The Big Leap
College is a Choice. Not a Determining Factor of Your Success
It is important to remember that college is not like high school. If you do not want to attend you are not required to. From personal experience, I know how stressful peer pressure from your family, teachers, and friends can be with deciding what you want to do with your future. Just remain calm and remember that it is your future and your decision. Yes, your mother or father may feel that they know what is good for you but explain to them that you know what is best for you rather that be college, military, or going directly into the work force.
Do Not Be Afraid to Fail
Choosing a College
If you have decided that college is the route you want to go the next step is deciding which school you would like to attend. I can not stress how important it is to do your research. Look into factors such as price, scholarship opportunity, programs offered, accreditation, etc. Do not attend a school because that is the school your parents attended or the school your friends are going to attend. From personal experience, I have witnessed people start out with me as a freshman and are not with me now during my senior year due to grades, finances, transfers, or just simply dropping out. That is why it is important to look into the school before just making a decision to say you went to college.
Free Money
Most have heard of the Hope, Life, and Palmetto Scholarship. However, a lot of students do not take advantage of the scholarships given by community and the schools they are applying to. Do not allow your GPA or SAT/ACT scores be the reason stopping you from applying for these scholarships. Most scholarships do not require a GPA or SAT/ACT requirement, they look at location, high school you are coming from, last name etc.
Always Ask for Help
No matter how old you are there is always room for improvement. If you are having trouble with life ask someone for advice or help. For example, my sophomore year of college I was having trouble with my academics due to me trying to pursue a career that was clearly not for me. However, at that time I was not looking at my personal needs and wants. I was only worried out being that Nurse my parents wanted me to be. After sitting down with several people I trusted it came clear to me that this is not their life it is mines and I will never be successful if I am living for everyone else and not myself. Yes, I did have a shakey journey to get to the point that I am at not but it became easier and less stressful when I started living for me and not others.
Do Not Be Afraid to Fail
My biggest fear going into college was my fear of failure. The moment you take your first college exam all of that fear will go out of the window. I say that because you and most of your classmates will be in the same boat. Learning how to study. Studying for high school vs college is a totally different thing that you will learn with time. Also remember, if you get to college and realize it is not for you that is not a failure. That is you realizing that, college is not for you right now, or is not for you maybe your road to success is something else.
“What if I fail? Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?”
—Erin Hanson
