SUNY Polytechnic Institute Top Questions

As a high school senior I thought I knew everything. I had such zeal and I knew what I wanted to do: pursue a career in broadcasting -- radio to be specific. I enjoy music and have a natural knack for public speaking. I tried college when I was 18 for 2 semesters at a 4 year institution. I started out doing the general education classes. I dubbed them “fluff classes” that I didn’t see the need for. I brought my concerns forth, but was told, "you will change your major at least 10 times." I changed schools, trained within 1 year, and quickly landed a radio job. Fast forward 20 years. After having to leave my job at an advertising agency, I’ve had a difficult time of finding a job within my industry. I figured that my vast work experience could carry me. Nope. My education was deemed worthless, even though I was trained, actively worked and evolved in the workplace. It didn’t matter. It's not a degree. I would tell my younger self to shut up and sit through those “fluff classes.” The degree is all that matters.

If I were able to go back in time I would tell myself that college is very hard and intense. I shouldn't take more than two classes at a time while working. I would also tell myself not to let others choose what University to go to. There's alot of things i would love to tell myself about college; but the major thing would be to focus in my senior year and don't let anyone stop me from doing my best. Another thing I would say is Pay attention and do all your work because you will need it when you begin your courses. The last thing I would tell myself don't be afraid to ask for help with your math classes; They have free tutors for you to succeed.

If I could go back and talk myself as a high school senior advice I would give myself about college is first file out as many scholarships and free money as possible, because thinking that loans will pay for everything it doesn’t work that way another thing I would tell myself is take another year of math even thought you have met the math requirements to graduate because when you get to college it will help a lot especially if you take a class like calculus AP by doing this you can get exempted from test like the EPT and ELM (if attending a CSU). The last thing I would tell myself as a high school senior is that you should always stay focused although it is your senior year and you want to have fun by staying focused it will keep you on track for college and you will be more likely to succeed.

Firstly, you need to fill out every scholarship possible. Seriously, I'm working myself to the bone here trying to further my education with a job and full-time coursework. College is much more expensive than I anticipated in high school and now I am suffering the consequences. Exploit every opportunity you can to improve your life. You waste too much time playing games, and spend too little time learning new skills, or volunteering. Participate more in clubslike the Solar Car team, make connections that will help you in the long run. Scratch that, find people, and hobbies, you enjoy and go explore them. Soon you will have little-to-no time to do anything because of the financial burden of college. Seriously, you will not only alleviate the burden from yourself, but from your parents. Enjoy yourself, but think more about the future. Also, study more often you half-wit. Seriously, you'll thank me in the long-run. Explore your options more thoroughly, your first choice of college was terrible. Read the fine print more often, it'll be worth it in the end. Branch out, make connections at college. Your friends will help you in life.

I would have pushed myself even harder to make even better grades. I also would have told myself that the transition into college would not be as easy as expected. It takes hard work and loads of effort. You have to adjust to not being with your parents as often as you were used to. College is a significant milestone of life, and will pay off in the future with much dedication.

As a high school senior, I went to Fulton Montgomery Community College for their Early Admission program. I took college courses that also counted as my required high school credits and was able to complete a full year of college in my high school senior year. If I could go back and give myself some advice for college, I'd tell myself to focus more on studying, and less on what is available to you on campus. There are a lot of distractions on a college campus that, if you're not diligent, will take you away from your school work and set you up for problems in the end of the semesters. I'm still learning this now, because I wasn't told ahead of time.

Eucation can change your life.

If I could go back and talk to myself about college life and making the transition, their would be many different areas I would focus on. I did what most college students do their first time out of the house; I partied and spent more money than I really wanted to. Although I was meeting a lot of new friends and having fun I realized pretty quick that I needed to grow up because things in life are not handed to you and I needed to find my own future. There are many different opportunities that college offers that I never knew existed, such as resume building, clubs/oganizations related to my degree, internships/job opportunities and the list goes on. The biggest reason I didn't know about these is the fact that I never asked and that is the number one thing I would go back and tell myself to do; ask questions. With the economy the way it is, finding a job will be even harder, which makes it that much more important to go out and find my own ways at being successful in life. I just wish i had started exploring earlier than I have.

Going to college will be a very difficult transition, and there will be times when you want to cry and give up. Learning to live with someone you don't know will be a very trying time, and fire drills will never be the same again. However, no matter how many times you cry or feel sad, your mom will always be there to comfort you. Going home for weekends will be a relief, but always be prepared to go back. Take a deep breath, hold your head high, and push through the year. Always remember that you have a right to stand up to your awful roommate, and always remember that you can transfer rooms if things don't work out. Sometimes that is the best option. Don't let school work slip through your fingers, because you will regret it very much .

Attending college has been valuable to me for so many reasons. The first reason for coming back to school was to set an example for my son. As not only being the first college graduate in my family, I am also only the second person to finish high school. The only way for me to teach him how valuable and attainable a college degree can be was for me to teach by example. Next, knowledge is empowering. The more knowledge that I possess, the more doors I can open for both my son and myself. Also being knowledgeable about the world in which we live, will allow me to make more of a positive difference in the world. It will allow me to have the chance to give back to society. Right up there with all the other valuable reasons for me to be attending college is that my life may inspire some other girl from a poor, uneducated family to make the choice to reach for more.