What State do you live in?
Will you live at home?
Will you continue working?
Choose a CC with a Honors Program (may have one) and, if you can,
housing, so that you have a quiet space where you can study. If that’s
not possible, secure a study carrel in the university library.
You’ll go far, don’t you worry.
Good evening to all of you! Sorry to check in nearly one month later. I have proceeded with enrolling in my community college. My desire to attend my local community college has been solidified by the fact that financial aid has not gone my way for the schools I was admitted to. Let’s just say that I would prefer not to borrow $45,220 per year for the next 4 years along with interest.
Now this may sound unusual but I am immensely excited to attend my community college. I am choosing classes tomorrow, with the hope of being a biology major. I see the look on everyone’s faces when I tell them that I am genuinely ecstatic at the prospect of attending my local community college and finally getting started with my studies. I do not really care what my classmates think, however it is a little upsetting when your own dad suddenly thinks of yourself as a failure. My cousin was admitted to Princeton so you can only imagine that comparisons would roll in with an accomplishment that wonderful. I just wish that society, my parents, and universities will realize how much I love to learn and how much I desire to leave the world better than I found it. I guess it is all a matter of realizing that I cannot warrant these claims without proof. Essentially that is what convinces people of your credibility and your ability. I just wish many people in my position would realize this. Most of us in this world should not fail; some of us just get too caught up in this idea of not caring about society thinks. I mean don’t you have to know about your society in order to improve it?
I hope that all goes well with the honors program. I know I have stated this before, but I am ecstatic about beginning my studies this summer. Although I am a biology major, I want to begin with a history class. Specifically “History of Western Civilization 1”. I am immensely interested in European history and I feel like there is so much to know. I also feel as if my skills in the humanities could use improvement. The focus and attention I would be devoting to this one class will probably help me in the long run. I also just want to begin this golden opportunity to learn as soon as possible. There is nothing to keep planning for, no dorm to shop for, no apparel to eagerly wait for, no prospective roommate or concern over how I will get to college; my life is here and now is the time to embrace learning and improve my life through education. My only concern is how I am going to pay for this. I guess I need to see the results of financial aid and to see whether or not I win my school-sponsored scholarships.
I guess what I need to take away from all of this is an understanding of the fact that I am going to be okay. Being rejected by 12 schools is not going to stop me from applying to a couple of those schools. I just need to focus on my short term goals. Have a wonderful rest of your night!
Good afternoon everybody!
I am just so happy right now. I feel as if I partially attribute this to a healthier lifestyle and a new attitude I have embraced. I believe that choosing my courses has solidified things for myself. I will be taking History of Western Civilization 1 during the summer. Yes, “only” one summer course; it is quite rigorous but I am ready for a challenge. I believe it is highly important to be patient with myself and really hone my study skills. This prospect is immensely exciting because it is a learning opportunity. I feel like I have never really been this enthusiastic or committed to a course in a subject that has always been difficult for myself. I am much more excited about the fall semester that awaits. I will be doing 15 credits, meaning that I have 4 classes with 2 labs. I have chosen to take Biology with a lab. Chemistry with a lab, English Composition, and Precalculus ( which I tried to get out of; I get to take calculus the next semester so perhaps it will all be okay, in terms of satisfying requirements for medical school). I will most definitely be able to take some honors level courses in the spring semester, so that is all good as well. In the mean time, since there is no real work left, I will just teach myself more about the nervous system and the brain as I intend to major in neuroscience after I leave community college.
Life is just so exciting and it is going to become more exciting. I have finally reached the point where the naysayers’ remarks do not matter at all. It is just me, my learning, and my desire to change the world for the better through medicine. The rejections do not matter and the scoffing I get for choosing to attend community college do not matter one bit. In time I will achieve what I wish to achieve and I will learn as I pursue my goals. This is the golden opportunity. I just want an adventure in life. I just feel like I am at the dock and I am about to get onto that boat. I am not afraid of failure at all anymore. I understand my mistakes, I understand the thinking that has brought me to this point, and I understand that I most likely did not give life 100%. Although it would be an amazing opportunity to go to a school like Harvard, Veritas '20 is not the end, but rather a means to an end. But it is not the only means to an end. I don’t know, I just feel like preparing to go to one school for your entire life gives you the wiggle room to remain dormant once you get to that point.
This is a wonderful post ! 
Avé you been to the bookstore ? The summer course textbooks should be out. You can flip through them to get an idea of what to expect, write doN the price of the 'used’books, quickly do an online search from home and in used student bookstores to see if you can find cheaper - jump on the cheapest titles by being ahead of the crowd. Plus, reading the table of contents and starting to read the parts that look interesting will both feed your intellectual curiosity and help you preview content (hence pale learning easier).
I hope you chose your professor using Rate my professor - look for a 4+ rating. Always choose the best teacher.
Do you have a safe, quiet place where you can study ? Regardless, can you reserve a study carrel in the library for this summer ? I loved mine, up on a high floor by a window
Have you taken a placement test and been placed in pre-calculus ? What math class are you taking right now ?
Have you taken honors chemistry and honors bio in his, or AP of either one?
That’s a pretty good schedule
@MYOS1634 Good evening! Yes I have been to the book store. The book for my summer history course sells for $120. I found a 120 day rental for $23.47 (with shipping and tax included). I figured I may as well rent it early and perhaps get a head start on my course so that I can maximize my time and truly understand the material. I chose my particular class based on the professor as well haha! I checked out ratemyprofessors. As for studying, a majority of it will be done in the college library during the fall semester. I live very close to my local public library, so I undoubtedly will be studying there when I can.
I did not take a placement test, as my SAT scores were above the minimum requirement for exemption. I am currently taking trigonometry. They allowed me to take the entire precalculus course in one semester as opposed to splitting it up into two parts; I will be taking calculus during the spring semester. I have to wonder how this may look to certain to schools that I want to transfer to, but I am getting a little too ahead of myself. Yes I have taken honors chemistry and biology. I am currently taking AP Biology. Thank you very much for the wonderful advice!
1 semester of precalculus and 1 semester of calculus is actually pretty standard, it counts for med school :). If you feel that you could skip ahead and start with calculus take the Math placement test to “prove” you can place directly into calculus. Depending on what your trig class covers, though, it may be useful to review and broaden your scope. In any case if Precalc is easy, you’ll be happy to get an “easy A” compared to the combination of Biology AND Chemistry with lab taken together right off the bat!
Yes, renting the textbook is SMART and reading ahead also. Always read the introduction to the book, the table of contents; then, each chapter’s first page or so will preview what you’ll be learning and structure what you’re supposed to focus on, so it’ll help in reading “efficiently”.
Good afternoon everyone! I cannot believe that I am almost on my way to graduation. I have 14 days of school left. I am very excited about what the future but I am having mixed feelings about the short term events. Apparently my dad is not going to my graduation; he claims that he only attended my sister’s high graduation two years ago because it was the first high school graduation in the family. It is just annoying because I understand why he is doing this. He is always finding a way to compare me to my cousin that is attending Princeton this fall. He is not attending my graduation because he sees me as a failure for deciding to attend community college. The way I see it, there will be one less negative person at my graduation. Maybe I have evolved because I am not really upset, just disappointed. I am still excited to begin my studies and finally go in-depth with my studies and meet some amazing people. I am very excited about the journey and the means to the end rather than the end itself. I am just hoping that I will win some of the in-house and out-of-house school-sponsored scholarships that I have applied to. It would be quite a blessing and a weight lifted off of my shoulders to win them.
YesPolyGlotGal, Congratulations! This is indeed an exciting time. I hope you are proud of yourself, for all that you have accomplished – and most of all for your positive attitude, love of learning and dedication to education. I am so sorry to hear that your father is considering holding back from enjoying a day which is so important in his daughter’s life, and one which – if he only let it – could be one of the happiest and proudest of his own. However we cannot control others’ actions or feelings, so I sincerely hope that you find it in your heart to say a kind wish for him…and move on to celebrate your richly-deserved reward. All the best!
Congratulations on your great maturity
@momcinco Thank you for the kind words and the very good advice. If I do claim to be a positive person who is optimistic and looking forward to the future, then being kind to my dad, regardless of how he conducts himself in regards to college admissions, is important.
@MYOS1634 Thank you! You have been absolutely awesome during this entire process! Nothing but nice and helpful to me. In fact you have been much more helpful than most of the people I know in-person. Thank you so much!
good luck @YesPolyglotGal . I see you are headed for community college and that Cornell was on your original wish list. Do you know about “Transfer Articulation Agreements” at Cornell? From what I understand, there is a process whereby a student is given an automatic transfer acceptance to Cornell after finishing 2 years at certain community colleges, maintaining 3.5 gpa, and other coursework requirements. I don’t know the details, but you may want to research this as it might be the best of both worlds for you.
@pickpocket Good evening! I looked into the TAA, thank you very much for notifying me about them. I do not live in New York State and my school has no such agreement with Cornell. I do not know if I want to consider Cornell again. I am interested in pre-medicine and I do not know whether or not Cornell really is the place for me to pursue that. I do not even know if I am at the point to even consider a school like Cornell, as I have not yet started college. I definitely want to transfer, but first I need to see whether or not I do have the grades and the ability to consider top schools such as Cornell.
You’re very level -headed. You’re right : do your best and then decide based on your grades.
Some top colleges have promised to take students from community colleges. If you’re in a position to apply in the spring, do. If not, you’re living in a state with excellent higher education opportunities.
Hey there everyone. Today I am going to slightly deviate from talking about academics as there is something I feel the need to address. I really am bringing this up because it feels as if not a single person in my life can truly help me. I do not really know why I am suddenly going through this, but a sudden wave of I guess what you can call a feeling of incompetence has come over me. I guess this feeling, this sudden wave- it can be attributed to a few things. People all around me are going off to wonderful schools and opportunities and I guess a small part of myself wishes I would be embarking on that journey. Another reason why I feel this way is probably because I have subconsciously allowed my dad’s negativity and rude comments to get to me. Maybe the influence is great because I am young and only really starting to grow up. Perhaps it’s the fact that other people are getting recognition for their achievements and are having fun at this time while I am not. Senior trips and skip days and whatnot are fun, but work comes first as I ultimately have to pay for college on my own. I really do not like to whine and complain often as it does nothing (unless you are an unsatisfied Burger King customer), but a lack of acknowledgement sometimes makes my life and some of the things that I have overcome seem like nothing in comparison to my classmates and their accomplishments/talents. Perhaps this is because I was very good at keeping my life situation a secret and did not really want it to get out. Perhaps this need that I felt to conceal issues is what alienated me from making friends. I realize that I am graduating high school without any real friends. The vast majority of the people who I considered friends suddenly stopped socializing with me when things got very bad for me during junior year. I sometimes think that perhaps it would have been different if they knew about my situation. They were clearly never real friends if they did not care to ask what was going on when they noticed that I was struggling. I guess I am just worried about the future or something. I am worried that I won’t win a single scholarship or that a letter to Senior Convocation won’t be making its way to my mailbox. It was a fun process yet a very weird one, as I truly told my story and spoke about my aspirations. It is just very weird because it will be the first time that my teachers and administrators (who are on the scholarship committee) learn about my life and what I have truly been going through. Some recognition would be nice, but it’s not something to dwell on, as high school is not the end-all, be-all.
I think it is a matter of realizing that I too have an incredible opportunity even though it is (foolishly) looked down upon. It is truly a matter of realizing that this is only the beginning of a journey. I think that the only way I am going to get through this is by continuing to follow my dreams. Now is the time to keep studying the nervous system, to start reading my history course book, to start arming myself with knowledge that fills the world, to throw myself into volunteering at the hospital because that’s what I want to do. Now is the time to dive into the ideas that have changed the world. Now is the time to be the one who comes up with the idea that changes the world for the better. Now is the time to get my life together because nobody else is going to do this for me. This time of sadness, anger, and feeling incompetent is unlike any other that I have already gone through in my life. Never have I ever really picked myself up from or directly addressed these feelings. It’s good that this is happening to me now. This is a crucial time in my life. This is a chance to reflect on my problems and actually solve them. Now is the time to grow up and become more independent because I have an opportunity to change my life with community college. I will only change my life for the better if I understand that it is up to me to do so. This understanding can only occur if you are mature. Maybe I am just starting to mature. I want to thank anyone who has taken the time to read through this stream of consciousness.
Good morning everyone. I have finally rented my Western Civilization textbook and it has finally arrived (seriously, Chegg is the best way to go for book rentals, as Barnes and Noble is always raising the prices on a weekly basis. Also, Chegg randomly included some free Starbucks items which made my day because it’s Starbucks). I am excited and the first chapter is great. Although assumptions are almost meaningless, I’m going to assume that the rest of this book (it’s by Joshue Cole and Carol Symes) will be just as intriguing and great. The only issue that I have is that this book is not very challenging to read. I showed it to my AP European History teacher and even he agreed that it was easier to read than the book we have used in class. I’m not going to really let that discourage me from reading it or trying my best in the class. I think the fact that it’s not a very difficult reading comprehension puts me at an advantage due to the benefits that it provides. First, the fact that it’s easier to read will motivate me to keep going and potentially challenge myself with more difficult outside sources. This will overall make me feel better. I will also be building a solid foundation, as beginning with baby steps and advancing as one progresses is probably the best course of action to take. I guess I shouldn’t have expected the most convoluted history book as this is a survey course. Does anyone have any advice as to how to approach a survey course or how to do well in one?
Good morning to everyone! I graduate from high school in two days! It is going to be bitter sweet for me, as I imagine it would be for most people. You get this sense that you could have done more and that upsets you. Then you become elated because graduation allows you to turn a new most times; you may no longer need to look back with bitterness because you know that there is a new beginning ahead, an opportunity to begin anew and accomplishment what you wish to accomplish. There is excitement in the very near and far future. I used to be ashamed at the fact that I will not be one of those kids with a GPA pin or a 4.0 golden medal and chord. I realize that despite this, I do have a golden opportunity to learn and a future ahead of me. I have also gotten word that I have received at least one scholarship and that this will be announced at graduation. Money is great and will most definitely help me get an education, but I think the thing that will make me happiest in relation to this scholarship will be the look on my mother’s face when I win the scholarship; she will finally be proud, my dad will be proven wrong, and the future success will be further set in motion.
Don’t expect too much. Your dad may 'punish ’ you by not coming to the ceremony. Your mother may have a cutting word to make sure you don’t get 'ahead of yourself ’ ( IE., legitimately happy and proud.) You can’t depend on other people’s reactions for your self worth. It’s natural you want them to be proud of you. But with everything you’ve done, they should be proud and happy for you already. The fact they’re not is on them - not you.
History : watch 'crash course history ’ with John Green. Free on YouTube.
Go see the professor during office hours and say that you found x or y point fascinating, does s/he have a fiction or non fiction book to recommend that deals with that period /issue?
Update everyone. So graduation was a blast. My dad ended up attending my graduation which was totally unexpected. He ended up walking to it, as the rest of the family left without him; he seemed to want to take a nap instead of attending.
I was immensely happy and pleasantly surprised at graduation; I ended up winning two scholarships that covered a little more than half of my tuition for the semester. I’m just now in the process of saving more money and applying it to my tuition and books, getting ready for my summer class that will start in 4 days (oh my goodness I am so excited!), and just living life.
Here’s another idea that I have in mind. I was thinking of maybe doing a semester at community college, trying my absolute best to earn a 4.0, maybe take the new SAT and attempt to aim for a 1300+/1600, and applying to Rutgers (my state university) for the spring semester and possible doing undergrad there. Perhaps the excellent stats would help me gain more money in scholarships from Rutgers? I could also fill out a FAFSA and see how that goes. Rutgers students do have access to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital (like oh my god, the budding neurosurgeon in me is freaking out at the opportunity to research). Rutgers of New Brunswick does have a neuroscience major and the classes I’d be taking this coming semester do transfer in terms of major requirements. The main issues with transferring in the spring are socialization (although this is probably dependent on who one is and their personality), curriculum differences, housing, having to purchase new books,etc. I’m thinking, in terms of an alternative, that maybe doing one year and seeing if I can get into a school with a better neuroscience department may be my best bet, especially in terms of money. These are all just ideas right now. I do not want to get too ahead of myself, as setting goals that aren’t tangible at the moment often cause us to be close minded and eventually give up. Again, I have so much gratitude for people such as @MYOS1634 who take the time out of their day to respond to an inexperienced child such as myself who is trying to tackle education and improve my life. I am eternally grateful.
Community colleges are wonderful places for scholarship, and to obtain scholarships. If your school has an Honors College, join it! If your school has Phi Theta Kappa, join it! Many times there’s money put away just for members of those organizations. You will have a chance to do research and present every semester if you are at an Honors College.
You will enjoy CC as you can get to know the professors quite well, and they have a nice “feeder system” for recommendations, entree to 4 year schools, internships and scholarships. Some of them may be adjunct but that gives you a broader professional network.
My daughter started CC classes at 15. The biology professor there is also an MD and MBA. If you passed Bio 1401 with a B or better you got a $200 scholarship from an anonymous donor - it was a surprise to all. You will find interesting quirks like this in CCs.
Community colleges also offer excellent and cheap ways to study abroad, especially in the summer semester. Take advantage of these classes!
Since you are in STEM field, apply for National Science Foundation internships every summer. They will pay you to do research at Ivies and all over the world, and pay your room, board and travel as well. Being a community college student gives you an edge as they are considered “underrepresented.” Also consider the Gilman scholarship to study abroad, again only for CC students.
If you do outstandingly well and also are involved in service activities and fit the income requirements, consider the Jack Kent Cooke transfer scholarship, also only for CC students.
Be looking ahead to Truman scholarships; they will fund your last few years in college and also some grad school.
A success story for you: my brother went to CC, did well, was admitted to the big flagship state university, applied to dental school his junior year, and got in. He did not get his bachelor’s degree. He graduated with no debt, enabling him to buy a practice from a retiring dentist. He has done quite well since.
You show a great deal of maturity for a young person: you have considered what is the best fit FOR YOU and not what others tell you. You have shown financial prudence. With those qualities, I do not doubt your future is bright.
Best of luck to you.
@Helen13 Thank you so much for your outstanding contribution to this thread! You provided me with a wealth of information about so many scholarships! In fact, I had no idea that many of these existed. Your post, with the information and success story provided, is helping me to really grasp the idea that community college (and ultimately life) is what you make of it. There may be some negative stigma associated with community college because often times you may have to work harder to really get your foot in front of the door. But people do not understand that it is a golden opportunity. I for one am actually enjoying it very much. I am currently taking one history class and the teacher has made it so easy; this is probably because there are less students and the teacher is not preoccupied with doing research or additional work. I currently have a 97.49% and history is far from my strong suit. One is ultimately paying less for general ed. classes that would cost 2-3x as much at a university.