. I recognize that you think it’s all fun and learning games, but it isn’t. There’s writing, when that’s over be prepared to write some more. And that’s just the mathematics courses. Do you comprehend how numb my fingers are from typing? Yesterday I went to pat the cat and my hand froze above his head, he struggled fruitlessly for ten minutes to raise his back up into my palm. Poor little guy finally gave up, I haven’t seen him since. This morning the dog barked, so I tried to correct his spelling by figuring out if it was a “woof” or a “woff”. It was a “whoof”! I woke up several hours later in a pool of my tears. Right now, as we speak, I’m selecting the appropriate punctuation for all of my sentences. Darn, that needed an exclamation point to bring up the urgency of my comment. Either way, you must begin…at the beginning. Now get out of this video arcade, run into Mrs. Smith’s class and learn, learn like the wind.”

Don't be afraid. Don't be overwhelmed. Just take a deep breath and get started. It may seem like a daunting task with all those applications and their deadlines but take your time and you'll get everything done. A lot of the information you need is repeditive so don't start stressing about all the answers. Relax. Keep moving, keep filling things out. Do a little here and a little there and before you know it you'll have everything done. It is way easier than you think it is.

Laurie, go to a college far away from home and stay there. Fnd scholorships, work study, or loans to make this possible. Do not let the mistakes of your parents affect your future. You are smart and beautiful and can go very far in life. Going back to school at the age of 38 is much more difficult than staying in school at 18. Believe in yourself and stick with the people that believe in you. Stay away from the people that bring you down. You are important to many people, use all the support you can get to go where you need to go. Life is hard, harder than you can even imagine. Having a college education will allow you to go places in life and get the jobs and opportunities that you deserve. You can do whatever you put your mind to.

Pick a coruse that will make your heart sing with happiness and you enjoy waking up very morning wanting to go they and make something of your self.

Let's go back in time and talk to myself...Norman I am telling out of experience that you need not to expect the heavens to fall down and worship you. Especially knowing this is not your first choice or even a choice you intended. Not all colleges are same even though that word "college" is filled of excitement and opportunity. Now that you got that glorified image out your head Its time to think about your transitioning. This will be easy knowing that you want to get away so don't bring your past life with you such as music, style of clothes, and gifts from family, friends, and associates. College is a place to refine yourself and in search of a new direction, memories would only hold you back so think about that. Making friends wouldn't be hard giving the fact that living in the same dorms and on the same campus they come easy. Now when it comes to parties and studies, the one skill I know you have is management. You're going to have to use it to the fullest. This is where the test happens to see if you pass or fail college.

Looking back as a high school senior, I didn't know much about college, or college life. I just went with the flow and whatever happened, well, sort of happaned. I didn't have a plan, nor did I know what I wanted to do with my life, but as a college student now, I am on the right track. If I were to be able to go back in time, I would tell myself to begin my searches for colleges, and majors that I would be interested in. I would also tell myself to start looking for different scholorships, and grants that were available to me as a highschool senior. I believe I would have saved a little bit of money. As a high school senior, I would also had applied to more 4 year colleges, due to not having to transfer credits to another college. I know that if I had done so, I would have saved both money, and time. I am quiet happy where I stand as a college student and wouldn't change it, for I have succeeded and plan to continue on my path.

I would tell myself to go to college right after high school. It is hard to go bach when you have a life including kids, bills and a full time job. I would tell myself to embrace being a young adult.