Century College-White Bear Lake Top Questions

What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

Wong

I'd tell myself to start doing a lot of scholarships because right now I am struggling with financial problems. I'd also tell him to stop screwing around and start getting serious about life. I can't tell myself about the tragedy that's to come in a few years that has to happen naturally otherwise going back into the past will be useless, but I will tell him that when that time comes he better be ready and be the man of the house because right now everything is falling apart. My last advice to myself is to shake it off, don't do anything about stress. You have to do something anything to shake them off, or else you're going to get fat.

Natalia

If I had to tell my past self advice about college, I would say," You need to work hard and take any opportunity that is given. It will not always be easy so keep a strong mind. You won't figure out everything you want right away, so be patient. You have your whole life ahead of you; there is no rush."

Chelsea

There are so many things that I would express to myself; the most essential message being that obtaining a higher education does not come easily or freely. It is something that you must work hard for. This means dedicating both time and money. Although you may feel the need to spend money constantly in order to have fun, it’s not worth it. Frugality during college yields opportunities to splurge on important things later in life. This is much more rewarding and it’s also more significant than that day at the mall with your friends. Make sure to take advantage of free money like grants and scholarships. Don’t be lazy! Apply often and early. If you have excess funds, put them away in a savings account. If you don’t, you’ll regret it later when you owe thousands in student loans. Before you even register for classes, create a plan early on and stick with it. You don’t want to waste precious time taking courses that won’t matter for your degree. This would set you back from graduation. The key is to finish as quickly as possible with as little debt as possible.

ida

The Advice I would give to myself would have been to prusue my college education, that way i would have a degere and be making the funds that i need to support myself. Also so i could help those who need it while working in the medical field.

Alexander

If I could go back in time to my senior year to give myself advice on the college life, the advice i would give myself is not to fall behind in any of the classes. The reason is because once you miss your class session for the day, the class isn't coming back. Falling behind class work can cause major damage to your grades, test results, grade point average, and the possiblity of passing the class. If you do miss it by any chance, make sure you talk to the teacher right away or another student in your class. Leaving the missed class session unquestioned will cause you to fall behind dramtically. No one will remind you so you will have to step up and ask on your own in order to catch up. If you stay on schedule with all your classes and work, you should do fine and have nothing to worry about. This is the advice i would give to myself if i had an oppurtunity to go back to my senior year of high school.

Katrice

You may think that your friends are your life at the moment, but they are not going to be there in twenty years. Waiting for them to go to college with you is not going to get you anywhere. Right now is the time in your life to get a jumpstart in your education. You know that being a veterinarian is going to take a many years of school, so you better get started as soon as possible so you're not stuck working part-time until you are thirty. The quicker you get into it the sooner you will be out in the world doing what you love. It may seem intimidating to go to college, but you know you will be surrounded by people with similar goals who will working just as hard as you. So get out there and do the best you know you can.

Abirham

One of the advice i would give to my self would be to take hard/challenging class when i was a senior in high school. When i started college it was kind of hard for me because i didn't prepair my self when i was in high school. We covered most of the material at college very fast compared to high school. I was a full-time student as Century and i always get some kind of homework. While i was going to school i also worked and sometimes i dont even have enough time to do my homework or i didnt get enough of sleep.

Angela

"If I could turn back time"...isn't that just something everyone wishes? If I could go back in time and talk to myself, I would be able to show how hard it has been not going right to school after high school. I followed my boyfriend instead of attending the UW Madison where I was accepted. Then, went to a fast-paced dental assisting school that wasn't a degree program, but, passed with flying colors. From there, got married and had two kids, stayed with the guy for 18 years and just recently got divorced. If I could show myself then how important it was to go to school so I had something to fall back on in the future, I would. I am starting all over, going to school for the first time in almost 16 years towards nursing. I am thriving though, the first semester back, I got a 4.0, made the Dean's List and was full-time while also being a mom. It will be a difficult road, but, I am showing my girls that you can do anything, even if I didn't with my chance I had in the past.

Michelle

The most important thing I would say to myself is, "Do your homework! Study, study, study, and go to class. " The other thing I would say is,"College is hard but don't give up! You can make it through if you stop procrastinating and get down to business. You don't want to waste your time now, because it will cost you much, much more in the future. You will regret not finishing it now. If you don't stick with it you could end up over 20 years later struggling to finish college and make a living. Now is the time!"

Jennifer

Be prepared. Don't let anyone pressure you about starting a certain semester, you can always start next semester. You should always look into other options. I thought that if someone worked for a school it meant that they would tell the truth, unfortunately that's not always the case. Always check to make sure that a school is accredited and check to see if your credits can transfer. Just because the school says they can transfer doesn't mean that they will, a good school tells you the credits may transfer and works with you to confirm your next school will accept their credits. Always check with the Better Business Bureau and the Department of Education to see if the school has a good rating. If a school has a bad rating it's for a reason. Search for jobs in your degree to see what employers are looking for, and make sure that the school you are looking at meets those criteria. Most important, if it doesn't feel right it's not right. You can make anything into a learning experience, but that doesn't mean you won't regret and pay for your mistake. Good luck!

Mark

I would tell myself that there is no point in taking classes unless there is an end goal in mind. I would also mention that classes are a quarter of the price at community colleges. And to be completely honest, were I able to avoid the confusion and novelty of confronting my formal self, I would slap the "younger me," tell him to pull up his grungy jeans, find some better friends, and decide what in my (his) life is really important and what is simply a waste of time. Then I would probably have to run away because the 18 year old version of me had an attitude.

Cindy

If i was able to go back in time to where i was a senior in high school, I would tell myself to be more serious about school, and to study harder. I would've also told myself to take some college courses., so i would already have some college credits, and know what college was like.

Shawn

Take the SATs along with the ACTs. Do not go to a technicaly college that the credites you paid for don't transfer to a community or state college.

Whitney

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a Senior in high school I would make sure that I knew that college is the start of your whole life. I would make sure that I knew how important attending classes were, if you aren't in class you can't succeed. I would tell myself that you need to your best, you are very smart, just make sure you are doing everything to your greatest capability. I would also tell myself that you are doing great right now. You are in the Radiological Technology Program at Century, which you had been waiting for over two years to get into. You have many great family members and friends for support. Some things will get really tough throughout the next few years just stay strong and you can do anything you set your mind to.