Carthage College Top Questions

What should every freshman at Carthage College know before they start?

Molly

I am a rare breed of college student in that I don't drink any alcohol at all. The transition from high school to college was scary because I knew that much of the college social scene is based on alcohol. I ended up making friends with a great group of people who, although they consume alcohol, understand my personal reasons to not drink, and accept me for that. If I could give a few words of advice to my high school self, I'd say, "Don't be so worried about being the only one who doesn't drink. You will find an amazing group of friends and have just as much fun without alcohol."

Tammie

I would advise myself to go back to school right away and not wait, it is harder to go back to school at an older age. I would strive to be more academically advanced in order to accelerate in the college. I would push myself to take more classes that would pertain to a career outside of school and not just classes to get by and get my credits to graduate. I would think more about school than getting married.

Jonathan

Assuming that I could go back in time with the objective of giving a younger version of myself advice about college, I would advise myself to only take classes that pertain to English, Foreign Languages, Teaching, and International Studies. I also would tell myself to apply for scholarships to pay for Schoolcraft, thereby lowering the amount of loans I would take out when transferring to a University. I know that the goal of this survey is to help prospective students wade through the raging ocean of college requirements, deadlines, scholarships, applications, and possible career paths, but the truth in it all is that I would not be Jon at 21 years of age without experiencing what I had experienced during my 19th and 20th years. Wisdom is not just knowledge, but knowledge that has been refined and directed through experience. Schoolcraft academically offers above and beyond what is expected at its price-point. Professors are not estranged from students due to research or tenure-tracks as in Universities, which allows mentor relationships to develop, to which I am a witness. Jon of 2009, I advise you to take the path I did, grow in your character, trust in God.

lizeth

Save up for money, take the courses you want to take, and have fun! Going into to college I thought I was going to be able to get scholarships at the last minute, but I realized it is not that simple. I was unable to go to my first choice for financial reasons. I know you have been wanting to take French and physics for your last year, but you were afraid it was going to be a work-overload. Take them, get a head start on everything. Lastly, manage a little fun in to your last year with all your friends. You will not see many after high school.

Elizabeth

Knowing what I know now about college life and college expenses; if I could have gone back in time and talk to my self when I was a senior in highschool, I would have told myself to fill out more scholarships. I would have told my self to fill out more scholarship so that when I would have gotten to college life, I would not be as stressed out about paying for college.

Kelly

Always come to class prepared no matter what! That means reading EVERYTHING your teachers tell you to. Also guess what studying helps with finals! And it makes you feel so much better before you go into the final. When you come to college make sure you bring everything you need to be away from home but not too much because your dorm will then be crowded. Don't worry about not making friends because you will make tons! And these friends will last for a lifetime. I also would have told myself not to even bother looking at the big city schools because a smaller campus with the student to teacher ratio like Carthage has is more than I could ask for in a city school. In the city schools you feel more like a statistic than a person that is actually cared about. Another thing would be take responsibility for things on your own I have watched my friends that barely knew how to take care of themselves without their parents. It wasnt pretty. Otherwise college is fabulous and get excited!!!!!!

Rebecca

If I could go back and tell my prior self-anything about college, I would tell myself to be more organized. Here in college, organization is everything. The professors don’t hold your hand and tell you when everything is due. You need to keep a planner or calendar and keep track yourself. Also I would tell myself to start keeping a watch or having the time more accessible to me because I have missed a couple classes from not setting an alarm or not being conscious of the time. I would tell myself these things because then I would have time to try and make it a habit to complete all these tasks and make them a day to day routine so I wouldn’t be stuck. It’s a challenge, but has been easier to deal with as schools gone on. I just wish I didn’t have to deal with this the first couple months of school.

Rachael

I would probably tell myself to relax, pack way less than you think you need, and to get to know your roommate over the summer. First off, RELAX! College only happens once (for most of us) and so you need to enjoy it! Take the time to get to know people on your floor, grab a bite with a stranger, and just be YOU. Also, definately pack as little as possible. I know the dorm rooms look great and spacious, but really, in college less is more because it fills up fast. Finally, talk to your roommate. Not on facebook, or the computer but in person (if possible) or at least over skype or the telephone. It really pays to know that you will at least have one friend at school when you arrive and for many people their roommate becomes their best friend on campus.

Michael

"Trust me. You're thinking that college is a lot of hard work. Well, it is, but I promise you that you will also discover that it will be a very rewarding experience for you. You will meet people that you never thought you would meet. You will see things that you never thought you would see. You will learn things that you never thought you would learn. And you will discover things about yourself that you never knew before. You will find that in time you will become so much more than you are today. You will f eel things about yourself that you thought could be possible. Do you really want to find out what your life would be like without a college education? I am here to tell you that one day you will even amaze yourself with all that you have done, can do and will be able to do in the future. Kid, don't ruin this for me. I was once you and felt how you are feeling right now. Yes, it will be a lot of hard work and in the end, you will know it was all worth it. Trust yourself."

Brittany

"Remember you are strong, reflect on your goals and embrace every challenge!" That would be my first and foremost advice to a high schools me. College brings obstacles which expand and strengthen you, but these obstacles can also take a toll on how you view yourself if you do not approach them with the correct mindset. A high school me would need to be told that it is acceptable to fail sometimes and that it is impossible to please everyone. Moreover, I would tell myself it is best not to please everyone. It is in the moments of defiance of the common trends or pressures where you really define yourself. Those are the moments that shape who you become and fortify your heart and soul. College is an opportunity to break free from labels both internally and externally assigned. My advice would be to never run away from a challenge and never doubt you will grow each time you push yourself. College is a time to rise to every occasion, question everything and above all become the kind person you always admired. It is a time to push excuses aside and act.