Elgin Community College Top Questions

Do what you want to do, and don't let anyone, including family, persuade you do pursue a major you do not want to do.

I would advise myself to graduate after my junior year of high school. High school had nothing else to offer me and I was wasting my time being there. Although AP classes are a good opportunity for some, it is wiser to take a course at a local college and have a cresdit that is garunteed and is far more likely to transfer to your four year university. Furthermore, high school does not do a good job of preparing students to attend college and it is because I have already attended a community college for two years that I wil be able to transition to a four year university much more easily than my peers.

I would tell myself to listen to my dad. As a high school senior, I was very upset with my father for making me attend Elgin Community College instead of attending one of the top four year universities that accepted me and were giving me academic scholarships. I should have listened to my dads reasoning as to why he wanted me to attend ECC first. In the end, he was correct. Going to ECC has been a helpful transition for myself and I also saved myself a lot of money by playing soccer here and joining Phi Theta Kappa. I would tell myself that my dad was only looking to help me succeed at my dream to become a lawyer.

I would tell myself not to give up. To stay strong and to take school seriously. I would tell myself that I could do anything I set my mind to.

I would tell myself to be a little more cautious on my bank account. School is expensive so I would tell myself to watch what I spend. I would also mention to be less of a procrastinater. College is way different from high school. More work and more homework and stricter deadlines. So, get it done sooner so you are not cramming last minute.

Learn as much as you can about internships. Get involved with clubs in high school so it is not such a shock in college. Speak to your teachers as much as possible, try to make them your references and try to get as much advice out of them as possible. Realize that in college you have to motivate yourself. Learn how to teach yourself material, and don't rely on the teacher to spoon-feed you difficult material. Try to work and go to school if possible. If you can do it, then you will be ready to work in college. If you can't do it, then you will know how to adapt so that you can do it in college. Build up your resume and work experience and try to learn a little bit about a lot of different subjects. Be open to new things, and make yourself try new things.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, there are many things I would say. I would start with how important friends are, and the influence they have on your attitude towards school. If I had known this, I would have put forth more of an effort to meet new people, instead of being scared to take a step. I would also tell myself about procrastination. Every semester I say that this time I'll work ahead, and this semester I'll stay on top of things. But every semester I forget to do the reading or find something more interesting to do. Perhaps the shock of seeing myself from the future would be enough to get me to understand the importance of staying on task. I could tell myself that the little extra time of rewriting notes or doing unassigned problems will make up for the minutes I lost of watching my favorite T.V. show when I ace the test and can ask insightful questions in class. There are many more things I would love to tell myself about school and what happens, but this would be enough to change it all.

If I could talk to myself as a High School Senior, I would advise myself not to wait to go to college. After I graduated High School I went straight into working. I started as a bagger at a grocery store and moved up to Deli Manager. It was a few years before I finally went back to college to get the degree that I have wanted since I was in fourth grade. I would tell myself to take pride in my future. I would remind myself that hard work and dedication is what preceeds a happy life. I would tell myself that your parents will be so proud of you, to be the first in our family to ever graduate college. There are many scholarships out there to help us get the degree that we want to have the job and the life that we want. I would urge myself not to wait. The life that you want is out there, just have the courage to go out and study hard to get it.

TALK TO THE COUNSELORS. Make sure you get a college course roadmap. This way, you know exactly what classes you will need to take and NO semesters or money will be wasted. KEEP UP WITH THE WORK. If the course load is too much at the time, ***make sure to drop the class within the first 10-weeks to prevent a failing grade**

When I was in high school, I never intended to go to college right after I graduated. I figured it was too difficult to get started, so I put off trying to find information about college. I was intimidated by the big campuses and the idea of entering a world where you are all of the sudden expected to be an adult. What I did not realize was that I did not have to look at college as one big leap. I could get through it with small steps. The first step I took the year after I graduated was to go to the counselor at my local community college, and ask questions. She helped me enroll in a few classes, showed me how to set up a payment plan, and gave me information about how to keep track of my credits. That small step led to others, and now I'm well on my way to earning my degree. If I could give my high school self one piece of advice, it would be to look at college not as a giant leap into an adult world, but as a small step towards the life I want to live.

My advice to myself would be to put more effort into my schooling during senior year. I graduated early and then just went on with my life. If I knew I could attend college during that six months and even beyond, I may have put myself in a better position career wise and financially than I am now. I enjoy going back to college after all these years, but I think the break in between made me appreciate all the hard work I am doing now. I would tell myself to apply myself more and continue my education further, instead of minimum wage job after minimum wage job.

I would tell myself to start looking at the options you have available to you. Don't rush in blindly, you need to have a plan. start applying for all the scholarships you can apply for because colleges and universities are very expensive and you can't afford it based on your and your families income. Think about all the different careers you want to train for. There is a whole world out there waiting but oppertunities arent just going to come knocking on your door. You need to stop being lazy and start searching for those oppetunities. If you start now you have many chances to better your future. The U of A is ready and waiting. In fact all universities and colleges are ready and waiting. just remember not to put all your faith in one class or career. Explore your options and stay on task. Falure is unacceptable and will result in a late future so get started now. See if i had known this back in high school i would have tried my hardest to get into some form of college instead of joing the miltary considering that my career ther did not last long.

If my 21 year old self were to visit my high school senior self I would have so much to say to her. I'd tell her to go to Elgin Community College for the first 2 years, just to get her General Education Requirements out of the way. I'd tell her not to go to the first two schools she went to, or to become friends with the people she thought were good people, or good friends. But I'd also tell her to work hard, like she normally does. I'd remind her that even though money would be tight, she should still remember not to be a penny pincher, and I'd tell myself to enjoy my time with my grandpa, that by the time I went home for Christmas when I was 21, he wouldn't be alive anymore. Along those same lines, I'd tell myself to never take friends or family for granted, you never know when someone is going to leave this Earth. And most importantly I'd remind myself to love my parents without end, they'll always be a constant source of support.

I have always wished I could tell my self to get involved with activities on campus. This would have made the transition from high school to college easier. In activites on campus, you can further your education and even meet new people. This would allow me to ask students who have been at the school longer questions, and they could pass their experiences to me. This would allow me to be more succesful and not make the mistakes that the other students had made.

Due to vast technological advancements too complicated to properly explain within two-hundred words, my parents were able to give me a time machine this year for Christmas. After making various stops in history, I went back to 2008 to find myself a senior in high school. I figured this seventeen-year-old me had some things to learn from the college sophmore me. The first piece of advice I gave myself was about paying for school. I didn't spend as much time as I should have looking for scholarship money during senior year. If I had, I'd probably be better prepared now for the financial costs of college. I also stressed the importance of defining myself specifically. College is a time when countless people are trying to tell you who you should be. I've seen many people change for the worse because of this. There are even bits of myself that I've lost in the process. Integrity can only spring from having a firm idea of who you actually are. Finally, though, I encouraged myself that the best days of my life are ahead, despite the unique challenges that each year will undoubtedly present.

Please study hard and if you need extra help find a tutor so you can have a better selection of schools to choose from, do the best you can. Don't tell yourself you can't be an A student when you see other kids do it, imagine they are just like you. You don't have to stop being cool to make good grades. Be you, don't worry about what you don't have and what you do have, try to live your life, just do it the right way. Your a good kid, I know you will make the right choice.

During my senior year of high school, I was greatly involved with the theatre and drama program. However, when I participated in college-level acting classes, I was pushed to my heels--rather, I realized that everything I thought I had learned before about acting and theatre was insignificant compared to the knowledge I would gain in college. If given the chance, I would inform my past self to prepare for this great impact of new knowledge. I remember: as I waltzed down the corridors during my last senior days, I imagined I had much wisdom, enough experience to tackle adulthood. The transition turned out to be quite difficult. I would tell myself to develop a modest attitude, to be objective with what I would eventually learn, and to develop my monetary funds early. My ignorance ignited a tumble when I first began my college experience. Ridding myself of such ignorance would have made my transition much smoother, less stressful, and definitely even more valuable.

Since I can remember, school has always been my number one priority. During my senior year in high school, I was actually already attending Elgin Community College for part of the day. Being enrolled in rigorous anatomy and physiology as a high school senior was not easy, but it was the best decision I ever made. This class really helped me prepare for the transition into college and with the decision of my career choice, nursing. Even though attending ECC early helped me prepare for the worst, there are still a few pieces of advice I would give to myself before graduating high school. First, I would say that I need to keep my GPA above a 3.5, and that C's are not acceptable. I would tell myself that getting the right teachers for my classes are essential to learning the material. Go to class everyday, even if you don't think you need to, and save your money! One day, it will definetly come in handy. Overall though, I handled the transition into college fairly well. I enjoy college, and look forward to my next few years studying to become a nurse.

The biggest thing that I would tell myself is to be organized and prepared for any question that might be thrown at you. In college there is no certain action that can be predicted because in high school, it was a different story. Back in high school, it was all about being picture perfect and following the teacher's orders to the crossing the ts' and filling in the dots. In college, you can confront a professor academically or choose your own path for an essay. College is a great opportunity to express yourself as a person and a individualist; without the social persecution that high schooled offered.

I would have told myself to prepare for what was ahead of me, and made sure to distinguish the difference between high school and college and get ready to expect the unexpected. I also would let myself know to get hold of scholarships before the time came because I would not want to be left behind from the inability to pay for my education. I would have to realize that college is now reality and that it is time to face reality and be responsible on my own terms.

Throughout high school the teachers always tried their best to prepare the students for college, but nothing actually prepares you until you walk through those college doors and experience it on your own. While in high school I never really took the whole college oppurtunity seriously. I knew I was going to go, but it never occured that it would be any different than going to high school. I was very naive, to say the least, and kept thinking that the teachers were going to be there like they were in high school reminding us and telling us about important assignments and dates. Of course I was wrong, in college they tell you once and you only hear it once, the rest is on your own. I would go back and tell myself to open my eyes, because outside those high schoool doors the real world is waiting and the real world is not too nice.

Don't waste money on university applications because you won't get in and you'll waste money paying for those. Go to ECC because it's close and better than not doing anything for a year off school besides work. Apply for FAFSA so you have money for school.