Carthage College Top Questions

When I was a high school student looking ahead to my future as a college student, I was very nervous. At the time, I had no idea what college I would go to, so I did not know if I would have to live on-campus or commute. College, in general, was nerve-wracking for me. If I had the chance to go back in time and talk to my younger self about college, I would tell myself to not to worry at all about college life. College is a time where young students try to discover themselves and figure out what kind of impact they will have in the world, whether they become a lawyer, doctor or engineer. College is the first step to becoming an adult, and although it can be scary to make the transition between high school student to adult, it is also liberating. My younger self would be glad to know that his future self loves the college that he is attending, and also he would like to know about how his future self is even more excited about continuing his education and eventually becoming a lawyer, which is a dream for both of them.

My advice would be to explore all schools before you make a decision. Carthage College was my last preference, but my mom forced me to visit. I ended up falling in love with the campus and everything about the college. I now am exceling in grades and finding great opportunites through classes that will help with my career later in life. You need to test multiple schools until you find the one. It's like relationships. You are not going to find the one most of the time. You usually date other people before finding the perfect fit. So, don't pick a dream school until you have visited all of them.

I would tell myself that it isn't as scary as you think it's going to be. Yes, I miss my family but I get to go home a lot than I thought I would get to. Also, there are so many supportive people here to talk to if you ever need anything. I would just tell myself to keep my head held high and stop over-thinking things.

As a senior, I thought the only way to get the real college experience was to go away from home and live the college life as my peers were doing. After a few semesters at a local community college I made the jump to a very large college in the city of Chicago. Even though city living, especially away from my family, wasn’t for me, I thought this was the only way to experience college. After a short but daunting semester, I decided to look at my options closer to home. I found Carthage College and decided to apply. I immediately knew I had found the perfect fit at Carthage. Three years later, I am almost finished with my degree in business and have worked for my company the whole time I’ve gone to school. I was able to take the lessons and work ethic I learned from Carthage and apply it to my job. Just last year, I got offered a corporate position provided I finish my degree. If I could go back I would tell myself not to worry about what everyone else deems as the "real college experience" but do what feels right for you.

College life is the best experience that someone can live. It teaches you stay focused and determined to do your best in everything you do. Before going into college be sure that you are prepared to be faced with new challenges and have a open mind to learn new things and meet new people. Living the college life can be easy as long as you are determined to stay focused and responsible with your school work and social life.

With the knowledge that I have today and given the ability to go back in time I would have changed few things during my senior year of high school. I have always been a dilligent student who prides himself on reaching exceptional levels of achievement. Given the opportunity to talk to myself as a high school senior I would have told myself of the great things that come with a college education. As a senior I was torn between the numerous schools wanting me to attend their fine establishments. The constant phone calls and letters in the mail created a difficult decision for me. Being the first college student in my entire family I was lost in a sea of misguided advice and college recruiters. If I could go back I would have told myself to take a deep breath, focus, and folllow my heart. Fortunately I ended up attending a great school wiht great people. I dont think anything can truly prepare a high school student for college. However, I wish someone was there to tell me to follow my heart and make the big decsion soley based on what was right for me.

If I were to go back in time to when I was a high school senior I would tell myself to make sure that I am open to anything that presents itself to me because there are many new ideas and people and things that come with college. I would also tell me to end things with my girlfriend at the time on good terms so that we remain friends and I don't start my college career on a bad note. I would also make sure to tell myself that I need to make sure to study hard and get good grades and do homework and projects when they are assigned instead of procrastinating until the night before assignments are due, but don't stress over grades too much. The last thing I would tell myself would simply be, "be happy" because sometimes in the midst of it all we forget to enjoy all the little things thaat make life worth living.

Dear Self, Don't be afraid to get to know people. Get involved right away and you will meet lots of people fast! You won't be "alone" for long. Try not to procrastinate on your homework. Try to stay ahead and do all the readings! Your work load will get more intense as you go through college so be prepared for that! You will meet some really great people and some not so great people. Hangout with the ones with similar values to you. Don't give into the typical college pressures! I know you can do it! Being in a sport will not be too overwhelming and you can do it!

When I originally attended college in Chicago in 2001, I was fresh out of high school. Very rapidly, my interest in college escaped me, as I was more interested in boys, big city life, and freedom! What I would tell my high school self is to just enjoy the day, and look for the beauty that lies in education. I was so eager to get out of that place and get to college, and because of it I remember so little of what I was supposed to learn, and did not appreciate what school had to offer. Take time to figure out what it is that you are passionate about, and do NOT be afraid to pursue your goals, even if they seem completely unreasonable. You have so much time ahead of you to reach for those goals, and however overwhelming the path may be, you have time. So just dream, dream big, and then go for it. You can overcome any barrier that blocks the way.

If I could, I'd go back to my high school self and say, "Even though life is hard right now and it seems like nothing is going your way, just keep on going. Keep walking and don't look back. Apply for scholarships, believe in yourself. You have your whole life ahead of you, don't stop now." When I was in high school, my parents were going through tough times, both finacially and in their relationship. I blamed myself and went in to a self inflicted depression and I never achieved mygoal of getting in to the University of Maryland. Now that I'm about to graduate with my associates degree, I believe it's time to take those steps I was too afriad to take before and go for my dream.