United States Air Force Academy Top Questions

Control your time; when you get to college you will realize how hard it is to manage everything. High school is easy compared to college, so spend your time wisely and do all of your homework. Getting a 4.0 GPA is easy if you just try. Don't make excuses and put homework off until the last minute. Talk to your teachers and get to really know them; it is them who will write reference letters for the colleges you want to go to. For academics, work hard now and reap the benefits later. As for the social aspect of high school, the best advice I can give you is don't burn any bridges. High school drama is to menial to make enemies over. Make up with the people that hurt you and do your best not to hurt anyone else. For all you know, they might be the next CEO of Apple and will remember your name when you apply for a job there. Lastly, have fun. You will look back and remember the fun times you spent with friends and family. Make it worth remembering.

Whatever you do, do it for yourself, and yourself alone. Do not make a decision based on what others may think or want you to do. Where you go to school is a big decision that will impact the rest of your life. It's where you will likely spend the next four plus years of your life, so do all of the research you can. Have a wide view. Do not focus solely on one school, because there's no way to fully understand a college until you've been there and been in the environment. Try to look past all of the glamour each school tries to put off and see into the every day lives of people there. If you can, get an honest opinion from someone going through it. Key word honest. Too often people give the casual " this is a great place" but it is important to dig deeper and find what actually makes it great, or perhaps doesn't. Be open to new ideas. College is something you have never experienced before, and it's going to be very different, so approach it with an open mind.

I would tell myself to work hard at school, but to spend more time enjoying life as a high schooler. I stressed too much about all the AP and honors classes I took back in high school, that if I could go back I wouldn't have taken as many of those courses. The Air Force Academy did not let me validate those courses in which I received AP scores of 4 and 5. Going back in time, I would still choose to go to the Air Force Academy. For this reason and the reason of the Academy not using AP scores, I would not take so many AP classes. I would also go back and tell myself that I wasn't ever going to get faster at track and that I should have continued playing both high school and club soccer! I would have then tried to play for the NCAA team at the Air Force Academy. Sitting behind a desk in the Air Force, I would tell myself that my future interests will change and I will become more passionate about business rather than engineering and math, and that the CampusDiscovery $5000 scholarship changed my life in 2014!

Be true to yourself. Don't let the people around you define the person that you will become. Set goals and make plans to become the person you want to be. You aren't defined by your peers, academic achievements, or your athletic accomplishments. You are defined by the perosn that you are and the good things that you do for others. Some people get so lost in the competition of college that they forget that other people need their help. Don't be so busy that you don't have time to help a friend. Be happy! There is always a reason to smile. Find your niche. When you are doing something you love with people who understand you, you will be successful. In hard times, perservere. Work as hard as you can to hit the goals that you have set. Be kind.

Remember three things: a*holes will be a*holes, nothing lasts forever and go to your happy place!

Trying to be a wife and mother, attending college and working full time is extremely difficult. Look at your future and make a decision as to the area of profession you would like to direct yourself in. Have a passion for what you do and do it well. Learn from mistakes now, mistakes later can have a larger effect on your life. A degree is attainable at any age, but achieving one before there are so many responsibilities on your shoulders makes it easier and in a realistic grasp. Fifteen years to get an AAS in business is not ideal, however it gave me great respect for myself.

I would have given the advice of party more at the end of high school. This is not to adapt to the more social events at college, but rather, to be able to hadle those events while practicing time management in an environment where the consequences are not nearly as significant as they are in college. It is difficult to maintain a social life while taking more difficult classes than high school. In high school, i could write a large paper the night before it was due and still get a very good grade. Now, if I have to write a paper, i must write it a week in advance or so. This extended timeline forces better planning that I was not ready for. In the end, it comes down to time management and being able to set priorities.

make sure you tie up all your loose ends before you go to basic training, and don't think about quitting as much as you did freshman year because it's eventually worth it. and free school is better than paying for school. and colorado isn't so bad if you go skiing alot.

parents: let your son'daughter do what they want.

I would say the most important part in choosing a college is the research. Start as early as sophomore year of high school to make a list of possible choices. The first step I would suggest is making a list of your must-haves for a college; you major, tuition, scholarships, location, SAT or ACT requirements, sports and clubs available, dorm and living areas, and more. Then rank what is most important to you and matching it to different colleges. Now I?m the first to go to college on both sides of my family so I know how this can be overwhelming, I got a lot of help from the career center and my teachers and guidance counselor in high school and the most helpful website I can suggest is collegeboard.com. Next go visit the colleges that make the cut and check out the campus and sit in a class or two, then narrow your list to which colleges you can see yourself attending the next 4 to 5 years. Apply to all the remaining colleges and choose. Once you?re accepted get a taste of being on your own and take advantage of any opportunities available.

The nostalgia we will experience years from now on the totality of our experiences in college will not be encompassed by the moments we spend in the classroom; rather than academia, it is what we apply ourselves to outside of the classroom that will be remembered. Nearly every college in our nation supplies the education necessary to check the boxes on a job application. However, to harness that spark, one has to immerse his/herself in the culture and atmosphere of the institution. Observe the graudates and alumni to see if they have achieved levels of success that you are interested in and delve into their past. Personally, I chose the US Air Force Academy, because I was interested in a career serving our country in the military; the experiences I have had at my school have catered to this interest and made life-long memories. These memories will not be of a pen and paper but instead a yoke or rifle: flying a glider in soaring or working with my classmates to ascend beyond our circumstances in basic training and freshman year. Choose your school not because you love what it has but what you can do with it.

Challenge yourself, don't take the easy route. Pick a school that will help you accomplish your dreams and test your limits. If you succeed you will graduate with more than a degree you will have the experience that will make you better.

Start early. Look at schools that specialize in the occupation you want to end up in. Talk to students at that school in the college you'd like to attend, and graduates of the program to hear what they might have done diffrent or what they did right. School costs alot, so pick the best school for which you can get good financial aid or that is the cheapest. If you go to an expesive school expect people to have money. Work hard your freshman year. it will get you good financial aid and get you into special programs.

Look for a college that best fits your expectations. Don't go to a college based on what other people say or for something as miniscule as the distance it is from your house. College is something that shouldn't be chosen because of comfort or location, it should be chosen because of a future and a dream. It shouldn't feel comfortable at first, but it should be chosen based on a dream of a future.

Do a lot of reasearch and visit the campuses you are interested in. Get a tour and talk to the freshman.

Parents need to motivate their children to find their passions and what they want in life, and students should think hard about what they want and what will make them happy before choosing their college.

Take trips to visit the campus and set up tours. This way, you get a feel for what the college is all about. Make the decision that is perfect for the student and not the parents or anybody else. To get the most out of college, study hard and play hard! Do not play so much that you fall behind in school, but don't put of being social for schoolwork. A good balance will help you out the most in the end! Good luck!

The college application process is an exciting, yet also a frightening time. There are many unanswered questions, but foremost in a student's mind should be, what do I want to get out of college and what do I want to do when I graduate? Each college is unique in its own way. Some are large schools and offer an incredible amounts of social opportunites, while small campuses allow a tighter unity within the student body. Some schools are geared towards engineering and others towards the liberal arts, so knowing what your interests are in terms of academics is important. Though the academic major you choose may not necessarily dictate what your life will be after college, it is more than likely a giant step in the direction you will go. So though college may be nothing more than a four- year party for some, the serious student should see these years as a time to lay the foundation for a lifetime of opportunity.

Visit the school at least twice!! Once is not enough! Talk to a few, not only one, student attending that university

Figure out what you want to do and stick with it. changing once or twice is fine... but don't constantly skip around. And take it seriously and don't goof off all the time.

Let your kids go somewhere they want to go, don't force them.

Do something you enjoy

?We must remember that one man is much the same as another, and that he is best who is trained in the severest school.? -Thucydides I encourage the students I mentor to consider what they are willing to sacrifice for their goals. From my experience at the US Air Force Academy, I can tell them sacrifice and dedication will take them anywhere they can imagine going. If they dedicate themselves to sincere leadership and excellence in high school, they will have their pick of universities and colleges. If they dedicate themselves to military service they can use the GI bill to further their education. If they are willing to make sacrifices in school, they can travel the world as respected professionals when they graduate. Associating with others who have the same drive and high goals will make the journey worthwhile and will draw them close to a caliber of people few will ever know. Value integrity, service, and excellence; demand that those around you do the same. Your experience will be unmatched. ?Never never never stop being ambitious. You have but one life. Live it to the full of glory and be willing to pay." -General George S. Patton Jr.

When it comes to the Academy, you better know you want to go there and make the military your life - if you put anything less then 2008{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} into it, you wont make it.

Cost and the ability to find a money-making job tend to heavily factor into a recent high-school graduate decision on which college and major he or she should choose. While those factors are important, I would place a higher emphasis on happiness when making an education decision. No amount of financial savings can make up for a lack of happiness.

Do what you want.

College is a life-shaping experience that will determine what course you will head the rest of your life. The friends you make, the experiences you have, and the knowledge gained all affect who you will be later in life. When you choose a college, pick one that best fits your long term goals and who you want to be. When you visit a college, ask them what should make you want to choose them for your undergraduate education. You are the one interviewing them and use their answers to decide which college you will attend. Focus not only on the educational ooportunities offered, but also the extracurricular activities like clubs and intramurals or Greek life on campus. Location is also key- availability of off-campus housing that is relatively close and proximity to cities with a nightlife or sports teams might be important to you as well. Don't pick schools based off popularity or what other friends are doing- most people make many new friends at college and find people with similar academic interests and hobbies. Good luck and have fun.

Realize that this is your life and take charge of it. When looking for a school, really think about what you want to get out of it--and don't just look at the academics. College life is a chance to develop yourself on the whole-person level, not simply jam as much knowledge into your brain as possible in 4 years. Take the time to check the school out for yourself by spending at least 2 weekdays at the campus and attending classes with a student who's in the same major in which you're interested. Visit the school with an open mind and imagine yourself in every situation you see and how much you would get out of those situations. You will be at the school you choose for the next 4 years, and no one but you can make those 4 years work in your favor. Go to a school that will force you to grow as a person and get the most out of your life.

Best way to figure out whether or not you want to commit to the is by going and visiting. The style of life there is far different than any civilian college, far different even from a ROTC program at another school.

Don't do things for other people. Go to the school that suits YOU, not your parents, not your friends. It's your life; don't let anyone pressure you to go somewhere just because they graduated from there. Take the classes that interest you. Boring classes usually lead to bad grades. And to make the most of your experience, join clubs, meet people, and don't be shy. If you hide in your room playing video games all day and night, you'll never get to experience what you school has to offer. Volunteer and have FUN!

If there was one piece of advice that I could impart on furture students considering on furthering their education into college it would be to pick a school that is tailored specificallyto what you intend on doing in the future. Don't pick a school that is strictly about partying, drinking, and a big social life, those experiences will be with you allof your life, but the four years after graduating are what someconsider your most important becasue it is what you do in college that sets you up for a job, financial security and a safety net thatyou can build upon. It is true that you will never forget your college years, but why not make those college years fun as well as a time where you further your education to set yourself up for a bright future? Pick the school that best suits you academically and tailored specifically to your major.

Make sure that it's what the student wants. Make an informed decision after speaking with current students, faculty and those who live in the area.

The first thing that student needs to do is to figure out what kind of career they are looking into going. The second thing is to choose a school that specializes in that career whether it be engineering, business administration, Pre-Med, Pre-Law, etc. Also, if they need money find scholarships or jobs they can get now. Try your hardest not to take a student loan because its just another thing that you will have to pay when you graduate. But the best thing that you can do as a parent and a student is to visit the college. Visit on the "tour" or whatever the school has planned, but also go there during the week and ask the students attending that college what they feel about it. In regards to the college experience portion of this question, get involved in your school. Clubs are a great way to meet people and could start a life long activity. Do not get so focused on school that you will miss the true fun that is present in college. You will work all your life, enjoy it while you can. Work hard and play hard. thats my motto.

Think less about how much fun you expect to have at the college you are choosing and start thinking about the financial implications more. The student needs to set some goals and have a good idea of what career they want to pursue. The college they pick should be completely focused around what they plan to do.