Ivy Tech Community College-Northeast Top Questions

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

Vicki

The best advice I can offer is to pursue continuing education right after high school. I am returning after 20 years making it more difficult after that amount of time to transition into a college enviroment. I would tell myself, don't take that year off to do other things, you will never go back. Listen to your parents, and your family, continue your education, it is far more important than you think if you intend to have a career, which is vital, because someday you will most likely have a family to support. Although some people do get "lucky" and land good jobs, there is no guarantee and it is much better to have the education and the experience. I regret not continuing my education earlier in my life. If I could go back and change one thing about my life, I would have attended college directly after high school, and not spent so many years just getting by. Education is important to gain the skills you need to have a successful career.

Nicole

First of all, because of my mother, I never got the chance to be a high school senior. I had to quit school when I was sixteen and I went and got my G.E.D. on my own, when I was seventeen. I wish I had the opportunity to finish high school. I enjoy learning. Going back to school means alot to me. It give me the ability to learn new things, as well as, is going to provide me with the means to provide for my family. My husband suffers from a couple of medical conditions that are not allowing him to work. Therefore it is solely my responsibility to take care of my family. I can't take care of them if I don't have an education. Also, going back to college is showing my son the values that I want to instill in him. The harder I work on my homework, the harder he works. It's wonderful to see that I can have such a great impact on him in such a positive way. My family struggles financially. This scholarship will help me to provide for my family during my time in college.

Kelsey

The most important advise I would give myself is to set yourself up early in high school with good study habits. I didn't have to study hard in school to get good grades, so I have been struggling with getting my work done on time (without cramming). Other than that, I would tell myself to always treat people well, know matter what you feel about them personally (even thought you usually did). Treat people the way you would like to be treated because once you get to college.... everything is knew, especially you, and you get to start from scratch. Enjoy high school..... but prepare for your future.

nancy

I would advise myself to go for it. I am 47 years old and have only 5 classes left to get my associates degree in business. I would encourage myself to get the education that I know now is very important. I would also advise myself to not be intimidated by others, they are just as scared as you are.

Autumn

If I could go back in time and give myself some advice, I would stress to myself to work better on my time management. I think the better you can manage your time the better you can make your life as a whole. I would have been better prepared for all the things I am expected to do with organizing my time. I like to think I used to do pretty well with this in high school, but so much more is out there to remember and do for college. I could easily rememeber what I needed to do and get done for my high school classes, but college is a lot more complex and in depth to keep track of. If I would have practiced handling a lot more things at once I would have gotten through my first semester of juggling everything a lot easier. School is a lot to handle but with the right time organization and effort, you can do anything you put your mind to. As a senior I knew these things were coming, but if I had practiced what I knew was coming things would have been much easier.

Richard

This is a really good question, well since we are talking about bending the fabric of space and time, then the sky is the limit. I think I might take a couple of lottery numbers with me, after all this is time travel we are talking about. Seriously, I think I would tell myself to hang onto the dreams I had when getting out of high school. As we get older and life throws us those curves or sends us on a detour , we have to remember that fighting for our dreams is what keeps us growing as people and a culture. I'd say, "Things are going to be rough, and there are going to be a lot of distractions, but keep your dreams alive and LIVE, we only get one shot", "There is no right or wrong answer to life, just do what you need to feed your soul and body and never stop believing in yourself"

Lelela

First, I would educate myself about financial aid and to appreciate it. Once its gone or lossed it is hard to get it back. Second, I would take it more serious this time around and complete undergraduate school on my original anticipated graduated date. Third, I would have pick a school that best suit me , not a school that I thought I would suit. Before college I thought I was invincble to messing up, shortly after that I found the real truth. Not a day goes by that I wish I could do it over again, this time learning from my mistakes. I would have attended my orginal college of choice, completed my first year, became more active in campus activities, choose a major I wanted as a career not what somebody else wanted, saved money, and followed my heart. I know if I would have just made one different decision I would be in a totally different situation, I really wish that could happen. But, since it can't, all I can do is try to do it correct now so I do not have to repeat this step again. I wish I would have known this before.

Stacey

You are graduating high school and you think that you have a pretty good handle on things. You will soon be a freshman in college and the world is at your feet! Take advantage of all of the opportunities that lie ahead. You have always been a hard worker, but you might not completely what lies ahead. You are going to have to work really hard. No matter what, do not get discouraged....you can do it! I know that you have always believed that it is a good idea to wait to decide on a major and in a way you are right. Having an open mind is fine. Soak in every experience and decide what interests you. Just realize that the sooner you can decided what area you want to study, the better.....trust me! Once you decide on a major, you will immediately have focus and determination like you have never known. There will be a lot of little goals that you will need to meet along the way and the sooner you have a true goal in sight the better off you will be. Work hard, but have fun! Relish in the moments that surround you!

Virginia

That their is money to go to school. Find someone to talk to about what and where you can go and how you as a high school senior can find the money to go. Do not let mental road blocks that others (family) put up, keep you from moving on with your schooling. You have the right stuff to be what ever you want in this life and you can do it! Press on, you will be happier for doing so. Keep your head held high and reach for the better things life and education has to offer.

Krista

When I started looking at colleges and Universities I was at a disadvantage being the first in my family to attend school after high school. If I could go back to my senior year of high school there are a lot of things I'd do different. I rushed into a decision based on the way the university was viewed by the community. I would've applied to more than one college, and fully looked into where I was going to go more than I did. Read the fine prints, and get student loans that will not need to be paid back until after graduation. I would have had someone who had been to college help me with figuring out the financial aspect. My best advice would be to not listen to all the "sales talks" and to make sure that in five years you will not regret the school choice.

SKYLERR

If I had to go back in time and tell myself something then I would probably would tell myself to apply to more colleges. Coming out of high school I had a 2.4 gpa, and I only applied to one college. I got accepted to the college right off so I felt as though I didnt have to apply to anymore schools. I was wrong about that, in order to get a job in the world, I think that employers base hiring off of the prestige of the college. Although the world is going through tough times right now, there still are things that enable you to have what you want in life, and if a prestigious college enables you to get a job after graduation then that is what needs to be done. So I would go back in time and give myself a pep talk, about choices, study habits, and how to adapt to different settings.

Scott

?High school is coming to an end, and the beginning of the rest of our life starts now. Finish this year strong so that college?s see what we can really do. Yes high school wasn?t the best incubator for the success we had hoped, but college is more our style. Our first step will be to finish community college with good grades so we can transfer for our bachelor?s degree. Classes will be challenging so pay attention and study smart. You will do fine as long as you stay focused. And always that Batman quote: "Why do we fall?" "So that we might learn to pick ourselves up." We will fall, maybe getting a low test score or a bad grade. As long as you turn it into a learning experience and not an excuse, you have come out ahead. Good Luck, God Bless, do your best, and have fun!?

Jeff

I should have started college much sooner. The subjects taught in H.S. applys to alot of what I will be working with in college. But I know this was something I had to do in order to follow my dreams!!!

Ashley

Going back in time, from what I learned, I would tell myself to slow down, look for more scholarships, and to not get caught up in the "lifestyle of college." I would tell my self to make sure you slow down to allow enough time to study and overprepare yourself. Looking for more scholarships would of giving me the option to not get into the $20k of debt by taking out loans. The lifestyles of college would be the going out every night whether it be with friends or just hanging out in the dorms. Allow more time for family and studying.

Dana

If I could go back in time, I would change my work ethic my last year. I always waited till the last minute to do all assignments and it hurt my grade alot. I would like to have pushed myself harder to do better, even though I did good, I definitely could have done better. That would have also helped me to get more grants and scholarships if I had a better transcript. Also I would have participated in alot of the fun senior year events because you can only be a senior once and should have taken advantage of experiences I could have had.