Tulsa Community College Top Questions

Go straight to school, taking time off is a very bad idea.

The reason I didn't apply fora university my senior year of highschool was because, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to afford it. With me being 1 of 4 kids, I knew I would be on my own as far as paying for my school. I went to TCC knowing it would be something I could afford, while I could also live at home and work 8-5. With my third year approaching, I will soon be attending an expensive University. The advice I would give my high school self would be "Don't not be scared" and "Don't stress over money." Yes. College is expensive but, there is help. 17 is too young to be worried about things like that. I would tell myself to have fun, go to a University, and just be a "normal" 1st year college student and to leave financial stress for when you're grown. In hindsight, I look back and realize that everything has a way of working itself out- and though I can't go back and tell myself, I do my best to tell myself this moving forward. Everything will work out.

First, I would tell myself that it really does not matter how you look or dress in high school. When people tell you that you will not see most of these people after you graduate, they are not lying! Next, I would say that college is different than high school but in a really good way. So, there is nothing to worry about! You have way more freedom in which classes you take and when you take them. You do have to be more responsible once you start college. But you have been prepared very well, so you will do great! Then, I would tell myself you do not need to worry about losing contact with your friends from high school, or worry about not making new ones. You are used to having long distance friendships with the people that matter, so you guys will stay in touch. And about making new friends, you will make the best friends you have ever had next year, so do not stress about not making any friends. Finally, I would tell myself that college is more expensive than you thoughts, so save every penny you can!

Whenever my family brought college up in high school I always dreaded it. I absolutely hated the thought of endless hours of studying, being all alone with complete strangers, and trying to decide what to do with the rest of my life. The key to college is just relax. Most students change their major, and they're just as nervous as you. Meeting new people isn't scary it is amazing. I've made so many friends who are completely different. I have many adults in my classes and it is so interesting and inspiring to hear their stories and why they decided to go back to school. Hearing how bad they want a degree makes me work even harder because I know it is the best thing to do. I would also tell myself that true friends will stay your friend no matter what. If they don't stay then family will always have your back. Time management is key to surviving classes and studying should be a main priority. Mostly though, just relax and enjoy these amazing opportunities of your life.

Take a big deep breath. Life is about to change and it is scary but so exciting! You're going to be on your own, make new friends, and have some of the best days of your life! Living with your friends is awesome and living alone really makes you mature. Now it will be a big responsibility getting yourself up and out of bed for early classes because mom and dad won't be there to nudge you along. Give yourself some room for mistakes and sleeping in a couple times, but get over it quickly and learn from your mistakes. Most importantly- explore. Make some new friends that you may not have otherwise given a second thought. Try new foods. Join clubs. Eat some healthy meals, not all pizza. Exercise. Sleep in on weekends. Don't be afraid to ask for help and seek out resources, because they are there. Write your friends and family often. Call home once a week, maybe more. They miss you, and I know you miss them. Most of all, have fun. This is the next journey in life so live it up and live up to your potential. You can do it!

If I could advise my high school self, I would say to research the application process more thoroughly. It wasn't until I enrolled in Tulsa Community College under the Tulsa Achieves scholarship, that I realized just how complicated the administrative side of college is. I was little prepared to tackle FAFSA, student advisors, class schedules, and book fees. Perhaps if I had been more prepared, the transition would have been much less frantic and overwhelming. In my Freshman year I would force myself to fill out that long application to join National Honor Society when they offered me a spot. I would tell myself to take AP Government and AP American History, because I would have succeeded in those courses and received credit in college. I would tell myself to volunteer more, because it would have exposed me to more experiences, and prepared me for the forty hours of volunteer work I now do for my scholarship. Finally, I would tell myself to quit the two jobs I held during high school, because even though I maintained near perfect grades my entire high school career, I could have used that extra time to prepare for college.

I would give myself some much needed advice. At the time, I had no plans to attend college and no ambitions. I would advise my younger self to place more importance on school and to put more effort into my school work.

I really would not tell my senior self much simply because going through different mile stonesin college has shaped myself in to the young woman I am today. College has been an expierence like no other and continues to be one. Within my first semester of college I became the Student Government President at my campus and there is nothing I could have told my senior self to help prepare for that. With that position came big responsibilites, I was now in charge of people who were way older than I was. I was also going to the state capitol to go to state meetings. I grew so much in my first two years of college. I would not have given any advice because life is not about what you WOULD have done, it is about what you DO.

If I could go back in time to my high school, I would tell myself, "Wake up! You can have it easy; just work hard, stay focused, and believe you can do this." I would also tell my 15 year old self, "You made it to honors; now run with it to get a scholorship. Think of no loans and getting an education; debt free!" "You may think you understand things now and how money works in the world, but I am sorry, you dont!" "...Make our futures better and work hard now because life is not about high school; that is just the beginning. Real life starts in college and after high school." "I love us and want us to have a better life in the fututre and only you can change that!", said by 25 year old adult me, with 3 children and working.

December 28th, 2008. The day I first stuck my finger down my throat to become perfect. I was a freshman in High School, searching for my place in a sea of pubescent teenagers. Naturally, I believed the stunning goddesses in my class had it all. I concluded that they held a magic that engrossed all within their presence; magic I did not possess. Ostracized by those around me, I turned to what I thought would be my cure to my social status: Bulimia. That was the first night I would purge my dinner. October 12, 2013. Six years later, forty pounds thinner, and severely depressed, I found myself in the emergency room. I was told my heart was going to stop within three weeks if I continued with Bulimia. Three months of treatment later I found myself the cure I had sought six years earlier: me. I am not defined by external appearance, my I.Q, or by my social status. I am defined by the empathy I feel, the love I bestow, and the hope I share. If I had only known that the magic I sought was already in staring at me in the mirror.