For most students, college can be the most exciting area of their future and the scariest! There is comfort in this statement in that you are not alone. Remember that hundreds of thoughsands of students have tread this ground before you and they had the same fears as you. there are two processes to your approach to college, one is what I like to call hibernation and the other is collaboration.
Hibernation occurs when you let fear of the unknown or failure control your actions. A person suffering from hibernation will tell him/herself that they need to start looking into college but will continually put it off waiting to the very last minute, in essence hibernating through this period of time. Just as a bear emerges from the den after a hard trying winter, a hibernating student will eventually emerge to begin the process when many times its is too late. The by-product of this action is usally the missing of important dates that could keep you from going to the college of your choice or ultimately college itself!
Collaboration takes place when you are proactive. There are already countless businesses and colleges out there trying to help you get into college but unless you are looking they can't help. Upward Bound has provided this section so you will be proactive and go out and make your future!
www.applytexas.org- Apply online to NTCC (Texas Common Application)
www.ntcc.edu/apply - Find out eligibility requirements for enrolling into NTCC
Excuses, Excuses
The following are the top excuses that high school students have given for not continuing their education after high school, as identified by the College Board (the folks that bring you the SAT):
- No one in my family has ever gone to college.
Why not be the first? A college experience gives you more opportunities and helps you build a more successful future. Your loved ones want the best for you, and you'll be able to do more for others if you complete some type of higher education. - I've been in school for 12 years. That's enough. I just want a good job.
Think again. Most "good jobs"- those that are more interesting, pay more, and offer better opportunities-require some sort of education beyond high school. Many of the jobs that were available for high school graduates no longer exist due to the increasing use of computer animation. - I can't afford it.
The truth is, with the many options available these days, college is affordable to anyone. Grants, scholarships, college Work-study programs, and student loans with low interest rates and long-term repayment options enable you to get a good education and a prosperous future so that you can pay for it. - I don't know what I want to do with my life.
Most students who continue their education beyond high school don't know at first either. At least, they haven't settled on a single field or career. It's OK if you don't have definite plans yet. By taking on higher education, you can keep all of your options open. - I won't fit in.
Colleges are dynamic places filled with people of different backgrounds, from different places, with different hopes and dreams. The higher education environment is for everyone-that's what makes it so exciting and fun. - College is too hard.
In some cases, programs can be challenging, but no school will admit you unless they have reviewed your background and are confident you can meet the challenge- that's what the folks in admissions offices do every day. Once you are accepted, everyone on that campus, from your fellow students to the faculty and your resident assistants, will work hard to help you succeed. - I don't know how to apply or where I want to go.
There are books, websites, teachers and counselors who attended colleges- way too many sources of information available for this excuse. Talk to your parents visit with your guidance counselor, or do some research on the Web. Your goal should be to figure out what you like and what you don't like, and to explore the possibilities. Before you know it, you will be well on your way.
So Get Going Already.
Adapted from: College Board's "Seven Excuses Not to Go to College and Why They're Lame" (http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/starting-points/141.html)
