I graduated this past May of 2017, and I wish I could say that I had it all together and knew what my plan was going to be for the rest of my college career. My parents did their best to help me make decisions regarding my education without actively making them for me. The last few years of high school can be very overwhelming, as we are often asked to make important decisions that are capable of impacting our future, while also being required to ask for permission to go to the bathroom while in a classroom. It’s the reality of any high school Junior and Senior, and, it’s not going to change anytime soon.
This letter is not meant to scare you, but rather to encourage you to not make the mistakes that I made my Junior and Senior year.
One mistake I made was not listening to what my parents spent my whole Senior year telling me. They wanted me to finish up at State College of Florida and get my A.A., while I wanted to head off to the only 4-year state university that I ever applied to. Even though I only had one year left of my A.A., I didn’t want to stay at home and nothing was going to stop me… except finances. It is pretty much a universally known fact that attending college or university in America is ridiculously expensive, even if you have the grades. I am a 4.0 student and I struggled finding a single scholarship that could be awarded to me, mostly because I waited so long before I applied for many of them, and, as a result, I missed deadlines.
I had a plan going into my freshman year of college, but my plan was not what I could afford, nor was it really that smart considering this fact. When I finally accepted the fact that I would not be attending the 4-year university I wanted, I thought it was too late to sign up for classes for the fall semester at SCF. I almost didn’t even approach them, but I did and they helped me a lot. I am currently finishing up my last year for my A.A. at SCF right now, and I still do not know what I am going to do next fall, but I do know what I am going to be doing in the meantime.
Currently I am working on applying to five different 4-year universities, two of them are for a Public Relations major and the other three are for an Education major. Because I am still undecided on which one of these two majors I want to pursue, I am doing everything in my power to make sure that my options remain open.
As upcoming high school graduates, there are some things you need to put your time and energy into right now:
1. Step up and take responsibility of your education. Where you are now is going to affect where you are once you graduate high school. Just like your grades are your responsibility, so is planning for your future. Your parents cannot always be there to remind you of deadlines or to call the financial aid office. That will all be on you one day, so start taking responsibility now.
2. Apply to at least five higher education institutions. This is to keep your options open and also show you just how much each institution is willing to offer you in scholarships to attend their institution. Make sure you look at their deadlines and stay on top of them (FYI, many deadlines are Fall of your Senior year of high school).
3. Work for the grades for Bright Futures and other scholarships. Bright Futures is paying more than half of my tuition for me this year, which could have been a lot more if I would have cracked down and studied harder for the ACT (and SAT exam). Stay on top of deadlines for scholarships from outside parties and within the university or college you plan on attending (Pro Tip: Many colleges have their own foundations for scholarships.)
4. Study hard for the ACT/SAT. Do not just show up and expect to make a 29. Start studying at least ten weeks before your test. Create a study schedule and stick to it. It will help your score tremendously, trust me. Khan Academy has a free SAT Test Prep. It has been proven to significantly increase test scores.
5. Understand where you and your parents stand in regards to paying for college. Are you parents paying all your tuition? Or are they willing to go half with you? Will they agree to cosign on a student loan if you cannot get a loan through the government? Or is it up to you to pay for college 100% by yourself through scholarships and a job? Figuring this out now will help you plan and be prepared for the financial aspect of higher education.
6. If you are dual enrolled, get an academic advisor ASAP. If you are homeschooled, schedule regular meetings with your guidance counselor or educational advisor. Doing either one of these things will ensure that you are staying on top of your education. Advisors help you build a plan that will get you to where you want to go, even if you are still unsure of where that is.
