Valencia College Top Questions

Just keep studying

Everyone needs to know that most people you meet in life are not there to be a real friend. People will take advantage of nice generous people. There are people out there that are only concerned about themselves, that will you use you. I would say get anyone suspicious of that out of your life immediately.

The absolute first thing I would have to say to my High school self would have to be: Do not take the financial aid for Granted! That by far was the biggest mistake made during my college career. It was taken for granted in the form of me simply not having the aim, energy, and effort it requires excelling in college; subsequently so... What basically was a scholarship in the form of Pell grants was squandered. Me, being 24 years of age now, finally having come to realize the whole of my potential, finally having realized the talent I possess, and being finally ready to maximize it, I would have most assuredly been shooting for the stars. The best part about this realization though; I would have to is... I Now realize it's not too late! I would tell myself to go for it all; and to make sure that I enjoyed myself the whole way. I would tell myself to simply seize the day, and that whatever your hands find to do, do it with all of your heart. Well, I've decided that I'm just going to take my own advice.

Hey Casey! You have an amazing opportunity to go to college right now so don't screw it up! *Slaps high school Casey* Stay away from the crowd you currently hang around with, they are bad news and distract you from what you are truely capable of. I highly advise that you go to the dorms and do not get an apartment with your two friends. It does not end well. If you don't listen to me you will run into trouble and will spend the next six years learning some very tough lessons only to land back at square one. Except square one this time is much more difficult and stressful. Just giving you the reality of the situation. You will not have the scholarships or the money you have now to go to school. You literally have to give up everything you have and be completely unsure of how it will all turn out just to go back becuase the mediocre life you will have is unbearable. Please listen to my words and focus on the long term instead of the fun "party" life right now. Busting your butt for pennies isn't worth it. Trust me.

I would tell myself: You think high school is hard, then wait until you go to college. No matter where you go, it will be hard. If you work hard and do what you need to do, then it could be one of the most rewarding times in your life. Valencia College is one of the best ways to do just that. They have great teachers, smaller classes, and many people around to help you with all your needs. Valencia has been one of the best schools we have been to our whole life. So trust yourself when I tell you to go to Valencia College. You will not only be a good student but you start to believe in yourself for the first time in our life. Valencia has a big part in that with their whole staff telling us yes you can. Jump for the moon, even if you land short you land among the stars, from our first day of college and it is coming true right in front of our eyes.

If I could go back into time, I would have asked myself if I was truly ready for school at the university level in michigan. I did not have strong study skills, compared with high school where you could study to pass the test, this is knowledge and critical thinking. I lacked those skills and wish I would have started small before going to a bigger univeristy and I could have avoided a lot of student loan debt and avoided wasted time and money. I would have avoided being in my present situation working a low paying job and being stuck living with family. I wish I would have originally pursued respiratory care when I was in high school. I would have been in a better position financially and academically would have been further then where I am now.

I went a very untraditional route. I was a sophomore in college my senior year of high school, so transitioning was nothing for me but less classes. I was dual enrolled for 2 years, and Valencia College is not a traditional college, therefore people don't really get a campus life here. I am attending a 4 year school in the fall, Rollins College, and it will be a change for me as I have been at Valencia for 3 years. However, my advice to my former self about college is: do not plan everything too stringently. It used to be that I had almost zero tolerance for fluctuation in said plan. I had a set school I wanted and a set plan and it drove up my anxiety as well as set me up for disappointment. I would say: Do not close off doors that could have opened for you if you had been more flexible but not set your future in stone. Now, I can be open to any opportunity even if that means it doesn’t follow my original plan, and it works better than my previous plan.

The advice that I would give myself is don't let yourself become too stressed out. I would also tell myself that everything is going to turn out alright. Another piece of advice that I would give myself is to always be prepared and have a plan and a back up plan. Because you never know what will happen. I would also tell myself that real life starts after you graduate from high school. Life isn't all about fun and games anymore. I would also tell myself that isn't good to put things off until the last minute. You don't know what emergency can occur at the worse possible moment. I would also tell myself is that high school and college are two different things.

I would tell myself to work much harder in my AP classes. Ask more questions of my teachers and find ways to practiced the things I was being taught especially in Government and Economics. Doing so would help knock out a lot of credits I need for my AA and AS. I would probably lie to myself about my AP Bio score just slightly so my high school self will push herself even further to pass the test. I passed, but if I had pushed, I might've had a high enough score to get the credit for school and move on to the next level of classes instead of having to retake Biology again. I would tell myself also to treasure every moment I had left in school for nothing will be the same once I graduate. I would tell myself to put more time into being Assistant Stage Manager for the fall play than I had because that experience would be all the more fulfilling if I had. I would also give my high school self photo advice for the photography class I took senior year so I could take better pictures for my portfulio.

If I had the opportunity to go back in time and speak to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself; "It is OK to be ambitious, even at such a young age, you are not weird. All of the work and dedication you have poured into pursuing your dreams will be worth-while. Know that there is a vast difference between striving for excellence and chasing perfection, perfection is impossible to achieve. You should not fear your greatness, nor should you diminish your own radiance to make others feel better about themselves; let your illumination spread. Above everything else, remember, YOU are enough."