Iowa Lakes Community College Top Questions

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

Andrew

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would preach how important it is to save money! Don't follow friends (like I did). Make sure you look into total costs, available majors, scholarships and grants, etc. I would've told myself to realize this is the very beginning of the rest of my life. Every move I make, whether it be good or bad, can have an impact on my future. So I would repeat over and over to focus on getting to class, doing my work on time, getting good grades, and saving money. Also, I wish I would've looked into jobs or even internships while still in school that could go towards my major of interest. It would only help down the road with resume experience and impressing a future employer. Lastly, I'd tell myself that I am going to make mistakes along the way, not only in college, but life. That is what I think this is all about, learning from those mistakes and becoming a better person from how you learned from them.

Brittany

The advice I would of gave myself is I should of worked harder in school and to take my grandparent's advice.

Beth

If given the opportunity to go back and talk to myself as a high senior, twenty years ago, I would encourage myself to be more well-rounded in order to be able to get to know myself better. This helps in making better decisions to know what to go to college for and to enter the workforce into a satisfying career. Take the time to develop personal skills. The part time after school job isn't as important as keeping up relationships with close friends as well as others attending high school with you. Put more value into your family. Don't take them for granted as much, the time you have with them is too short. If you tell yourself, "I know that will never happen to me", it will end up happening to you in ways that will be of benefit to you and in tragedy. Finally, grades really are important. Don't view high school as a finish line, think of it as a time to start building a successful life. Look for opportunities to learn more, ask more questions in class, and take more challenging classes.

Jamie

Good one!! It would be: I should of taken more college classes in high school (that were for free!!) then I did. I see now that was a great benifit for me if I just would of done more. I did take 2 college classes but I should of done atleast two to three more. Can't change that now but boy do I wish I could!

Timothy

Keep an open mind when you move to your new school. Seek out new interests and meet new people. It's also very important to stay focused on whatever course of study that you decide to take. That includes setting aside a certian amount of time to study and not being afraid to ask questions. Now get to it, life doesnt stop and wait. P.S. Quit talking to yourself, its creepy.

Hannah

If I were to go back in time and give myself advice before choosing a college and try to help my transition to the college life, I would recommend to keep an open mind and everything will work itself out with dedication, hard work, and determination. I would also remind myself to keep my eye on a long term goal and not worry so much about the little things. Optimism shouldn't be lost in the midst of making life decisions and I should give myself more credit for my accomplishments I've already made.

Heather

Stick with it because it's harder to go back later in life. College life can be very hard, but it's worth it in the end. Make good friends, study hard, and enjoy every moment of the college experience. If you have trouble with classes, get a tutor. If you have trouble making friends, join a club. Get involved and make the biggest difference you can. Even though it's tough, stick with it. You can do it, just never give up.