Dear Future College Student by Rodrigo

Dear Future College Student by Rodrigo - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

It is not an exaggeration when your elders tell you college will be the best years of your life; however what they often don’t mention is that they can also be the most stressful years of your life. In these next few paragraphs I will try to summarize everything that I wish I had known going into college. Using these tips can not only save you from making some of the mistakes I made, but also help you be prepared for anything that college throws at you. Lets begin.

Firstly, it is crucial that you leave Senioritis back in your senior year. Seniors in high school can contract this awful disease known as senioritis. Some of its symptoms include not going to your classes, skipping test days, not studying, showing up late, and either turning assignments in late or not at all. College is the perfect place to build your resume with strong references from professors. If you are a student that does not show up and doesn’t do the work you are throwing away any possible letter of recommendation from professors. Networking begins at the collegiate level. It is the last chance you have to build good habits before an actual job. If you develop bad habits they will follow you to your job and could very well get you fired. Another thing to keep in mind is that college professors will not be as forgiving as high school professors. If you missed an exam odds are that you will get a zero, and there will be no excuse on the face of the earth that can help you. Learn to be self motivated and prepared, or your grades could suffer.

Another strong recommendation I have is to take more than 12 credits your first 2 years. I took 20 credits a semester through my associate’s degree and I feel more stressed out with 12 credits in my third year than I did with 20 my first. College gets increasingly harder once the core classes are gone. If you are accustomed to taking 12 credits while you’re in your easy years, you’ll feel as though the whole world is falling upon you your senior year. By taking a lot of credits your freshman year, you can be better prepared for your harder courses and you’ll better adjust to the excessive workload.

My last but crucial tip to future students is to take advantage of your schools resources. Many universities and community colleges offer services such as free tutoring, career centers that help you with your resume, or free databases with accredited sources. Use them! Coming out of senior year I struggled with materials that I tried to take on by myself. Your school wants you to succeed, it helps them too! They are there to help you in anyway that they can. Do not feel ashamed to ask for help, in the long run it will save you hours of frustration with that one math assignment that made you consider dropping out.

To conclude, these are some unorthodox tips that will surely come in handy to some. There are many other tips such as “always buy your books used,” but the tips and advice presented in this essay are tips that haven’t been heard of. Take full advantage of this advice. You never know, it could save you from hours upon hours of crying.