Columbia College Chicago Top Questions

If I could go back to my senior year in high school with h knowledge I have now about college, I would try to enocourage myself to be more responsible and be ready to prepare myself for life in the real world. College is a place where time management, self-control, and maturity is necessary to succeed in a college setting. I would also encourage myself to ask more questions and get involved in as many activities as possible, as these things help to enrich your college experience.

I would start by telling that you do not need to be in a rush to choose your life's work. What you need to do is discover what you like and what you want to pursue. You have to work on things you enjoy doing if you want to be good at what you do. There will be junctions in all roads you travel and you must make a decision at each junction. You'll never know where the other road would have led, so always forge ahead on the chosen path without looking back. Schools can be very expensive sometimes so make sure you always give 110{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} in everything and get as much information as you can (networking with people from your school for example). This is your life and your future so make sure you are prepared for any obsticles and always have your head up no matter what comes through your path in becoming successful. Best, Charles

There have been many times where I wish I could have went back in time to give myself advice in the past. When it comes to college life and making the transition I could have used that guidence a year ago. When I was a senior I had a difficult time deciding which schools I wanted to apply at, what to major in, or did I want to live in a city or suburbs? All were very important questions that I know confuse a lot of high school seniors. I believe that everyone has a set path in life to reach his or her goal, it's a matter of stepping outside one's comfort zone to find it. If I could travel back in time I would have told my past self what my true path was going to be and how happy I am at my school that I picked. I would tell her to not stress about turning in loan forms or medical records and to enjoy the time you have as a high school senior, for it's one of the most carefree times of your life. High school was casual, college is formal.

If you're not 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} ready to go to college, then don't. And this might seem contradicting, but you should push yourself to be ready. Don't be afraid. But don't waste your time either. You've known for a long time now that being an artist is not just a full time job, it's more like an obsession. It requires a lot of work and dedication. As much as you know you're going to learn from your professors, don't be afraid to experiment on your own. Learn from your peers and the internet. Don't shy away from abstract art, cartoons, fashion, or anything else that catches your eye for either positive or negative reasons. It caught your eye for a reason. Everything that you look at you can learn from. Art is not created in a vacuum, so take what you can from your surroundings and try to be more open to things that put you outside of your comfort zone. This whole college thing is just another life experience for you to learn from, so make it yours.

Hannah, college is going to be one of the most exciting experiences of your life if you embrace each day with an open mind. You must take advantage of all the positive opportunities that are set in front to you and not let fear decide your fate. It is so important to step out of your comfort zone to try new things. If you find yourself in a funk, try to find ways to motivate yourself to do whatever you are passionate about. Don?t think that anything is wrong with you if you don?t know exactly what you want to do because college is your time to explore. Take everyday as it comes and don?t spend your time worrying and stressing out about juvenile things. Be open to new people and don?t judge people based on first impressions. Time management is extremely important so set up a system that allows you to accomplish all the things you want. Lastly invest your time with people you enjoy and allow you to express who you are in a non judgmental setting. Hope this will help you embark on your journey through college.

The advice I would give to my high school senior self would be a saying that I say to myself very often these days - "This is why we're here." When I first started my college career, I had underestimated my work load and the impact the transition would have on me. I experienced a lot of stress and attempting to finish projects felt hopeless most of the time. What helped me immensely was stopping to take a breath and telling myself, "This is why we're here." This phrase helps calm me down because it is full of truth. College is supposed to be different, challenging, and sometimes scary. If I wasn't dedicated to the challenges and the stress of college, then I would have no reason to be there. This phrase is very humbling and brings me back to reality when I feel like I have no control over my life. If I could have grasped the meaning to this phrase in high school, I feel that I would have pushed myself harder and accomplished bigger things. If I would have had this advice back then, I feel that I would have been more prepared for college.

I honestly have to say that listening to advice is not always that easy for me, but I never thought about giving myself advice. Now that I think of it, I do know something I would tell myself as a high school senior. That piece of advice I would give myself is to choose the right school the first time. I was rushed into picking a school and was only pushed to pick that school because they offered me the most money. I found my time at this particular school not too much fun. The friends I made were the best, but the school just did not fit me. I found myself transferring to Columbia College Chicago at the end of my freshman year and I can honestly say that decision was the best decision I ever made. I felt comfortable and at home. Money should not be the deciding factor when choosing a school; I unfortunately had to learn the hard way. Choose a school that you know you will love and know you will look forward to going to everyday. College is meant to be fun, so pick a school that will paint your imagination.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself again, I would ask myself, one all-consuming question: What do you want most from life? And, after asking my young, naive self this important question, I would grab myself by the shoulders, look myself straight in the eyes, and whisper small three words: ?Never forget that.? Someone seems to have forgotten to tell me, to tell everyone . As much as college is an intense course of education that ultimately leads to a degree, it is also a journey of self-discovery and self- revelations. It is a time of independence, new environments, and odd circumstances known as ?academia.? Consequently, it is during this time of complete, uninhibited freedom that a young person learns the true meaning of peer pressure, social influences, and ?adult fun.?There is no warning though. Many students, including myself, get sucked into college life and all its social distractions. Amidst the binge drinking, substance abuse, Bar outings, and just overall social atmosphere it?s easy to lose yourself. A person must fight hard to keep focused. Thus, I would advise myself to exhibit a strong sense of intrinsic motivation, ALWAYS working toward my goals.

If I could go back and give myself advise concerning college, I would tell myself to keep on the path that you are on right now that it is the right one and when you are on that path no matter how much you want to quite don?t because you do have talent and don?t let any one tell you different. I would also tell myself to not let things get to you so much and that even though everyone seams really nice when you first meet them but be careful because you will so discover who your true friends, but in general people are amazing, and do not let those relationships with your friends get destroyed, also all the instructors are amazing so pay attention to what they are saying even if you think they are just pulling stuff out of no where because it will make sense in the end.

A light breeze entered through a small crack located on the window of the senior?s snack room . I shook my leg back and forth, with the list of endless colleges that I needed to apply for;scrolled through my mind like the credits from the ending of a movie. Reading and narrowing the ?to do? list that I had scratch down, I realized no where to be found was ?apply for scholarships?. Looking back at my life to where I am now married with two children, roughly 40 college credits; which I somehow struggled to accumulate through several city colleges. A tear rolled down my cheeks, when I saw my high school friend?s invitation for their college graduation arriving to my residence. During my high school years, my main targets were being accepted into college and earning excellent grades. Truly, now is when I can finally look back and see that the golden key is balance. The impeccable grades that I had successfully obtained would not pay for any of my college tuitions, neither would any of the college acceptance letters. One must struggle to search for all avenues in which would lead to financial assistance for college.