Southwestern Michigan College Top Questions

If I could go back in time to offer advice to my high school senior version of myself, I would advise myself to figure out what college and degree was right for me. Procrastination was a killer for my scholarship deadlines and college admission applications. Also I still recommend going to a cheap local community college before transferring to a four-year college. Community colleges act as an excellent transition between high school and college. It also helps dampen the financial burden of a higher education. Above all advice you must follow your heart. Don't go to college for anyone but yourself, you need all the determination and discipline to achieve academic success.

Dear Self, I would like to start with asking you the question why did you ever think high school was hard? Let me say that once you reach college, high school seems easy as pie. If you thought that an hour and a half class was wrong it is nothing compared to three hour long night classes. So my main advice to you would be to get in a schedule. Cut out some of your hanging out with friends time and replace it with certain hours of study like from four to six is homework and study and that is all you do. You get your work done this way and you won't feel as bad if you don't hang out with your friends when you learn you have no time in college for free time. Also, get you sleep. Your mind learns the best when it is rested and so does your body.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a senior the first thing that I would tell myself is that there is nothing more important than an education. It does not matter what you have to do to get it, just get it. I would tell them to push themselves in high school. Take as many advanced classes as available to begin readying themselves for college. It is a completely different style of attending school. The responsibility for whether you succeed or fail is totally on you. There is no one there to remind you to do things and to be to class. Sit down and talk to your parents about your expectations and theirs if they are paying for the costs. I would seriously tell them to consider attending a local community college first to get the basics if they are at all not comfortable being out on their own. Better to stay at home and succeed than to go away too early and fail.

If I could go back in time to this situation I would tell myself to becareful with the financial part that comes with college. This come to talk about financial aide, student loans, and just overall college expenses. It is very easy to accept student loans when all you have to do is sign a paper to get that money. I would also tell myself that if I don't have a major selected yet, just to start off with a community college and try to figure out what I want to do from there. Going to a community college or a 2 year college will help you and guide you to what you really want to be later on in life. I would tell myself, by doing these two things it will save me a lot of money and it will just better my future all around.

If I were to go back in time, I wouldn't change anything. The lessons I have learned, have made me the person I am today. I chose to go to a community college for a couple years to save money and play basketball on scholarship. Although I never truly had the dorm experience, I wouldn't change anything for the world. I then transferred to a four year university and attended for a couple years. I still haven't graduated, because I simply cannot afford the full tuition on my own. This scholarship would really help me to get over that hump and finish school with the world ahead of me. Thank you for your time and opportunity. Jessica Johnson

I would tell myself to do the best that i can in highschool, and to make sure you look at all options when choosing a college to go to. Do what is best for you not where your friends are going to, it may not always be a university.