Salt Lake Community College Top Questions

I would give myself the advice to take as many college classes in high school that I could. This saves money for tuition and allows students to be exposed to a college environment. These classes will help one prepare for college and give one an idea of what to expect in college. Its also a good idea to work while in high school because the more money one can save, the better.

Dear Mallory- If there is any advice I could give you it would be to stay optimistic, be flexible to change and new ideas, and realize that in the future, things will come up. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations that are out of our control, either personally or financially, where pursuing further education may have to come second to your life. Most of your peers will be either graduating with their degrees or applying to graduate school. What is important to remember is to never lose sight of your goals. Good things take time; school takes time. Never feel that you are in competition with anyone or feel the need to rush your education. Right now you're thinking you go to college, graduate and land your dream job, but in the future economic climate we live in, that?s not the case. While your friends may have earned their degrees in four years, they are struggling to enter the job market with unemployment around 9-10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} nationwide. Try to stay motivated and find a path that suits your own lifestyle; you can?t always plan out your life but always continue to pursue your goals. Sincerely, Mallory Black

I think during a point of everyones life we all have the "If I could do it all over again" moment but in this instance as a senior if I could talk to my self again I would say stick with it, staying in college is the best option. If you delay or stop it is so hard to go back. Now I find myself as a 33 year old mom thinking if I had stuck with it how different life would be, how different my career choices would be and the options I can give my kids.

There are essential things that high school seniors need to know for the transition from High school to college. Most of the things I know now; are the ones that I have learned by getting involved as a student ambassador. The advice that I would give to I if I were a High school senior again is: ?Don?t be afraid of asking for help, if you ask for help does not mean that you will not be ?cool? anymore. ?Do not let your shyness stop you from succeeding. ?Apply for scholarships and grants; this will help you pay for school tuition, fees, books, and other school related expenses. ?Turn in applications ON TIME! ?See an Academic Adviser as soon as possible, they will let you know what courses you need to take ?It is okay to be undecided on what your major is going to be ?Be prepared for all your classes, and attend to all the sessions. ?College is not like High school. ?Learn to manage your time between school, homework, job, and other extracurricular activities. ?Do what you want to do, not what others tell you to do.

Knowing what I now know about college life and having the ability to travel back in time to when I was in highschool. I would advise myself to work a lot harder in class. Instead of procrastinating the entire time and eeking out average grades. I would have made a conscious effort to pay close attention and actually focus on learning. I would have completed my assignments and turned them in on-time. I would have tried harder and not let my desire to have fun, out-weigh my responsibilities as a student. I would have paid more attention in class, instead of letting my mind wander to the point of putting all my focus on meaningless childish things.

Looking back on my high school experience, I realize that I thought it was the most important thing in the world and still didn't always take it seriously. I also realize that my high school years were the one major opportunity I had with virtually unlimited amounts of time and more disposable income. If I could go back and talk to myself before I graduated, I would tell myself to take as many Concurrent Enrollment/AP classes as I could because it is a great way to take college courses without the added expense. I would also tell myself to make sure I took my grades and extra-curricular activities seriously because so much of your college experience depends on what you did as a high school student. I would also remind myself, for good measure, to make sure I had the best time I could because while life does get better, high school offered me some pretty great days.

Going back to talk to myself as a high school senior would be a bittersweet chance for me. There's no guarantee that I would even listen to myself. How hard headed I must have been to know I wouldn't even listen to myself. I imagine the high school me would be laying on the bed, ear phones in my ears, volume turned up to the max, homework sitting by my side untouched, and my phone right in my hand texting away. I would walk in and tell my highschool self to go to school! I would ask myself the question that I ask myself this very day, Why don't you go to class? What's wrong with your classes? Senior year is the most important year in high school and I know you don't want to go believe me I can feel how you feel. Just go, it saves us so much trouble at the end of year. And maybe you will actually be able to enjoy your summer instead of doing make up packets. College is so much better than high school, trust me, we LOVE it. So please just try, for us.

If I could go back to high school and tell my stubborn, teenage self one thing I have learned from being in college, it would be to start studying! In high school I avoided studying like it was the black plague. And although I still received good grades in high school it would have been beneficial to have study habits figured out BEFORE i needed to put them to use. In high school I was always at a friends or on a date and even when I was home I was playing games with my family. Studying was a thought that didn't cross my mind until the day of a big test. But after being in college, I have realized I cant just listen to a lecture and hope my brain absorbs and retains the content. Learning college level material requires college level effort. And while friends, dating and family are all very important, an education is important too (especially when you are paying for it). So I would tell myself have fun while you are in high school but also work in time to study, and find a method that works for you.

High school is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I think most people take for granted including myself. If I could go back in time to when I was a senior in high school the advice that I would give myself would be to take advantage of all Advanced Placement and college credit classes because it will save so much time. Rather than having to complete a lot of general education classes you can take more classes specific to your major. It would be a good idea to have a job while in high school to help save as much money as you can to pay for future schooling, but most importantly participate in as many school activities and clubs as possible. You will never regret taking advantage of opportunities given. These will help you to grow and to discover who you are. Also, so many more doors will be opened in your future because of all the experiences you will have from taking part in school activities. You're only in high school once so don't let it pass by without enjoying the ride.

Dear Me, Here's some college advice from the future. Cool, I know. Ok, first, save your money! College is a lot more expensive than you think. Second, your high school counlelor doesn't know everything. You have to find information about colleges and scholarships youreslf. They are a good place to start but the rest is up to you. Third, don't do what everyone else is doing. Take classes you want and join the clubs that you want. After high school, everyone will go their own way. Make sure you know what way you are going to go. Fourth, spend time getting to know your teachers. They may seem crazy now, but you will look back and realize you could have learned a lot from their life experiences. Plus, when it comes time for them to write a letter of recommendation, they will know more about you so they can write a better letter. Last but not least, don't procrastinate those due dates! Just do it! If you don't have time to fill out an application right now, schedule a time to do it so you don't forget. Good Luck! Love, Me.

I would give myself two words of advice before I started my post high school education. The first one being the importance of creating good study habbits. This is important because 95 {4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the learning I have done has come from doing work at home or studying on my own outside the classroom. Being a student that seldom did homework in high school this was an exceptionally hard thing for me to learn. The second is to not be afraid to try new things. When I first graduated, I was in a routine where I would go to school, where I would attend the same type of classes I had done all through high school, go to the same job that I had since the summer before my senior year, after which I would go home where I would eat watch some television then go to sleep. I would repeat this routine everyday. This kept things very much like high school for me and I did not enjoy it. A friend suggested I become part of Studend Life and Leadership and everything we did outside of my routine changed my life and made my school experience much more enjoyable.

I would tell myself to study daily! Take the time to make good study habits and get homework done. I would also tell myself to take as many concurrent enrollment and AP classes as you can so you've got a jump start in your college career. Another thing I would say is to apply for any and all scholarships available. They can pay for anything school realated whether it be books, a laptop, tuition, once the money is you're you can spend it basically how you like; and college can be expensive. Don't think that because you've got it made with tution, etc. that you won't have to sacrifce more of your time and money than anticpated. Be prepared for whatever lies ahead. Keep your options open and take classes in several areas to found out your own personal niche. And once you find your niche, stick with it and don't waste your time and money on classes that won't help you get a degree. Also, try to get good scores on your ACT, SAT, and other placement tests and get your name to as many colleges and universities you're intersted in.

Dear Senior Carly, You're about to graduate how exciting! Please; however, be careful of getting what many call "senioritis". Symptoms include taking the easiest classes possible, laziness, lack of studying, and becoming apathetic about school in general. The cause is when seniors focus merely on the minimal requirements to graduate high school, rather than focusing on college. Don't fall into this trap! Taking this year seriously, you can put yourself ahead after graduation. One way to do this is take more college level classes. Passing these classes will save you a lot of time and money! They also teach you valueable study skills and they give you a taste of what college coursework is like, making you more prepared to be a successful student. Besides taking academics more seriously, I would also advice to get involved in more extracurricular activities. In college it becomes more difficult to balance school, work, having a family, and whatever else may come along. Take advantage of anything you can get involved in now! You can also learn valueable lessions from participating in extracurricular activities. such as balancing your responsibilities. Please take these words of advice, and good luck! Sincerely, future Carly

There would be a lot of advice that I would give myself. I work as an Outreach Specialist, so it is my job to help high school students make the transition to college. I would tell myself to take more concurrent classes in high school. I would tell myself to be even more involved in my community and to start earlier into the career that I am working on now. In high school I had some ideas of what I wanted to go to school for but I was still not sure. Now that I know what I want, I would tell myself to go for it sooner. I would tell myself to start at Salt Lake Community College to save money and get a better feel for college then go to the University. My experience at the University was still really good but would have been better if I had started here. I would have felt more comfortable with the whole process and would have a better chance to see all that a college offers. My parents never went to college to having to find out everything on my own was hard but possible.

Take time for yourself. Look at all of your options before you jump into a class. Just because it looks fun, it is not always your best option. You need to look at the long term goal. Everything takes time. You don't have to do everything at once. Even if you have to take one class at a time to get you closer to your goal, you are one step closer than if you didn't. You might as well take what you can handle, no matter how long it takes. You will always be moving forward, and you will eventally be that age that you forsee at the end; so, you might as well make it worth your while in each class you take. Take it in and enjoy.

How does the cliche go? Hindsight is 20/20. I have always been a subscriber to the school of thought that says that the most valuable knowledge we recieve is obtained through experience. If I could go back in time to the simple high school years I doubt I would have even listened to my present older, wiser, and better looking self (blessedly I no longer part my hair down the center). I've had to be honest with myself and push aside the career pipe dreams of my high school days and take a realistic inventory of my skills and interests: I write well. I like to cook. I've always been a connoisseur of great literature. If I could tell my hard-headed little high school self anything, it would be to not waste time with the unimportant. Video games got me nowhere in a hurry. Dilusions that I will write the great American novel and make hundreds of thousands overnight need to be put aside (not that I'll ever give up on that dream). Though I will write it...one day. In short, I'd tell myself to prioritize and learn as much as possible.

I have asked myself many times what I would do differently if I knew then what I know now. I am a person that tries to predict how my future will be carried out. I have had many thoughts about school and my profession. If I could talk to myself as a high school senior I would give myself advice about online classes, choosing classes, and the importance of scholarships. First, I would tell myself the benefits and downfalls to online classes. I would make sure I knew that they can be very convenient and useful in saving money on gas. However, I would make sure I knew about the minimal interaction with other people and that it can become very depressing. Next, class choice is very important. Many professors are not qualified to teach their own class and examining this is important before choosing. Finally, I would make sure I attempted to get more scholarships. I was very lazy in high school and now I have to pay for all of my classes. Scholarships are very important. The three things that are to be considered when looking at college are online classes, class choice, and scholarships.

If I could go back in time, I would tell my younger self to not forget taking the time to live. College is certainly there for the education, and for making one a smarter person, but it's also there to give you life. Perspective, and opportunity, the things that create memories, and make one a better person. Instead of locking myself away in dorm rooms, waiting for life to find me, I would tell myself to go out there and embrace it. Experience things, talk to people, make new friends, but never expect the world to unfold for you, just because you want it. And I would tell myself to stick with passion. Getting marketable degrees that have career potential sounds like the right way to go about things, but if you're not in love with what you're learning, then no amount of job security can save you. Study something that you can't stop loving to learn about. Money will come in time, so long as you love what you do. I'd tell myself to believe strong, and cherish every single day I have.

I would tell myself to keep doing what I'm doing! Stay on track, continue being organized and ready for what ever life may had you! Keep your head up when finals come around, you cant stress about it, even after you turn them in. Stressing will not change the grade. Remember that school comes before the parties and fun. Don't flip out on people if they tell you that you need to relax, take the advice it might do you more good than harm. If you need help, ask!! There is no such thing as a dumb question. Once all your questions are answered you will understand what is asked of you and turn it in on time. Don't slack off, if you do you'll end up with grades you don't want or like so I'm telling you as your future self to get your head in the game and stop worrying about those around you. Last be yourself when all else fails, 'cause in the end you can only take your knowledge.

If I was able to go back into time and tell myself what I know now, I would probably say that going to class is extermely important. Everyone tells you this but it isnt until after you are gone and in college you realize that simple mistakes you have made during High School effect you in the long run. Yes hanging with your friends and socalizing is important but so is your education your friends can wait, Always put school first!