Lakeland University Top Questions

To not stress out and worry so much, and beleive in yourself. I got poor grades in high school and was worried about how college would treat me. My first semester here i recieved a 3.0 which i had never gotten in highschool before. I would convince my self that it is deffinitly possible to turn over a new leaf in college and to be confident in myself.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, there are a few pieces of advice I would give myself in order to be better-prepared for college life. First of all, I would advise myself to research in-depth possible careers that interest me. I feel that this advice would have helped me be better prepared to decide on a major. Secondly, I would advise myself to get involved on my new college campus. It is so much easier to meet new people and make friends when you are involved in sports, clubs, and musical groups! Lastly, I would tell myself to meet with my advisor routenly! There is a reason why students are assigned an advisor- they know what classes you need and they are here to help you keep on track! Advisors are there for you, and they want to help in any way they can. Even though the high school me wasn't completely prepared for college life, my freshman year was a time when I learned so much and discovered exactly where my life was headed!

This is a question that I have actually asked myself. I honestly feel that I would have told myself to take a year or two off of school. I don't know that I would have listened to this advice at all. College is a whole new world, and I was not ready for it. When I got to college I took advantage of the freedom and forgot about my studies. I would have told myself that focusing on my degree is more important then working. The money would be great right at that moment but if I could just stick out being a poor college student and get the good grades that it would work out better for me in the end. I would also tell myself to enjoy college, take advantage of all that college is suppose to teach you, the good the bad and the crazy. That is what college is all about but most importantly focus on getting those grades that I worked so hard to get in high school.

Currently, I am an adult reentry student in college, and I have two completely different perspectives concerning college life and the transition from high school to college. Knowing what I know now about college life, I would advise myself as a high school senior to stay out of debt and take advantage of all the financial aid resources available and that although the transition from high school to college is challenging, it is also very rewarding. The Financial Aid Office was an excellent resource that I utilized while attending college. Staff taught me ways to fund my education by filing the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) and by submitting the California Board of Governors Grant (BOGG). They also gave me direction to the hundreds of scholarships for which I qualified. To stay out of debt is easy: throw the credit card offers away! If you are asked if you want a student loan, say no; there are other ways to pay for a college education (see the paragraph above for details). College is quite different than high school, so “be prepared to work hard and keep your nose to the grindstone,” just like Grandpa used to say.

I gave very little thought to what I wanted to do after graduate. I didn’t visit college campuses, look at different schools online, nor explore careers. Actually, I only applied to one school, Fox Valley Technical College. I was accepted as I had a good GPA, graduated third in my class and participated in several extracurricular activities. In 2010, I graduated from FVTC with a GPA of 3.951 and received an Associate’s Degree in Business Management. My original plan was to use this degree and work at my father’s company. However, while working part time and going to school I realized my passion was not with my father’s company, but in Accounting. Therefore, I transfer to Lakeland College and I am now pursing an Accounting degree. I would tell myself: explore options. Use your senior year to visit colleges and really think about what you want to do. Don’t go to FVTC because you feel like you are expected to enter into the family business. Think about what classes you enjoyed in high school and see if there is a career available in that field. Good luck and your family is behind you!

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would advise myself to consider what type of college experience was most important to me and also consider this when selecting a college. College life includes more than an education; it also encompasses a variety of clubs, as well as environmental, community, and social networks. It is important to keep my ultimate goal of college in sight: where I want my education to lead me. For me, the purpose of a college education is to help me achieve my dream career. It can be too easy to have a narrow focus on the classes I am currently taking or even become overly absorbed in an entirely new social life that is available, and become ambivalent to the other facets of college life. While getting an A in a class takes hard work and is an achievement and enjoying the social aspects of college is a lot of fun, it is also important to take advantage of networks, clubs, and other resources that could assist me in my career path upon graduation. Keeping this in mind would help to maximize the benefit of a college education.

I would love to go back in time and talk to my-high-school-senior-self. I would first of all tell myself to stop thinking about relationships with boys and concentrate more on school. I would tell myself to have more confidence and faith in myself. I would also tell myself to get to the student resource center and apply for scholarships. I was never told in high school, belive it or not, that you actually had to apply for a scholarship; I thought they were just handed out. I would also tell my past self that my future self would have a good experience in college, and that even though I didn't know what I wanted to do in school, I would realize my goals just as long as I just attended. I would also tell myself to be more adaptable to change, that change is constant, and that only through this realization, I will be more suited to the world that lay before me. Then before I jump back into that time portal back into the present, I would give myself a big hug and say,"Don't ever use credit cards!"

Here is the advice I'd give myself: College is easy for some and not for others. A 4 year college can be confusing with registration and knowing what you need to do to be prepare for graduation. I would suggest that if you don't know what you want to major in, certainly start with something cheaper such as the technical college and complete some generals there. By followign this path, you'll give yourself some time to learn about yourself and learn about what you really want to be in life. This option also is cheaper, saving you some money. The technical college works every well with their students to understand college life and you won't be lost as far as not knowing what classes to pick out and what to do next. Jumping right into a 4 year college can make you feel like you are lost and noone 's around to help.

If I could go back, I would tell myself to attend a four year college right away. I loved my technical school experience, but in the real world it seems like a bachalor degree is what gets you promotions or jobs. I was afraid to leave everything that I found comfortable at home, and if I could change things I would tell myself to take the jump into the world I didn't know. I learned what importance furthering your eduction was a few years later and have been striving to achieve my bachalor degree goal for years now.

The advice that I would give myself would be to take nothing forgranted. I know, it seems as such a cliche but I mean it in more ways then one. I would tell myself to appreciate all my parents do. That includes them paying for all the things I need, as well as them fussing at me to go to bed at a decent hour, or even them trying to have random parent daughter talks with me. I never knew that I would miss them so much, even being only an hour drive away. I would tell myself to appreciate the time I had to spend with my friends. Although I have made new friends and I often talk to my old ones, it is not the same when we all go home. I would tell myself to appreciate living my high school life. Appreciate everything, because college is a whole new ball game. I would tell myself, college is a big deal...so be prepared. Lastly, maybe one of the most important things, I would tell myself to go to prom. Everyone talks about it, and I regret not making those memories. I took that opportunity forgranted.