Montcalm Community College Top Questions

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

Mindy

In high school you think a lot of small things are really important. You are taught to believe that without certain things you will not be considered successful later in life. So what advice would I give to myself? I would tell Mindy that she is not what other people tell her to be, or have taught her to believe that she is. She is not a selfish person because she wants to be loved. She is not stupid because she has made mistakes. That having an abortion does not make you a bad mother. That learning from mistakes doesn't mean you're better than someone that is still trying to figure things out. I would tell Mindy that she is the best person she can possibly be. That everything she is going through in the next four years will only make her more driven and more grateful. She has a great head on her shoulders and that she should trust herself more often, life is too short to think you are worthless and that you don't deserve good things to happen to you. I would tell myself that if you're going through hell, keep going.

Elizabeth

I wish I could go back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior! I would be a totally different person today let me tell you! I did not start college right out of high school, that was mistake number one. So I would begin by telling my lazy high school self that taking college classes is not that difficult. I will thank myself later if I at least get my gen eds completed. Don't worry so much about what you want to be right away. Of course I would also recommand the community college to spare on expenses because every penny counts. I would share my experiences of taking out loan after loan for my bachelors degree and how debt is not fun. If my young "cool" self listened to me and did go to college I would continue giving advice. I would tell myself that life is not a big party. There is so much more to live for and you can accomplish so much more by having clear mind every day. College is a great place to meet new friends but you are there to get an education.

Natasha

If I could go back and talk to myself, I would tell myself not to stress too much. Life is going to get extremely difficult at times - there will be rumors, back-stabbers, a lot of tears shed and fears felt - but it's also going to be amazing. You're going to go to wonderful places; Paris and Spain are just around the corner! You're going to feel lost, confused, most of the time, unsure if you're making the right decisions. Trust in God, though, He is going to lead you to where you need to be. You'll fall in love with this little college (seriously, you will not be able to get it out of your head!). Everything is okay, though, and you are doing the best you can. The upcoming times are no more stressful than those you are experiencing now and the support you have is overwhelming. So, please, take a couple of chances and leap into the fire, because, although it will be frightening, it will be amazing too.

Michelle

If I could go back in time to myself as a high school senior and give myself advice about college life and making the transition from high school to college, I would give myself advice about study habits and making new friends. I would stress the importance of haveing good study habits before attending college. Study habits are the most important factor in school work. If you never study a subject you will never learn the material. Some of the subjects you study in college seem like they will never apply in real life situations or in your career, however, your grades will apply when you are looking for work after college. I have seen many of my pupils fail out of school because of poor study habits and time management, which leads to my next piece of advice. Making new friends is a must in college. Although it is more important to focus on school rather than on your social life it is still a very important part of college life. Just be sure that you are hanging around people that have your best interests at heart along with their own, and you are making enough time to study.

Amanda

The first thing I would tell myself is, "Sure, use Spark Notes now in place of reading the actual boo, but in college its not going to do you any good!." The second thing i would telll myself would be, "Your friends now most likely won't be your friends in college." The third thing I would tell myself would be, "Manage your money and thing ahead. You will need to save money and you need to be prepared for the life ahead of you. Your professors in college aren't going to care wether or not you forgot your pencil or don't have the money to pay for your class. You need to expect the unexpected and be prepared!"

christi

Stick with it, never give up and never let anyone tell you that you can't do it. It may be tough in the beginning, but the education will truely payoff in the end. Open this chapter in your life an embrace it fully, enjoy it to the fullest and look back on it and remember this is where you made your life what it is..