Southwestern Michigan College Top Questions

As a high school senior, I needed to be told that my future is in my own hands now. There isn't a nice administrative lady at a desk to tell me all of my choices I have anymore. Planning ahead is crucial, especially when it concerns my future education. Time seems to fly away as you look at the deadlines for scholarships and essays. Becoming part of the real world is tough work because you need to find your voice and where you fit in among all of your graduating classmates. You are the one that is in control of your future now, you will do amazing things when you learn how to take what you have and run with it. The life you have known for eighteen years is about to change after graduation, but if you put on a smile and your thinking cap, then you'll be ready for just about anything.

My last year of high school was a point in my life when i realized who I wanted to become. Actually, acheiving that goal was harder than I thought. My main priority was furthering my education at someone's College or University. Not onkly did I want to learn new things, but I wanted to share my experiences with my peers. If I could go back 14 years ago, this is the advice I would give myself. Don't hesitate to continue my education once I graduate. Immediately enroll in college that following semester. Prolonging will hinder my mind and ability to become successful. I am ready to work at my goals and reveal my potential, so in the future I could provide my family and I with foundation. I wouls not have any kids or a boyfriend while attending school. so all my focus and attention could be on my profession. Also, I would major in Medicine and minor in Computer Info Sysytems That was one of my biggest mistakes when I attended Longwood University. I let other people convince me, because computers were starting to take over the world. Knowledge is power and it reflects who I am.

If I could go back in time to my high school self knowing what i know now. I would tell myself to go to college right after i was done with high school. I waited fifteen years between high school and college. It was a hard decision to make. Having three kids in school and me going to school is hard on a good day. Going to college right after high school is a better choice. The basic's are still fresh in your mind and you're still young enough to handle change. I'd tell myself to go away to college so I could learn new experience's. But I would also say stay focused on the ultamite goal. Shoot for the best you can be. But when it comes to your classes, pick what you want to do in your heart and stay true to that subject. Do your four to six years consectively. It will mess up your flow. Once your done and graduated, try to jump right into the job market. once you get yourself settled in a job, try to take online classes. Your best investment you can make is in yourself.

I didnt make it to my senior year of high school. Behavior and issues in my home pushed me to drop out of school in the tenth grade. So with that being said, if i could go back in time and talk to myself i would most definantly make sure i completed high school. Even though i went to Job Corp and recieved my GED i still kinda feel as if i had stuck with grade school, my decision about going to college would have been made soon after my graduation. Waiting years to try and jump back into school is tough. You have to get back into the swing of things all over again when it very well could have been an easy transition if done right away. Im still in my prime, but i feel like i have wasted valuable years of my life with the simple decision to drop out of school. I should be finished with school by now and deep into my career but Its not too late and im almost there. The advice i would give myself would simply be to stay in school and always stick to the things you start.

Being a high school student is very challengeing. when you go to high school your freshman year is the hardest. You have to put what you learned throughout elementary an middle to use. No time for playing around, its time now to buckle down. High school is no joke, you must put your head in the books and pay attention. I wish I could go back in time and change some things I did. As far as playing my freshman year an not paying attention to the teacher. So that resulted in me failing my freshman year. When I did get to my senior year I barly graduated. I had so much catching up to do in little time. When I finally walked across the stage April 25, 2006 I knew I achieve something. Now off to college i go, I knew collge would be a challenge but I was up for it. It took me four years to go but im here an its nothing like high school. College you have to be very patient, focused an time consuming. I have had my days but i get through them. Im hoping I made the right choice in this lifetime.

The advice I would give my high school self would be to be more disciplined and consistent with study habits. I would advise myself to look at the bigger picture, instead of the smaller, immediate one. The way I viewed the courses that I chose in school would have been different. I would have concentrated more on actually learning and retaining the information being taught, and would not have allowed outside influences to interfere with focusing on education. Also, I would advise myself to take those summer jobs very seriously; all of those things help prepare you for going out on your own, and can contribute to your success in life. The most important advice I would give myself would be to embrace those positive values that existed inside of me and to utilize those attributes to help me with the progress and successes I have always wanted for my life. Finally, I would tell myself to be patient, that anything worth having takes time and effort; you must hold on to your faith, and that spiritual strength helps you keep a positive attitude.

I will start by saying that i was never a high school senior, so i would simply say stay in school. It is not what you think, you're probably thinking that dropping out will be laid back but it's not. You have to find a job so that you can pay for a car, pay gor the gas to put in the car,pay your bills and still have money to live ok.I got my GED three years after i dropped out of school.It was very difficult for me three years with no homework nor studying, but i passed with 600 in each subject. Had i stayed in school one more year, I would've had a high school diploma instead of a GED. Some jobs i applied for required a high school diploma and most jobs would not consider someone who had a GED.I would advise myself to stay in school, then after I graduated to focus on what i wanted to do as my career,and if my career path requires more schhol like college,I will pretty much know what to expect. College is similar in to high school in various ways.

Looking back, I would have let myself know earlier that advance diplomas meant absolutely nothing and to stop earlier than 10th grade at going for one. I could have spent more of my valuable time in my middle school and earlier high school years instead of having to take classes and courses that I did not need. Secondly, I would have told myself to take any AP classes I could have as knowing that they counted for college credits did not faze me back then, but now I know that it would have helped a tremendous amount. I would have told myself to not listen to teachers on their advice about college. We were told that attedence didn’t matter but if we didn’t show up, we would be at a disadvantage; we were told assignements were not directly given out; we were told teachers rarely handed out notes and that most notes were not presented in an organized fashion; we were told all too many untrue things. The fact of the matter is this: all of that was wrong. Although If I could go back, I would just tell myself to not give up.

Life As We Know It By: Kayla Prange First off I would tell myself that I need to lose the too nice attitude I had and stop letting people walk all over me. I didn't do some of the things in life after High School that I wanted, because I allowed others to make decisions for me. I would look in the mirror and say college is way too important for your future to just let it go out the window. Many teenagers today think that their education in not important, until they get out in the real world and have to start doing things for themselves. I would tell myself to go on and get that college degree, no matter how long it takes, because in the end it's all worth it and makes for a better future. I would use the advice that my father continues to give me, "You have to work hard for the things you want in life, and if it's a struggle getting there and you have bumps in the road, but still succeed, then you know it's worth it." I would keep my mind straight and set on success.

I would tell my high school self to become more organized, go to classes, and to study. I would also tell myself not to worry so much about college and not to stress out the transition.

If I could go back in time to offer advice to my high school senior version of myself, I would advise myself to figure out what college and degree was right for me. Procrastination was a killer for my scholarship deadlines and college admission applications. Also I still recommend going to a cheap local community college before transferring to a four-year college. Community colleges act as an excellent transition between high school and college. It also helps dampen the financial burden of a higher education. Above all advice you must follow your heart. Don't go to college for anyone but yourself, you need all the determination and discipline to achieve academic success.

Dear Self, I would like to start with asking you the question why did you ever think high school was hard? Let me say that once you reach college, high school seems easy as pie. If you thought that an hour and a half class was wrong it is nothing compared to three hour long night classes. So my main advice to you would be to get in a schedule. Cut out some of your hanging out with friends time and replace it with certain hours of study like from four to six is homework and study and that is all you do. You get your work done this way and you won't feel as bad if you don't hang out with your friends when you learn you have no time in college for free time. Also, get you sleep. Your mind learns the best when it is rested and so does your body.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a senior the first thing that I would tell myself is that there is nothing more important than an education. It does not matter what you have to do to get it, just get it. I would tell them to push themselves in high school. Take as many advanced classes as available to begin readying themselves for college. It is a completely different style of attending school. The responsibility for whether you succeed or fail is totally on you. There is no one there to remind you to do things and to be to class. Sit down and talk to your parents about your expectations and theirs if they are paying for the costs. I would seriously tell them to consider attending a local community college first to get the basics if they are at all not comfortable being out on their own. Better to stay at home and succeed than to go away too early and fail.

If I could go back in time to this situation I would tell myself to becareful with the financial part that comes with college. This come to talk about financial aide, student loans, and just overall college expenses. It is very easy to accept student loans when all you have to do is sign a paper to get that money. I would also tell myself that if I don't have a major selected yet, just to start off with a community college and try to figure out what I want to do from there. Going to a community college or a 2 year college will help you and guide you to what you really want to be later on in life. I would tell myself, by doing these two things it will save me a lot of money and it will just better my future all around.

If I were to go back in time, I wouldn't change anything. The lessons I have learned, have made me the person I am today. I chose to go to a community college for a couple years to save money and play basketball on scholarship. Although I never truly had the dorm experience, I wouldn't change anything for the world. I then transferred to a four year university and attended for a couple years. I still haven't graduated, because I simply cannot afford the full tuition on my own. This scholarship would really help me to get over that hump and finish school with the world ahead of me. Thank you for your time and opportunity. Jessica Johnson

I would tell myself to do the best that i can in highschool, and to make sure you look at all options when choosing a college to go to. Do what is best for you not where your friends are going to, it may not always be a university.