Guilford College Top Questions

The first thing that I would tell myself would be to take college courses while still in high school. Most of the time, students try to make senior year as easy as possible. They take easy classes and they don't try very hard because they just want to have fun. My senior year, I did not push myself and I had what many students have when they are seniors in high school, and that was "senioritis". I wanted to do as little as possible so that I could have more free time to do what I wanted. That brings me to my next piece of advice. I would tell myself to put more effort into my schoolwork, because in high school, I thought success was being able to study as little as possible to get passing grades. I did not see the point in trying to work so hard for 'A's in high school. But now I struggle in my college classes because I did not develop good study habits in high school. I have to work extra hard it seems then other students, and I tend to fall back into my old ways of hardly studying.

If I could go back in time, to when I was a senior, I would tell myself not to get down on opportunities that are missed. I really didn't prepare myself for the amount of competition at the collegiate level. However, I don't regret any of the decisions I made and high school me just needs to know that I am happy and capable of anything I set my mind to.

Do not hesitate to plan ahead! One of the most difficult aspects of college is balancing your schedule and managing to get all homework completed in time. Some professors will remind you about upcoming assignments, and some will simply expect you to keep up with the syllabus on your own; you never know. So better safe than sorry - keep close track of upcoming assignments, as far ahead as possible. Make sure to use your planner and stick to it. Procrastination is very difficult to avoid as a young college student, so don't beat yourself up if you do it sometimes and maybe have to pull a few all-nighters. But try to avoid procrastination as much as you can; planning when and what to do every day can actually be really helpful, and not repetitive as it may seem. In college, there are many fun events to attend and clubs to join - do not hold back! If you think you would enjoy something, go ahead and join in. It will give you a sense of community and you'll meet new friends. You can then add the fun activities to your planner and have things to look forward to.

Finding a college that meets your needs should be your top priority. Whether the school is world renowned, or barely known if it can provide an environment in which you will reach your full academic potential, it is worth fighting to get into. College is not only about academics, it is also a means for personal growth. The college expierence is about realizing how you will eventually change the world, not how you will fit into it.

When I came to Guilford College, I expected that I would fall in love with college life immediately and not have any adjustment issues. This was definitely not my reality! However, I believe that the imperfections of my college experience have helped me grow the most. Homesickness was (and still is!) the biggest issue for me in college. Living hours away from my parents for several months in an unfamiliar place has been extremely challenging. It was both liberating and terrifying to realize that I could no longer turn to my parents for my basic needs; I am now responsible for taking care of myself academically, physically, and emotionally. Due to having a more flexible schedule than I did in high school, I no longer procrastinate in college. I now complete assignments and prepare for class activities in advance. I am also learning how to balance my academics and social life. I am striving to make my life in college better-rounded by spending time with friends, trying new activities, and exploring Greensboro rather than doing homework constantly. Granted, my college experience has not been what I expected, but I believe I have become stronger because of its many challenges.

The best two things about attending TCC have been the small class sizes, and the teachers being paid to teach. In large universities core classes can have 100+ students in them, but at TCC the largest class I have had so far was 38 students. The teachers have time to answer everyones questions, and they actually learn your name and get to know you as a person. Another wonderfull thing about TCC is that the teachers are paid to TEACH as opposed to being hired to do research. So you never have to deal with teachers aids, you can always go to the teachers office and see them about any and all problems you have. These two great aspects combined lead to a very caring, nurturing enviornemt that fosters personal growth and development . It almost feels more like a family enviornment than a school.

The college advisors have been extremley helpful in assisting me to figure out what I want to study. I have now decided that I want to major in the health sciences, specifically in Biology, then attend gradutae school and take an accelerated nursing course. Everyone on campus is looking out for my best interest. Students have been very kind and generous. There is some bureaucracy, but not too much.

My college experience has given me self-confidence, direction, and a passion for learning. Thirty three years ago I started college as a teenager, earned an associate's degree, and went on to have a family and a respectable career. Then my job was out-sourced and I found myself ineligible for any job matching my skill set because I didn’t have a bachelor's degree. I found a long-term, contract position and went back to school. Balancing a full-time academic workload with a full-time job and two full-time, busy teenagers was challenging but I loved every minute of it. Two years in, with a 3.87 GPA and my degree so close I could almost touch it, my body betrayed me. Serious complications following open heart surgery knocked me down so completely that I was unable to work for six months or to return to school for two years. But I did return. I will be a Teaching Assistant for Psychology Research Methods next semester and then I expect to graduate with honors in May. After that I'm going for a Masters in Psychology - then maybe a doctorate!

I have worked hard and studied countless hours and yet wouldn't trade that time back for anything. I now have a much higher knowledge base and can hold my head up high. I am proud of myself, I didn't think I was smart enough to do this, but I am so much closer to a better life for my children. I have self-confidence and now I KNOW that I can graduate; I am smart enough! I have learned how to do so much and how to articulate my thoughts and ideas in a precise logical way so that others know what I am getting at. My horizons have brodened and in a few years will have surpassed what I never thought possible; I will be a college graduate. I will be an asset to any company all because I made the first step and went back to college and started the learning process.

My college experience has allowed me to see the world in an entirely new way. Through the relationships I have gained thus far in my college career, I have met people of different and innovative idea's, beliefs, and values that I would not have seen if I had not attended college. The personal classtime with challenging courses has also allowed me to articulate my own ideas and knowledge to my classmates and professors. This is imperative because of the writing assignments are extremely unique and difficult and, therefore, I have become a more intellectual citizen that can look at other individuals beliefs and knowledge while also supporting my own. Of course this will begin to be more important when I step into my own career field and are faced with personal challenges to my ideas, intellect, and moral compus. Without my college experience, I would not have grown as a person mentally and emotionally which, therefore, shows that my college experience has molded me into a smarter, more prepared, and more articulate citizen, which has allowed me to view my surroundings in an open way.