City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College Top Questions

Transitioning into college life can be a difficult thing. As a young adult, it is the single most important life decision you will have to make. Trying to figure out what college to attend, or what profession to choose are all factors that will make a huge impact in your future. Believe me, I would know. This year was my first year back in college since getting my Bachelor's in Fine Arts in 2010. My decision to get another degree was because the career choices I had made in the past was not fulfilling enough. Now, I have a positive outlook on life, and a clear direction of what I want to do. I think the most important advice I could give to future college attendees would be to not rush into the experience. Take you time thinking about your life goals. Once you have a solid direction of what you want to do, make sure you do your homework and research all possible options. It is also very important to work out a game plan financially. Make sure you don't take out too many loans that you will not be able to pay back in the future.

I would tell myself to start at a community college first. I would of told myself to get my general education courses out of the way first. I would of told myself to be careful with spending money on new books. If I would of given this advice to myself 6 years ago, I would of saved time and money and most likely would of had my career at this time.

As a high school senior, I lacked the focus on drive to complete tasks on time and to the best of my ability. I know my potential as a student, and I'm disappointed in myself as not only a high school senior, but a high school student throughout all 4 years of that part of my education. I would tell my high school self to stay motivated, and build relationships as soon as I can with as many people as I can. Now that I'm a young adult I've become more acquainted with the power in networking. Not only would I have notified my younger self of that, but also to not procrastinate. I would begin assignments as soon as I get them to prevent experiencing so many "all-nighters", too. Knowing what I know now as a young adult, I feel I would've been better repared as a teenager with more career success tools. Better preparing by saving money and time, would put me in the position to be better professionally and personally accomplished sooner.

Going back in time, I would tell my high school senior self that failure is not the end of your high school career but instead a perfect opportunity to learn about the future. In life, there will always be disappointments but that shouldn't sway someone from trying harder. College will be a learning experience for you where you will have to pull yourself from your boot straps and get back up when something does not go as expected. Just keep your head up high and remember that nobody is perfect, even yourself.

If I could go back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior, the one piece of advice I would tell myself is to have a better sense of time management. College is so much more different than high school in terms of being self-sufficient. Majority of the time it is up to the person to determine how much time is needed for completeing thier work as well as studying for a class. Time management is essential in reaching college success. Time management is one concept that I did not have during my first year of college and had I done better with time, it would have reflected in better grades. Now being older and knowing this concept it is much easier to balance my workload and know what areas I need to focus on more than others.

Now that I am in college, I would of definitely prepare myself with letter of recommendations. Once I started college, I was searching for a job. I didn't had a complete resume nor a cover letter. I would of also visit the colleges and ask a lot of questions. It is very important to get to know the campus. No one wants to be late or lost in their first day of class. Meet new people and get involve in clubs. A lot of schools look for students that have actively been involve in school activities. Take a leadership role at your school. Do not be afraid and adventure what is there to offer. Take advantage of the resources the school offers. Most students are not aware of the school's resources and miss great opportunities!

The advice I will give myself is making sure I have money for school. Meaning how I'm going to pay for school(FASFA or paying for school myself. Making sure what school I will attend because I didn't even know what school I was going to go to until last year december. Also, don't never give up on school it might be heard sometimes but it's worth waiting for.

In high school I was a very excited student. I always came to school with a positive attitude. My outlook on the future was optimistic and I constantly counted the days until graduation. Now as a second year college student I think about my year as a senior and wish that during that last year of high school I could have done some things differently and made more important choices pertaining to college. If I could talk to myself as a senior I would tell myself, LeVonnga, to always come to class and avoid having severe absences. The more I am in class the more I have opportunities to converse with my teachers and counselors on the many college choices available. I would also tell myself to have more patience when choosing a college or university to attend. I would research all of the options available to me as a student and narrow down my choices from there. This would include searching through scholarships, loans, and jobs such work study and internships to help with my college expenses. If I could talk to myself as a senior I would remind myself to always be open-minded and stay positive.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senoir, I would tell myself that the problems I faced were not as bad as they seemed, and that I should prepare myself for many more to come. I would tell myself to prioritize my goals regarding my education, and my personal life, and to combine the two to ensure a successful future for myself.

Going to community college was the best decision I can ever make for myself. I have saved lots of money but at the same for a big price. I pay tuition out of my own pocket without financial aid or parent help. I have learn to be responsible with my money and wait until I was ready to transfer to a 4-year college. The thing that I would say If I where back in high school as a senior is to encourage myself do more challenging classes such as Physics, Trigonometry, and Calculas. Taking challenging classes in high school would help me prepare and know what to expect in college. Do all your hard work now and relax later, everything will pay off in the end. I would tell myself to stay in community college for 2 years and not going on almost 4. Plan and be organize with college credits and go on the right course to fulfill an associates degree.

First of all,I would tell myself to learn and love MATH. Develope very good study and discipline skills. If you encounter a difficult task, DO NOT GIVE UP!!! Keep trying and seek out help. Become good friends with people who are positive, progressive and those who are not afraid of taking risks. Be kind to yourself when you fail and when you encounter a difficult situation. Remember to stay focused on the prize, and never ever let someone else steer you in a direction that you do not want to take. If you can, find a mentor or two. Have people around whom you can call and lean on for almost anything and recepicate. Also, always question. Always have a thirst for knowledge and wisdom.

As a current college student there are alot of mistakes that I have made and advantages that I did not take as a high school senior that I should have. While attending high school I had many counselors advise me to sign up for scholarships and different workshops assisting those who needed help towards recieving money for college. I now find myself regretting not taking the help that was given to me on countless occasions! Here I am now a college student taking out student loans to help pay for my schooling. I have no job and no financial aid because to them my dad makes enough money to put me through college., but I find it rather amusing how; with 4 kids to raise, provider for their everyday necessities, a home to pay off as well as bills is that possible. Most universities tuition can range from 19,000 + a year, so here I am settling at a community college hoping and praying to recieve the best education I possibly can and hope for the future to get a promising job to pay off my loans. To my old self I would say THINK!

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would say to look harder and apply for all scholarships because there is money out there, don't wait for the last minute when you wont be able to continue the plan and pay for the rest of your education on your own. Waiting for the last minute is not the way dont be embarrased to ask your counselors for help if no one is offering to help you find your way at home. Apply yourself and look harder and remember never give up on education because No One can ever take what you have accomplished away from you No One can deny that you are educated in the long run in life. At the end all that matters is that little piece of paper that says you have completed and are qualified to do what you set out to do. Without a degree you are no one.

If I could go back in time and give myself any advice for my future as student I would say, " Rachel, there are two things you must have in order to obtain your dreams, the first being courage." You have to have the audacity to push yourself in the midst of lonlieness, dissapointment, anxiety, and even fear. Once you conquer these things the rest is quite simple. However, it is not easy and it requires sacrifice. The second thing I would tell myself is to "hold on to humility". Humility is what allows for opportunities we are unable to obtain on our own. Being humble opens the doors of scholarships and grants, of investors and family. Humility will allow you to surpass your own mental setbacks as well as the negativity of others. Consequently, humility will be a result of courageousness.

If I could go back in time I would tell myself to take a minute and step back to better evaluate the situation inorder to get better control so I can be prepared for what I am about to do.

I should do my best in ACT or SAT because these tests are very important for a high school student to go to the college he or she desires. I should participate in more high school activities and do more volunteer work and enjoy my high school life. Even though studying is good, but it might be a bad decision to study all the time. However, even I cannot get a nice score on ACT or SAT, I could still go to a community college. If I want to get higher education, there is always a way to do so. No difficulty can stop a person unless I do not want to go anywhere.