Mohawk Valley Community College Top Questions

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

Lacey

If I could go back and talk to my high school self, I would tell her to really try and figure out what you want to do with your life. Now that I am 25 and going back to college, it is a lot harder than it would have been if I would have gotten a useful degree when I went the first time. I would tell myself that trying to balance work, marriage, paying bills, taking care of a house, and school is going to be very difficult. There are many long days that come with working full time and pursuing a degree in Nursing. I would tell her to not settle for things because your mom makes you think that is as good as it can get for you. I would tell her that she is smarter than she thinks and that she can do anything she wants as long as she keeps her mind to it.

Lindey

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior there's a lot I would say. The transition from high school to college isn't as easy as I thought it would be, you have to make new friends at a new school all while emersing yourself in new, more challenging classes. No one really holds your hand through college so my advice to myself would be to make sure that the school you end up going to is really what will make you happy in the end, not your parents, not your friends, and not your boyfriend, YOU! Don't choose your school soley on its price or closeness to home, go where you can see yourself growing and learning while still enjoying your time there because you don't want to waste any of it. This is a time for you, so take it and don't let anyone tell you what's right for you, they're not you and this is your life. Just follow your dreams and never back down, everything else will fall into place.

Courtney

I would advise my high school self to be myself and not to be afraid to make friends or be afraid to make mistakes. I will get a B or a C but I am still capable to going anywhere I want. The friends I make will support me through the times of studying and rough quizzes. They will also be there to laugh with because you are allowed to do that in college even if the studies is extremely difficult. I would also tell myself not to allow relationships to hold me back from doing what I really want to do. Do not feel obligated, I am still young. That boyfriend will not always be there but the passion for my studies will be. My final piece of advice would be good luck, college might be more difficult then high school but it is still a lot of fun especially when studying what you like.

Scott

If I could go back in time to give myself advice, I would have to tell myself to save my money and to apply to every scholarship that I was eligible for. I learned from moving up to college that some of the things I thought I would need in my dorm room, have sat in my closet or in my desk the entire time. I could have saved my money for other things that I came to need during my life on the dorms. However I think that scholarships would have been the biggest advice I would have given myself. I?ve learned that there were many scholarships that I would have been eligible for my senior year if I had looked a little harder for them. Scholarships would have been very useful for every year of college, not just the later years. Apply to every one that you can find!

Gina

I would tell myself to learn to better manage my time. I would also tell myself to not ignore my online classes, and to do the discussion board questions. I didn't realize until it was too late how badly that would set me back. Lastly, I would tell myself to not be afraid to ask questions, because that is what the professors are hired to do. My first year, I was so shy and nervous that I did not ask many questions, and I feel like I would have had a much better experience if I had kept all this in mind.

Joseph

I would tell myself that certainly I was heading for a major point in my life and that it would be tough at first, but if I work hard I will be able to do it. I would also tell myself that it was ok to be a little nervous, but do not be scared. Just keep working and continue to study hard. If you do that you will succeed. I would also tell myself do not let anybody tell you, that you can not persue or are not capable of what you want to do. If that is what you love and want, work even harder to prove them wrong, because when you do, you will feel great. It is not an easy task that is going to be set for you , but if you have the drive and work hard. You will be able to do anything and everything you want.

Lauren

If I could go back to my former high school self and offer any bit of advice - I would tell myself to get extra help in mathematics. In highschool I struggled through Math A and barely passed the regents exam. My parents helped me find a tutor to push me through Math B. I was always, without fail a high 90's student but when it came to math my brain seemed to shut down. I could not think inside the box and math would not let me think outside the box. After passing the Math B regents by the skin of my teeth I quit taking mathematics courses in highschool. However, much to my dismay I found out that math will never go away. When you get to college it is still there staring you boldly in the face with its ugly formulas and greek symbols. My placement test sent me reeling into MA 050, a remedial math course which I could not pass no matter how hard I tried. With America falling behind in Science and Mathematics (the future of our world) I would tell myself and all highschool students to push themselves to meet the coming storm!

Christina

I would tell myself to at least go to classes until the course is finished. Maybe someday you will want to go back to school, and the bad grades that you have obtained because you decided to stop going to classes hurts your GPA.

Kenneth

I would need to tell myself that it is the journey as well as the result of a college education that is important. within the time that is spent in higher education one has a chance to define themselves and the need to enter with a rigid plan will most likely be recognized as effectually, a closed mind. I now realize that the begining of a higher intellectual capacity is only attainable through an open mind and that in maintaining this flexibility I become supportive of life around me. If the pursuit of happiness is as important a goal as anyone could strive to, then a definition of happiness is best found in the word "eudaimonia"; the happiness attained by an active life spent engaged in the service of others. Go and do likewise.

Shanique

Starting college was very hard for me my first semester i was not mentally prepared or focused and i wasnt motivated enough to push myself to get good grades. So if i could go back in time and talk to myself as a highschool senior i would tell myself first that college life is very serious,and that it takes alot of hard work to get good grades. I would say that you dont get many chances to catch up with work and the professors take assignment deadlines very serious. I would also tell myself that i would need to be focused, because in college there is alot of freedom, and that makes it alot easier for us to get lazy and start slacking, and its not like highschool where they offer classes to help make up the grades . college is an entry to adult hood and its all about being goal orientated there's room for fun but school work comes first.

Laura

Dear Laura, I'm writing to you today as your 44-year-old self with advice on your future. First of all, you probably think that you are invincible and don't need to listen to adults because you are "grown -up" and already know it all. You're wrong. Adults do have a thing or two to say, and some of it might actually make life easier for you. Just because you're graduating with a Cosmetology degree, you still need more education. People that have a college education earn far more than those with only a high school diploma. That's not just me blowing smoke, it's a proven fact. Not to make this sound like a lecture, but you also need to stop taking your senior year so lightly. Yes, you can have fun, but you don't need to be partying so much. It would'nt hurt you to apply yourself to your schoolwork a little bit more, either. Good grades now mean scholarships and an easier time in college. In summary, work hard now, and it will pay off later. Believe me, I speak from experience and have only your best interest in mind.

Charlotte

If only I could go back in time to inform myself what I now know about college life. If given the chance I would tell myself to go to a college just far enough away(and where the snow doesnt fall!) that staying in the dorms was needed, so that I could finially learn what its like to take care of myself by myself. Also, that once you start studying its not so bad, so study from the beginning and do not wait untill the last minute! Finially, I would tell myself that meeting new people isnt so hard and actually turns out to be fun.

Daniel

Well 2010 would be my first year as a college student. But if i had to give my self some adviced it would be to take advantage of the classes and time that is given to you in high school. When i was in high school it was a choice for me. I really didn't have a structured home so i went to school as much as i thought nessesary. Now i realize all of it was nessesary because im going to be paying for most of the classes that were given for free. I passed with a local deploma and then took a couple of years off from school. It seemed more like a chore when i was in high school. Now I know that going to college is for me and my future of being sucessful. I would be more applying these days.

Ciarelys

Wow, if I could go back in time from when I was a highschool senior the advice I would give myself is to get a head start!!! I would tell myself to shake off the Senioritis and to not slack. I left all my applications until last minute and I only visited one college ahead of time. It's important to visit those colleges that you're considering and maybe even possibly spend a day on campus when classes are in session to see whether the environment suits you. Another important piece of advice is to research the colleges your considering applying to see what the admission requirements are. It's important that in that last year of school you get everything done possible (SAT's ACT's,Grades!) so that you're not limited in where you can attend because you have no other choice. Speak to someone who's been in your shoes not too long ago and ask them for advice on getting the application process started. And one more important thing to start considering is to find out what you're passionate about, do some soul searching figure out what you want to study!Good Luck!