5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went To College
1. You are NOT too good for community college. I don’t know why I went through high school thinking that I was too good for community college. I guess I was under the impression that “stupid” people went to community colleges. Obviously I’m older, wiser, and enrolled in a community college right now and the students here? Yeah, not stupid AT ALL. And the classes? Yeah, not as easy as university classes. Don’t buy into that stereotype y'all. Community college is a great way to not only pay less on your tuition, but also an excellent way to raise your GPA. This brings me to number 2.
2. Don’t settle for a university just because it was the only one to accept you. I only got into one university, attended that university for two semesters, realized how shitty of a school it was, and decided that I would never go back to that school again or settle for anything less than I deserve. You deserve to go to a school with good programs. A school that actually cares more about its students than the money they receive from their students. I had a 2.4 GPA in high school and only applied to a few colleges, most of which rejected me because of my less than stellar GPA and lack of extra-cirriculars. Funnily enough, one of those colleges that previously rejected me actually emailed my student account with information on transferring to their university. They gave me “priority status” with awesome perks like submitting an application for free and getting a decision on whether I’m admitted or not sooner. My GPA is only 2.9 right now. I’m certain they found me through the honor roll list at my college though. If you had poor grades in high school and didn’t get into your dream school, try going to a community college, get at least a 3.0 GPA, and then try and transfer to your dream school. You just might get in!
3. The Midwest Student Exchange Program. Out-of-state tuition is really freakin’ expensive and I wish I had known about the Midwest Student Exchange Progam (MSEP) much sooner, but I guess it wouldn’t have done me any good anyway, but nevertheless, I’m glad I know about it now. I’ve always wanted to get out of my home state and see the world. MSEP is where participating colleges allow students in certain states (listed below) to apply to their universities with a discount on out-of-state tuition. Some colleges even allow bordering states to pay in-state tuition rates instead of out-of-state tuition. Participating states include (in alphabetical order):
> Illinois
> Indiana
> Michigan
> Minnesota
> Missouri
> Nebraska
> North Dakota
> Ohio
> Wisconsin
I’m sure I found information on programs like this for other states, but a Google search has left me completely stumped. Anyway, you have to be a resident of one of these states to apply as an out-of-state student and get a discount on the tuition rate. For example, if you live in Wisconsin, you can attend one of the participating universities in Missouri at a discounted rate.
4. Don’t buy your textbooks at the campus bookstore. Unless you or your parents are rich, you really don’t wanna buy textbooks at the campus bookstore. My legal studies textbook was listed at almost $150 on my campus bookstore’s website, but I was able to find it for about $35 with a PDF format that I was able to transfer to my Kindle app. Electronic textbooks are definitely going to be cheaper than paper back or loose leaf editions, but if you like to use physical textbooks, try and find them on Amazon or Ebay. Used copies of textbooks can often be found there and some of those textbooks are in really good condition too. Also, sell your textbooks at the end of the semester if you’ll no longer be needing them.
5. Rooming with your best friend from high school is not going to be what you expect it to be. Okay so it’s still going to be fun and awesome to not have to room with a complete and total stranger but in the process of living together, you’ll learn more about each other’s annoying little habits. For example, my roommate hated how I always procrastinated and never wanted to go out. I hated how she always wanted to go out. I also hated how she’d talk to me about her so-called “friends” behind their backs but then act all nice and friendly to their faces. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was doing the same to me, ya know? Basically, to make an incredibly long story short, we grew apart. We just weren’t going in the same direction in life and yeah it sucks, but we have to keep moving in life and simply cherish the memories. I mean, if I were to see her out-and-about today, I’d probably smile, say hi, have a bit of small talk, and then move on with my life. This also happened to two of my high school classmates who also roomed together at a different university, but I heard they probably wouldn’t be so friendly to see one another now but of course, that’s just gossip.
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