Cerro Coso Community College Top Questions

My first semester of college was really bad. I graduated high school a year early. It was very hard for me to fit in once I got into college. I was too worried about what people thought about me. If I could go back and tell my high school self something it would be: Stay away from parties, do your homework, take class seriously. Go to class, that is the cool thing to do! Not ditch, Be yourself. Have fun but always remember schoolwork comes first!!!

I wish while I was in high school I had taken the classes more seriously and studied harder. Knowing what I need to succeed in college this would have made it easier. To have good study habits and know the importance of a good education would have given me and advantage of not having to return to college in my late forties and try to balance school and home. I also wish that when I was in school that the importance of education would have been emphasized by both my parents and the school itself. As a female it was not stressed, we were basically told that we would probably be a secretary and then get married and have children. I do not even remember my parents giving college to me as an option.

I would tell myself to take classes that are needed. To get focus and not play around. I would tell myself that it is more work and harder then expected.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would give myself the following advice. Take Anatomy and major in Nursing! The reasoning behind this statement is that I was homeschooled, and during my senior year, my mother gave me the choice of taking Physics, Anatomy, or Marine Biology for my senior science course. I had no idea what I wanted to do, so I decided to pick the one that sounded the easiest. I chose Marine Biology. After four years and changing my major three times, I have settled on Nursing. If I would have known this during my senior year of high school, I would already have my BSN and probably be working as a nurse. Instead, I am at a community college completing my pre-requisites in order to transfer to a four-year institution to complete my final two years and receive my BSN. If only I could have seen the future when I was a senior in highschool...

If we could go back and give advice to ourselves in hig school it would be to definitely work harder and get better grades. I was kind of a slacker andknwingnow about college and everything you need to know and learn it would have been much easier and even different if I were to pay more attention in high school. College is not a joke and the teachers are very serious and want to see you achieve greatness. In high school the teachers care butre definitely not as much as in college. I would tell myself to not care about the boys or the othergirls who judge you because after high school you do not even see those people and it doesn't matter what people think about you it matters what you think about yourself and how far you get in life.

The first and most important thing that I would tell myself is be prepared for life. College is more complex that at high school. It is your responsibility to go to class and pass. Also, you need to pay for everything. Books at high school are just checked out to you from the library. At college, however, you need to buy those same books for their retail price which could go up to 200 dollars. Another thing to be prepared for is on the first day of class, you are not given a schedule it is expected of you to know where everything is at. The first day of college is nothing like the first day of high school, instead of spending the day talking about class rules and policies, you immediately get into working on class assignments. The classes themselves are also completely different, instead of going for about an hour; some classes can run on for three hours. But none of this is to be discouraged about. College is much more fulfilling than high school; you get a feeling of satisfaction. I would also say that college is a wonderful experience that you will enjoy very much.

The advice I would give my self is first have an career goal in mind once you know what type of career you want talk with an counselor because they can help put together an educational plan to help meet your educational goal. Second try not to overload your self with classes especially if you work, have an family, either your school work will suffer or your family and work will. Thirdly take advantage of all the resources the college has to offer, assessments can help place you in the right math and English class, library, tutors, disabled services etc. College resources can help first time students transition to college much smoother. Fourth be on time for classes, pay attention and ask question if you don?t understand, remember there?s no stupid questions. Fifth do not procrastinates with homework or turning in school forms because it will slow financial aid you need to buy school supplies or make for bad grades if you wait till the last minute to do your home work. Lastly enjoy yourself, college is meant to educate your mind and emotional growth, take your educational seriously but try to relax and have fun with it.

Assuming that I could go back in time and talk to myself when i was a high school senior, there are many things that I would tell myself to help me change the outcome of my life now. The biggest thing I would have changed was telling myself how to save money. I would tell myself that the future is hard and money is very tight. Trying to afford school books and tuition is extreamly hard when you are living on your own an paying for rent, food, and other bills. We don't recieve any finanical aid to help us so it is all up to what money we have left after the bills are paid. I would also tell myself that applying for more scholorships is also very beneficial because they will help us in the future as well. Save and plan is the biggest thing I would tell myself if I was to go back now after experiencing some extreamly rough times so far, and believe it or not I am not that far into the future from when I graduated.

If I could go back in time and give myself advice about college life I would say, "Angie, dump the boyfriend. Study harder for your math tests and make sure you pass each and every one of them. Don't be afraid to take a test because it is only a way to know how much you have learned. Stick to the friends you have now because they really are one of the best things that will ever happen to you. Above all else make school a priority because it is what you do and how you do it that defines who you are."

Prepare yourself as much as possible and find the way financially to attend as soon as possible.