Johnson County Community College Top Questions

If I could go back in time and inform myself about the college life and the transition the first thing I would say is apply as soon as you can. I wish I would have started looking at colleges and different scholarships earlier in the school year. I waited until about October or November just to start applying for college. I should have been searching for all kinds of scholarships, student loans, and grants by then. I did not think through how expensive college really is. If I would have realized that before I definitely would have been more efficient about gettting all the financial help I could for my college career. But, since I did not do that I took a tennis scholarship at a community college. It pays for everything except my living situation and it is saving me a lot of money than I would be at a univeristy. However, if you do not like the college you are at it can be pretty miserable and figuring that out first hand makes me wish I would have tried a little harder in searching for financial help for my extended education career.

Well, I can admit that I did not take high school seriously. As a senior I had an extremely bad case of "senioritis". However, I don't regret spending my time partying senior year, only because I got all my fun out of the way. So, by the time I had got to college I had grown up a lot. Getting in the swing of things in college was a lot harder for me because I had never been into studying. It took a lot of time but one day I learned how to study, time manage, and get good grades in school. I know I didn't take my free education seriously in high school, but in college I knew I was paying for it and it was voluntary. I now take pride in my grades because I realize that school is the one thing that I can control; what I put into my studies, I get back. I like learning the hard way, it makes the lessons I learn stick with me. I wouldn't tell myself anything, just live it up and keep on keepin' on.

I would probably catch myself at home skipping seminar on a thursday. I would approach myself and start off by giving him a hug and telling him that everything will be alright. He may not want to hear what I have to say but, If it could change my life I will tell would tell him everything. First, the first love, you like her but, she is not the loving girl you think she is. Later on in the relationship, the one you sacraficed your wealth, time, and your own personal beliefs for will leave you for another man. That man is "God". The next bit of news I would share with him is that his older brother who he looks up to because, of all the mistakes he made to prevent another from making, will die by those mistakes. He will have passed away later that year when I start my first semester of college, shocking my core to the point where it makes education almost impossible to handle. Do not fret though, you can make these changes, talk with "the one" and talk to your brother and tell him how much you love him.

"If I knew then what I know now...." That phrase never seems to affect us or have any real meaning in our teenage years, but eventually everyone has that moment of clarity. Luckily for me, I managed to get that moment early in my twenties. In high school, I was an active honor roll student. Some of my honors included President, section leader, and librarian of my orchestra, place winner of many debate tournaments, member of the Spanish club, volunteer initiative and various other groups. Not to mention I also worked 30 hours a week at Mcdonalds. Going to college was never an issue or a problem for me. What was, however, was how I was going to pay for it. "Apply for scholarships, you're brilliant!" My parents would tell me. But I ignored their pleas, thinking that I would be able to get scholarships during college. Now, with graduation around the corner, I have the 60k+ dollars in student loans I must pay back looming. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to apply for scholarships to make my college tenure much more enjoyable.

I would tell myself to get a jump start on growing up. It's a week before school starts for me and in that next week I have to get my driver's license, get a car, go to work, arrange a budget, and buy all my school supplies. I was so stubborn then. I didn't feel that it was my job to get a job. It was my job to enjoy my youth. I did that quite well. But now I have to grow up in seven days. I would have told my senior self to get a move on. I would tell myself I could still have fun, but that it was time to be responsible as well. I would tell myself that I really needed to grow up before the whole real world came crashing down on top of my head.

?Believe in yourself! Take that frighteningly big leap of faith and go to college. You know you are smart enough, and you have enough passion and drive to succeed. Don?t settle for what comes easiest, or cling to the comfortable safety of family and friends. Nothing worth having in life is easy, nothing will be handed to you. There will be many tough decisions in life. If you don?t make your own choices the world simply will make them for you. It?s not selfish to want an education. You will never get a good job without a college education no matter how hard you work. It may seem like you have no clue what you want to do with your life, and that?s alright. That?s what college is for, to help you find your way. It?s not just about the books you read, or the papers you write, it?s about life skills. College will be the experience of a lifetime, and if you don?t go now you will regret it later. Your opportunity is here, and the window is small. It only gets harder as you get older, so go for it.

Don't worry! Don't worry about what you should wear-- there all kinds of people there dressed all different ways, so it really doesn't matter if you dress stylishly or wear sweatpants and a baggy shirt to class. Don't sweat about the classes, either-- yeah, it's college, but just think of it as the next grade higher in highschool, and that's about as hard as the class is going to be. The only thing different is that you'll have to read more. Don't worry about whether to pack a lunch or eat out-- in college, no one cares about that, and you're not going to be considered "uncool" if you do pack your lunch. And definitely don't worry if you don't have a clue what you're doing. You may feel like the only ignorant person on campus, but trust me, there's probably at least a hundred other kids feeling the EXACT same way! Don't be shy about asking questions-- teachers like students who do; it shows you're paying attention. Most of all, HAVE FUN!

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If I could go back as a high school senior, I would do a lot of things differently. I would first start off by telling myself to enjoy my senior year. I would also tell myself to not work so much, I worked full-time through my senior year and I feel like I missed out on that experience. I would also tell myself to study harder, I didn't get bad grades, but I should have had better study habits. I would also tell myself to talk to my counselors more about colleges. I am finding that I am still asking questions while in college and if I would have asked those questions while I was in high school, then I would feel better prepared. I didn't have a bad senior year, but things would be a lot different if I knew then what I know now.

Not to waver on applying somewhere, anywhere. I left high school early, and obtained a GED, but neglected to enter a school for fear of wasting time and money on things that wouldn't pay off. That I would start a degree program and back out of it; go to a school I didn't like; take classes that didn't help me. Sitting in my thumbs instead of going out and obtaining an education was a far bigger waste, though; I could already be nearly done had I simply done something instead of nothing. Whatever concerns you have about college are not enough to keep you from applying. The time and money lost on a useless course is better than the time and money lost not gaining an education.