Phoenix College Top Questions

First I would say, don't take a year off, prepare to start college the same year you graduate. In recent sudies by the National Center for Education Statistics only six percent of students who took a gap year earned their B.A. or B.S. during a ten year period. In contrast 42 percent of students who entered college the same year of graduating high school completed a B.A. or B.S. in that same ten year period. The longer you wait the harder it is to start a lot of things, especially college. I would also tell myself to think of college as an internship into my dream career. The more effort and hard work you put in during that internship the greater the chances of getting hired into your dream career. Yes, you will have to learn how to manage your time and studies better in college. Yes, you may not have any friends there when you first start college. Lastly, and most importantly, "Yes" college can be some of the best and most rewarding days of your life. I know, because college is the best decision I have ever made.

I would tell my self to go to college right away to leave all my problems behind and dive into my books. youll never get over waiting to go to school youll wait so long it becomes to late. Doubting your abilty to finish school will stop you before you even get a chance your better then that you can do it. I now have a child and a not so awesome career and I want to better myself for my sons future. Show him that school can take you where ever you want to go.

My advice to my high school self would be to talk with your guidance counsler's, make sure that you have taken all of the necessary steps to prepare yourself for college and take advantage of the available help. I would also suggest not to take a "break" during transition, life can be very distracting. Consider the time line, by the age of twenty-two you can have your BS, by the age of twenty-six you may have a career vs. a job. At the end of the day, education was, has been, and still is very important take advantage of all of the opportunities because it can be a once in a life time experience that you don't want to miss.

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As a high school senior, I would have told myself to stop stressing. In December of my junior year of high school, I decided it would be a great idea for me to graduate early which resulted in the emotional pain, stress, and work of three semesters crammed in to just one. Looking back, I should have made a plan, stopped stressing, and lived in the moment. I got one chance at being a high school senior and I lived it all in that semester. I wish someone had been there to tell me "I believe in you" or "It gets better."

If I were able to return back in time, I would definitely try to return back before my senior year of high school. Senior year is a busy year and it involves a lot of planning. College tests, tours and applications can get the best of you if you do not get a head start. As the semester starts I would remind myself that this is a semester just like any other and your academic life depends on it. With the great amount of time during senior year being devoted in-between class trips and activities, the time ticks on the college doors. I did not think it was so important to finish high school well. When I arrived in college, I wasted half of my first year just taking remedial classes. Not only did I have these classes as requirements but I also had to pay them out of pocket with no college credits. If I would have planned better, I would have paid more attention during my high school time and also would have study for these classroom placement classes. There are other many other ways to sweeten the process to college but need to be started early.

I would go and tell my self that there is no need to stay at a community college, that there a lot of different scholarships and financial aid support that is given to first in family university students, that there is so many bigger achievements then attending a community college, to dream even bigger, strive to acheve those dreams by any means possible and to continue to grow and learn.

I would advice myself about preparing better for my future. I need to study harder, and do more research about different assignments and projects in school. I would need to create more connections between me and all around me to be able to influence people to do the right things. I would tell myself that I have choice the right career for my life because I sill want to study economics and accounting. I would try to help my community by doing social work or volunteer work. Also, I would consider to study programs in advance to improve my knowledge and my skills to suceed in an university. I would recommend to go to campus where I have decided to study to see how everything works. And, it is important to talk with students, teachers, counselor advisors, and other employees in the facility to have a better idea how they feel in the environment. I would say to me that stadistic and numbers are good for having an idea, but seing, talking, touching and feeling the new campus is an excepcional experience for the process of deciding to go to your future school or not.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would encourage myself to stay positive and not matter how hard it gets to never give up on my dreams. Also I would make myself set goals and stick to them no matter what, have some short term as well as long term goals and to be more active in the community. Another bit of advice I would give myself is to encourage other to go to college not only for them self’s but for his or her future to become whatever it is they want to become as a college graduate.

Take good notes these will bethe basis of every paper, assignment, or discussion that you have in school. Notes should be organized, written clearly and its nice to add comments that peers or instructors make that helped you understand the material. Learn how to use technology and the software that it has avaiable because that more you are familiar with software the easier the transistion will be. Online or in the classromm technology is not a staple in education, many jobs will look for those skills to be learned in college. College is a real responsibility so make sure that it is a priority in your life, do not neglect school with the ideas that you can do it any time. Come early, stay late the more time you invest into your education the more you will get out of it. Be fearless in your attempts to understand and streangthen your learning weaknesses, do not be afraid to ask for help. Fear of failure is one of the biggest reasons people leave college, but know that just like in anything else in life it takes time to master. Keep the faith, determination and focus!