I was part of the second generation of women in my family to attend college, and I still struggle with adjustments. Fortunately, times have changed. We now have tools like FASFA and we have greater technology-- which can sometimes make life harder, but has overall made life easier. Access to higher education is slowly becoming more attainable. The college-going rate, however, is no where near where it should be. Often, young people are encouraged to go to college but are not informed of the importance college really plays in their life. My purpose is to tell how college helps and what it is really like.
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Myth One: College is only for unusually bright people. |
| Wrong! College students do not need to be any more gifted, superior, or unusual in their mental abilities than anyone else. Most college graduates are perfectly ordinary people in terms of memory, attention span, arithmetical understanding, comprehension of concepts, and other abilities.Good college students simply work harder, are willing to stretch their minds, and exercise their mental abilities. |  |
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Myth Two: You should know what your major is before you apply. |
| Wrong! A lot of people come into college undecided. Even those who have decided on a major change it because they become interested in another subject or they are not happy with the major that they choose. Only 50% of college graduates report a close relationship between their job and their major. |  |
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Myth Three: College is easy. |
| Wrong! Many students go to college wanting to be liberated from their parents. But college is a lot of work. Somehow a balance has to be created between having fun and doing work. Just because you are not in class all day with supervision, does not mean that there is not work to be done. The first year of college is one of the most difficult transitions that parents and students will ever have to make. |  |
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Myth Four: All the things that I learned in high school were pointless. |
| Wrong! Most of the same material that was covered in high school will be seen again especially in cumulative subjects such as science and math. It is important to continue learning, even throughout your last semester in your senior year. Try to take some challenging courses during your last semester of high school. |
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Myth Five: College is super-hard. |
| Wrong! College is truly a test of time management skills. It molds you into an adult. You develop self-awareness and previosly undiscovered passions. It is true that the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary, but college allows you plenty of opportunities to have fun. You just have to know when. |  |
To sum it up: time management, self awareness, undiscovered passions, friends, and FUN are all involved in college!
Time |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
9-9:50 Chemistry |
8-9:25 Calculus |
9-9:50 Chemistry |
8-9:25 Calculus |
9-9:50 Chemistry |
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10-10:50 Lifetime Fitness |
2-3:15 English |
10-10:50 Lifetime Fitness |
2-3:15 English |
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3:30-4:45 American Studies |
2-4:50 Biology Lab |
3:30-4:45 American Studies |
This page written by Larelle High and Caroline Kuttner