Eastern Iowa Community College District Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, my best advice would be to attend a community college first, and then decide where I would like to see myself in a couple years. Senior year is hectic, exciting, sad, all these emotions wrapped into a short amount of time when big decisions need to be made. I would tell myself that it's okay to stay close to home for a couple years and get just as a good of an education completed at my local community college. Dont jump into a big university away from home if you're not ready for it. You don't have to follow what everyone else is doing, just focus on what will be best for you and your education.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to work hard on the college classes I am taking now. They may seem just like classes that you are taking for free, but they will really effect your GPA later. I have a 3.0 and haven't gotten a C since taking classes in high school. I am slowly getting it raised, but it's even harder now because of how much I hurt myself in high school. So, I would have told myself to either a.) work as hard as possible on them, or b.) don't take the class and just wait untill you get to college. Also, college is hard. If you think it is going to be one big party, you're wrong. It's a lot of all-nighters finishing homework and studying for tests. Especially if you have a job, you're social life is not going to be as "fun" as you thought.

If I could go back in time to talk to myself I would tell me to be more serious about high school and to not take a year off after graduating. I would tell myself that all the classes you took in high school were relavent to what you are going to be doing in college, when you're in high school you think you'll never use all that stuff again and that statement could not be any more wrong! When you start a family at a young age you want to make sure to have a stable degree and college back ground. I would go back and tell myself that you need to focus on school so that you can support your children and yourself.

Don?t take a break between high school and college! You have NO idea how hard it will be to get back into the swing of school and get your degree finished. It may feel like you?ve already done so much and that you?re so worldly, but you?re not. There is so much to do out in this great big world and so much to learn. It?s much easier to get the things that you want in life with a college degree. Why not start out your life easier instead of making it harder on yourself. Besides, the sooner you get it done the sooner you?ll be able to live a life outside of school. It?s much easier to transition into college life when you?re still fresh out of high school. It?s a much different world, but it?s a fun world. I?d say to get involved with as many things as you can. Church groups, school groups, study groups, sports and what have you. Pray and don?t be afraid to ask questions in order to be more sure about your decisions.

Dear Emily, Well you've sure been through a lot in the past five years. I guess the one thing I can tell you, is you don't need a controling man in your life. You've been through a lot of abuse, and now that you're starting over, you're finding out that it's harder then it is. Be patient. You have so many options. Just remember, you are happiest helping others. If you can't help others, you don't know what to do with yourself. Good luck!!!! Love, Emily

Stick with it! The road ahead is going to be longer and rougher than you think, but you just have to keep your chin up and go with the flow. You'll see financial worry, stress, and a feeling of getting in over your head, but it turns out that that's half the fun. Enjoy the "stresses" of life now, while you're young, because when you finally graduate and hit the "real world," you won'tn have such a wide safety net anymore. And most importantly, have fun and love what you do! You'll remember these years for the rest of your life.

When I was a high school senior, I was very undecided about my future path. I had previously let other people talk me into doing whatever they thought was the right choice for me. By the time my senior year had rolled around I had four years of Accounting under my belt, and I had no real interest in Accounting. My heart had always been in the graphic arts, I was just to involved with what other people had told me my future was going to be like. I decided to take year off and figure things out, but when I finally did decide my life at the time was too full for school. If I could talk to my past self, I would have a talk about standing up for myself and speaking up about important future decisions.

I would tell myself to never give up and always keep your head up. There is nothing that you cannot do and there is nothing stopping you from doing what you want with your life. College debt is a great debt! College is going to be the time of your life where you meet your lifelong friends and learn who you are. It might not be easy all the time but you will learn to never give up. Never stop pushing yourself to finish college and accomplish what you set out to do which is to finish college, get a degree and to succeed in life. Love yourself and be yourself and you will succeed further than you ever thought you would.

Don't stress over everything so much. The right college is out there, you just have to find it. I would say that I did a good job in deciding to go to Community College first. It's a lot cheeper and I will have an Associates degree in two years. It's not just about the academics. Have a life outside of the class room. Get involved with camps activies. Get to know people in every class. This will make college more enjoyable and easier to get through. Study hard and get good grades, it will help when you want to transfer. Most importantly, enjoy college. You are paying for this education and experience, make the most of it.

College is a big step in everybody's life. It is a scary but necessary thing that needs to be accomplished. Now that you are out of high school you will be given more freedom that you have ever known. However, the word that you need to keep in your mind is responsibility. Freedom is a wonderful and powerful thing, but you need to stay focused. High school graduation might have seemed like the end, but in reality it was just the beginning of your adult life. These first four or five years of decisions will influence how you will do with the rest of your life. You need to pick a major that interests you, but will also allow you to provide for your future family. If you think of these people instead of only yourself you will make the decisions that you need to make for their security. Do the best that you can in all your classes, but don't forget to find some friends along the way. They will help you through the tough times. Just remember to do the best and act responsibly in all you do, and I know that you will do well.