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.

College has really brought out the best in me. My teachers really want their students to succeed and my school has a long history of raising successful students. I wanted to be a part of tradition so I have put forth my best effort to meet this end. I have learned a great deal at my university and every lecture or lab teaches me new things and skills that are going to be crucial for me when I leave school and enter into the workplace. As a student who lives off-campus, I didn't know how well I could meld with the campus community when I first arrived. The instructors and students really make you feel like you are an important part of the campus community. It is this community that really made me want to strive to do my best. I know that when I leave this school, I will be ready for new challenges and experiences in the workplace and I will have lifelong friends that will follow me along the way.

My college experience so far has been a great experience. Living on campus has made me a more responsible and mature individual. I am looking forward to graduating from college in the year 2013. And pursuing a career in Communication/ Graphic designs I will never forget this experience. I have to really thank my mom for all th sacrifices she had to make inorder to put me through college. I also want to thank her for pushing me into doing good in school and always telling me that without a good education it will be hard getting a good job. So thank you Mom!

I learned to be independent by taking care of responsibilities. Starting college was intimidating but later helped me build confidence. I acheived success by managing my time, doing my coursework one piece at a time, and following a list of duties I needed to do. I felt that I explored the entire world unlike high school. The more I learned and the harder I worked the sooner it will be for me to reach my goals in life.

My college experience has shown me how to learn, the ability to make good decisions. It has led me to meet many new people and to be open to diversity.

The first time I read an article by Newsweek's Fareed Zakaria, I knew I wanted to be a journalist. I was aimless when I enrolled in my introductory journalism class, but I was quickly engulfed by a community of students and instructors that wanted to me to succeed and had the skills to guide me through my educational journey. I started writing and reporting for the community college online news publication and had a "real world" experience of what my career will be like on a fast-paced news beat. Working with other students that are my colleagues and in some cases my supervisors; I have learned the importance of meeting deadlines and producing quality work that I am proud to put my name on. Because of my college education, journalism ethics are engrained in my code of ethics as I continue reporting and working towards my journalism degree and career. Through electives like computer design and sociology, my college career has also equipped me with two important things that most employers look for in a successful candidate: technical skills and openness to diversity.

I have got the ability to attend college because no one in my family has ever been and most haven't graduated from high school. I have met many people and made a ton of new friends. Its been valuable to be me because I know once I get through my college years I can still do anything I want to do.

The most I have gotten out of my experience at SUNY IT is that I am in a school with friends that I can learn from. I started learning computer programming and 3D modeling. I would have never been able to get the tools and help before I came to SUNY IT but now that I'm here I have great new friends and new skills.

I have gotten so much out of my college experience. Confidence would probably be the most valuable thing. I look back at what I have already accomplished and it gives me the courage to continue. I feel like I can do this because I have been doing it. Every time I finish a class, I look back and think, wow, I did that. Confidence gives people power. Once you feel like you have no limits, you just keep going. Knowledge is like an addition, once you get a taste of it, you want more. There is so much out there to obtain. Education is truly a gift and privilege that can not be taken away once it is obtained. We are laying the foundation for the future and we need educated people to do that, I’m just glad that I live in a place that allows opportunities for a college education. Education is the key to a successful future.

I wanted desperately to love my family, and my interest in psychology enabled me to do just that. My college education saved me from the darkness that blinded my family as my father’s alcoholism wreaked havoc on our lives. I learned that I was not alone, and I was not crazy for having questions. In fact, having questions meant I was sane, and having something to learn meant there was a way to break my family’s cycle of addiction and broken marriages. Thanks to my education, I found compassion for my dad, even as his recklessness dramatically affected my life. The invaluable information I gained in classes served me greatly when I had to understand what happened the day my father went to prison for Voluntary Manslaughter. Throughout the chaos of the trial that followed his arrest, I clung to my education. Now I realize that my education will enable me to produce and provide the information that saved me. I’m grateful to be afforded the opportunity to one day prevent such heartbreak for other families with my future career in psychology.

Looking back, my college experience was literally nothing like what I thought it would be when I moved on campus freshman year. I have learned so much about myself that living at home and going to community college would have never provided me. I have learned that I can really work hard to earn my grades and still balance a healthly social life. I learned a lot about myself socially as well. I learned that it is true that you should never go to college with your best friend. I learned that I need to be assertive and not let people walk all over me. I learned how to know who my true friends are. All of these lessons is why it was so valuable to attend SUNYIT. Without this experience I would have never done all of the cliche college things (all nighters). I also would have never thought I was capable to do well and become a strong independant woman in the business world. I would have never gotten to be apart of a NCAA sport. Finally, it has been valuable to attend because I now know more about who I am.