Capella University Top Questions

One of the biggest challenges for me not going to college after high school would have to be not having enough knowledge of the steps involved in actually going to college, as well as not knowing what I should choose as my major. I was just instructed to apply. I had many unanswered questions such as..Where would I go? and How do I pay? Today, I wish I could have told myself to not worry so much. There are colleges close to home that I could start with and apply to, and if I wanted in the future, I can transfer to a different college that fits me. Financial aid is a must to apply for and if I am not able to receive it, there are student loans that are out there for people to go to college, as well as scholarships. One last thing would have to be that it does not matter what your major is, just start with the basics of an AA degree and once you start, things will fall into place and who knows, maybe thats when you will know what you want to be when you grow up. Good Luck!

If I had the opportunity to talk to myself as a senior preparing to make the transition into college life, the most useful advice I could give would be to focus on my strengths & interests to choose a course of study or career path. I would recommend that I be open to growth & new experiences that may cause me to re-examine my choices or take an unexpected pathway in the journey. My adademic & professional choices were onced centered around what would bring the most financial success. I now understand that success is most clearly defined by being personally satisfied with the path taken - not whether or not there's a pot of gold at the end of the road. The social, academic & economic pressures of transitioning into college life can be great; when you see college life as a road in the journey & not the means to an end, you will be more likely to enjoy the ride. Use the time to define your goals based on the discovery of what you do best, enjoy the most, & where you can make the greatest contribution. This discovery just might point you toward unchartered territory & change your definition of success.

When I was a high school senior, I had a very promising career plan ahead of me. I had good grades and I was accepted to a very fine college, Union University. But while attending Union, I was seduced by the many extracurricular activities the school had to offer. I dropped out of school because of academic delinquency. Later in life I joined the military and discovered what my problem was when I attended Union. I forgot to remember my purpose for going to school. In the military, I learned to be watchful of the distractions that can divert me from my goals. It takes discipline to study and then apply that knowledge with the aim of being successful. The war in Iraq was an excellent teacher of discipline during the heaviest of distractions. Facing an enemy determined to kill you was a palpable barrier to acheiving my goals. Such as the the many distractions that face many young students going to college for the first time. The advice I would give my myself as a young and bright eyed 18 year old is to remember why I am going to school. "Remembering your goals is the key to success".

Hey, kid. Snap out of it! You've got a lot going for you, but you haven't worked out all of the answers yet. There are a few more hurdles to leap before you finish this scholastic race. Sure, you can make it work by doing it your way, but if you conform just a little bit longer, it gets much easier. After a short time of fundamentals, you'll be able to escape any form of pre-planned education and can start individualizing your experience. Then you'll start to get it, and you'll start to excel. College is an awesome experience, and you're going to miss out if you don't do it from the inside. Get in there, buy into the hoopla, and give it a (they call it this for a reason) "college try." You'll feel much better about it in thirty years. You'll be OK otherwise, but this is easier, trust me. Oh, and in the next year, this little company called Microsoft is going to go public...buy a couple of shares and hold on to them for a while...

Advise I would give myself my senior year would be to figure out what I want to do sooner than later. Not to take any college classes until I have figured out what I want to do and college is not the same as high school and college should be taken very seriously. College is the start of being an adult and making decisions on your own as your parents are not there to push you through the finish line. College is what you will make out of your life and it’s one of the most important challenges you have to face in your life. It takes a lot of work and dedication to get through it. There is a lot of time and money that goes into an educaion that will shape my life. Mindy Pool

I would suggest to myself to stay calm and think through the process of what is happening. I was successful in high school, but college was overwhelming and caused a great deal of anxiety for me. As an adult now, I am much more in control of my thoughts my emotions and energy. I would like to have a chance to go back and finish college the first time around. At the age of 37 I feel as though I am just beginning and have lost significant ground to working meaningless jobs for little pay. Things would be very different for me now if I could have started a career earlier in life. I am not dissapointed with where I am now, but would like to be more financially secure and more situated in a long-term career. So, Would tell myself to think about the big picture and focus on the end result. After that, I would give myself a pep talk and give advice to remain calm.

To be prepared to take a challenge with going to college. Be ready and never give up even when things get hard. Make a plan on the classes you will need to take in order to get your degree. Dont do it alone get help from some that knows what their doing. Most important thing is to never think that its going to be easy.

I graduated high school in 1984 and attended Kingsborough Community College and received an AAS in broadcasting. I decided to go back to school in 2008 to further my career in healthcare. As you can see I did not go far in broadcasting, but when I moved to Florida I found my niche. The only thing I would say to myself is online courses are so much better, but I think I would look at myself strangely because when I went to college there was no internet. The road I took was perfect for me at that time. The things I learned and problems I had were all part of life. I believe that God set paths for me to choose and I chose the path that was best for me. I believe that everything happens for a reason and I would not change the path I took, the problems I overcame or the things I learned. Everything that I went through and that happened to me is part of who I am today. My parents prepared me the best they could but you know the saying you learn 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} in a classroom and 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} doing the job.

You don’t think you need to go to college and you have more important things to do, but I have a few secrets to let you in on. Brace yourself, because you’re about to take a blow to chest. I’m telling you about the road you're about to travel. This summer, you’ll do things that you're not proud of. You will know better, but you lack the self-esteem to pull yourself up from the ashes. Before you turn twenty, you’ll have a baby and by the time you're twenty-four, you’ll have three. It’s not as bad as it seems, those little ones are everything to you. This is why you decide to go to college. It is hard, I cannot lie. Attending school with an additional three mouths to feed is not the carefree life that you’ve envisioned, but to give them that life, you are going to do what it takes. Choose your path wisely. Finish your education seamlessly and choose the less bumpy path. But remember that those children will be your life and they wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for those bumps.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior the most important advice that I could give myself knowing what I know now is to not be afraid to venture into the unknown. Part of the college experience is trying new things, meeting new people, and living a new life. I would make sure to tell myself to do the things I really want to do and don't stop just because the steps seem hard or because I'm scared to be on my own. I would definitely tell myself to move into a dorm and don't stay local just to be close to a certain boy, there's plenty more where he came from. Allowing insignificant things or people keep you from doing the things you want only haults your progress and potential. Lastly I would tell myself to be strong and work hard because it's easy to fall behind and find yourself moving nowhere. Teachers, faculty, friends and family are there to help you succeed not to see you fail, so turn to them for help when you need it because you aren't alone.