Joliet Junior College Top Questions

If I could go back to my senior year in high school I would have told myself to take school and adult responsibilities more seriously. Most high school seniors are so excited that they are going to be graduating from high school that they do not even think about the responsibilities and priorities that are comming their way as they enter further into adulthood. They are to busy being with their friends and partying to really even realize what is comming their way. Mostly through high school you are still pretty dependent on your parents, but as you trasnsition into adulthood you become less dependent on your parents and more dependent on yourself. This is a concept that I wshed I had realized my senior year of high school. I would have started to become more dependent on myself instead of my parents sooner than I actually did. If i had started this transition back in high school instead of after high school the transition would have gone much more smoothly and I would not have had so much responsibility dumped on me at once. The earlier you can learn and take on your own responsibilities the better.

If I could go back in time to a senior in high school and talk to myself I would make sure I have done a good amount of research for possible schools I would like to attend. I would also search for alternatives such as enrolling into a junior college the first two years and then transferring out to a four year university to finish your degree. In many occasions it is less expensive to go into that direction. I would definitely remind myself to start looking for scholarships early. There are many scholarships offered to high school seniors that students are not taking advantage of. I would tell myself to be prepared for stress and pressure from school and work. It is very easy to get overwhelmed but by creating a plan and a personal schedule you could get almost everything done in time and avoid yourself the stress from all the work. If I would have known most the things I know today and would have done them during my senior year in high school, I would have not taken a break from school for a semester and would have stayed on track.

I would go back and tell myself to fill out my fasfa as soon as possible and don't wait at the last minute. Apply for more scholarships because there is a whole lot of free money in the world you just have to find them and apply and its like hitting a gold mine when you get one and keep continuing to do so until you finish school. Also register for your classes as soon as possible and try and take a class over the summer to get you started. Be ready and excited like always and always push yourself to your full potential like you've done over the years.

When I was a senior, my father's business was going great and the family was doing well. I had all the friends I could ask for and the perfect girlfriend to go along with it. College began and my world took a turn. Within the matter of months, my world would not be as "perfect" as it once was. My father lost his job and my favorite uncle, "Uncle Bob", lost his life to pancreatic cancer. These instances put my family in a world of pain but most of all my mother. It tore me up everyday to sit and watch her cry. My grades dropped drastically because I did not know how to handle myself anymore. Everyday I sat in class, I could not pay attention knowing that my mother was at home crying. However, this is not a sob story. It took me a little while to regain my strength but I did infact regain it. I have always been intrigued by the quote "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade". So, in this instance, that is infact what I would tell myself if I could go back in time, to when I was a senior.

In high school I was very popular and growing up I always had someone making choices for me. When it came to my turn to choose my path in life I decided to study Pre-Med. I've always had to go to a certain school and now that I was going into college I could pick where I wanted to go. Although I could go wherever I wanted, I ended up at JJC. JJC is a great school but is not where I planned on going to college. If I could go back and talk to myself as a senior I would tell myself to learn more about college. Apply for more scholarships and research all schools to find which is best for me. Going into college is a huge step and can be very stressful. By researching schools, I could have saved myself a lot of stress and could have found a school that fits my style. If I could do it over, I would tell myself to get on the computer and phone and find something that I would love.

If I could go back in time I would tell myself that although college seems intimidating and complex it is actually an enjoyable experience. During college you are completely independent and it is entirely up to every individual to decide what is best for them. I would also explain that because of the independence and importance of college that it would be very wise to speak to a counselor several times about college during my senior year to get help in planning my educational path. Additionally, I would also stress the importance of registering for classes fairly early so that I may arrange my schedule properly and find the classes I want to take. Another suggestion that I would make to myself would be to take more Advanced Placement tests during my senior year because many of them could provide college credit if they are scored high on. A final and important piece of advice that I would give to myself would be to search for and fill out numerous scholarships because with the cost of tuition and materials college will become significantly expensive.

As a high school senior, I knew I would be attending a Junior College after graduation. I was very worried about being stuck at home while all of my friends went off to college and missing out on the "true college experience". However, now that I have finished my time at Joliet Junior College, I realize that where you attend college does not dictate what you get out of it. My time at JJC was enriching, engaging, and fun-despite not living on campus. I met interesting people, had wonderful teachers, and was involved in campus life. I would advise myself to have a good attitude, work hard, and get involved, because no matter where you go, there are always new people to meet and things to learn.

There is no need to compete with those around you. It is only important that you compete with yourself to succeed in all that you do. Do not compare your accomplishments to others, simply accomplish things to your fullest ability, as best as you can. College may seem like a long and tedious road, but with hard work and effort it will pay off as it will enable you to live your dreams.

make up my mind about my degree sooner

If I could go back as a high school senior, I would tell my self not to stress out so much. That all the problems I worried about then mean nothing compared to what is important now. All of the people I worried about judging me mean nothing now. I would tell her that she will flourish in college and not to be concerned on how difficult the classes would be. I also would tell her that she should have paid attention better in class so today I would be in more advanced classes. The one thing I wish the most I could tell the high school senior from my past is calm down, take a breath, and enjoy your senior year.