Wake Technical Community College Top Questions

Chris, take a step back from every relationship other than your own relationship with yourself, and consider where you are going. You could follow your friends or your lovers, but the truest path to success will be to follow your own independent dreams and curiosities. Do not worry about the notoriety of the university you attend; instead focus on what that school can provide for you. The most important factor in the next stage of your life is the sincerity with which you make the next step. It is going to be a tremendous one, but do not be afraid to make it. Here's a clue: Forestry. Right now you don't have a clue what exactly you want to do with yourself and your future. You are considering becoming a writer and questioning whether college is even necessary. Well, over these last ten years I have learned that the most important element to being able to write a good story is by having lived a worthwhile life to pull details from. Forestry is a career that you are deeply passionate about, so take that course as a means of inspiration and congratulations on making it this far already.

This is the million dollar question. If I was being completely honest, I would not say anything to deter my high school self from the path that I eventually chose. If I could still end up where I am in life, just with a college degree, I would tell my high school self that there are other means of paying for school. High school self, you don't have to listen to your family that never went anywhere when they say that life is all about job SECURITY. Don't let them scare you into a 9-5 that you hate. Fight to break that mold. You can go to whatever school you want, and you can change your mind if you need to, because you are so young. You can do anything, but don't ever stop trying to acheive your dreams. You are beautiful, strong, smart, and you are going places. I promise.

I would have told myself to be gentle and smart. Do not fall prey to the superficial wants and words of ordinary people. You only have one life and you have to make it worthwhile. Do not be worried to complete a task all by yourself and to use manual labor to get there. Get close to your teacher and absorb as much information as possible can. Do not worry about vain things. There will times when people will seem idiotic and offend you with their words. Do not show a responce of affection towards them. Most of all do not let them get under your skin. Hold yourself up to a high esteem but be modest about it. Everyday you are slowly building and sharpening yourself up to be something greater than what you are. Keep that in mind and live accordingly.

Dear highschool self, You are not a freak, not broken, not damaged. You have Asperger's Syndrome and, while you don't think like other people and you see the world differently than they do, embrace that. Being an Aspie need not be a disadvanage. It is up to you to choose your path in life. College may get hard, and you will experience bumps in the road that others won't understand, but you also have a gift for finding patterns and for out-of-the-box thinking that let's you find solutions no one else can. Also, you don't have to be alone. There are people out there that will appreciate your differences and see the wonder of what you are. They are rare, like precious diamonds, but they exist and are worth finding. They can help you understand the world and succeed in college and all of your other endeavors. Be proud, younger self. Be brave. Take chances and dare to fail. Fear and confusion will be your worst enemy, but they only have the power that you give them.

If I could go back and time and talk to myself as a high school senior the best advice I could give myself is to enjoy the time that I have left in high school. Most seniors in high school are anxious to go off to college but do not realize the amount of responsibility that comes with it. In addition, if you are going to a school away from home I would highly suggest learning self-control. Many students go away to their first year of college and get pulled in to bad habits through the influence of their peers. Therefore, make sure you start your first year off strong by staying focused and managing your time correctly.

Dear Younger Self, You're not gonna believe this, but you have no clue what you are doing right now. You think you do. But you don't, and that's okay. Use the state scholarship and stay at home for a few more years. You're just not done cooking yet. Don't let anyone tell you what you should do. Trust your first instinct! Just concentrate on figuring out what makes YOU happy. And don't even think about boys yet! You've got too much on your plate to be distracted by social pressures and raging hormones. So, to review: 1) You're not a grownup yet. 2) Do what makes you happy. 3) Leave the boys for later. Love, Older Self

The adive I would've gave myself was to be more focused, to pay attention to what really matters. Because, my future is in my hands and I should've applied myself more.

Spending time in unproductive activities during college hours and frequently pulling of all-nighters to finish projects that were poorly done and graded, I was among the many students for whom the concepts of proper time management and effective study methodology were completely unknown. I would tirelessly rote-review my class-notes the night before a test to end up failing or passing with a C; nevertheless, I finally realized that this ill-devised modus operandi would drive me to utter academic disaster had not I changed my strategy. Thankfully, by reading the book “How to Become a Straight-A Student” by Cal Newport, I have learned that an excellent time management and effective study methodology are the foundations of academic success; were I a high-school senior again, I would advise myself to especially value and exercise them. By understanding and remembering better subjects, scoring better grades in exams and essays, and by getting more work done in less time than ever before, I have become a more efficient and diligent person in all aspects, and I shall achieve academic and professional success by applying the techniques described in Newport’s book and by exercising the two foundations aforementioned.

You need to buy scantrons and a lot of paper. The scantrons are for quizzes and tests; the paper is for taking a LOT of class notes.

You're young; you're starting your own life and becoming an adult. How exciting, right? You're going to make so many friends, and your "best friend" is going to the same school as you, but you have to leave your boyfriend behind. What if he cheats? When will you be able to see him agian? I hope we're going to be able to stay together. Don't think about stuff like that. Seriously! You are going to miss out on so much stuff if you go home every weekend to see him. Yeah, you're going to get home sick, but you are going to miss out on what college is really about if you're worried all the time. You're going to make friends, life long friends, that will be there for you no matter what. The "friends" you had in high school are not your real friends. You're going to find yourself and you're going to figure out who you really are. But, you're never going to really experience college if you're worried all the time. Have fun! Worry about yourself not someone else! Experience life!