You’ve been hearing it your whole life! You’ve been ignoring it most of your life! You are about to get the lecture again because it really will have a powerful impact. Do you get that -- not only years of time, but possibly thousands of dollars?
Perhaps you put things off when you
were young because of WORRIES & FEARS:
·
Getting your vaccination
shots
·
Swimming and jumping off
the diving board
·
Learning how to ride a
bike
Once you got it over with, you realized
that you made a much bigger deal out of it than need be.
Perhaps you put things off when you
were a little older because you DIDN’T FEEL LIKE it:
· Finishing chores around
the house
·
Doing your homework
·
Finding ways to make money
Once you got it over with, you
realized that you could have gone out with your friends 5 hours sooner if you
would have just taken the 15 minutes to straighten your room. Once you got it over with, you realized that if
you would have just taken one hour to write that paper, you would not have been
grounded, or not blown your GPA, or not had to enroll in summer school to make
up a credit. Once you got it over with,
you realized that if you had just started mowing your neighbor’s yard last
summer, you would have already had enough money saved to buy your own car.
Perhaps
you are putting off enrolling at MCC and registering for classes because of a
combination of WORRIES & FEAR AND LAZINESS:
1)
No one in my family has
done this, and I can’t figure it out on my own
2)
There is so much paperwork
that I don’t even understand; it’s too much
3)
I didn’t even like, or do
that well in high school, so how could I succeed in college
4)
Everybody talks about how expensive
college is and student debt; there’s no way my family can afford that
5)
I didn’t take ACT or SAT
tests and I can’t write an application essay
6)
I don’t have four years to
waste before I get a career that will bring money to my family
7)
I don’t want to go to my
high school’s career center/counselor during lunch because that is my only time
to spend with my friends
8)
I don’t want to meet with
an MCC representative after school because then I will have to find a ride home
9)
This is my senior year,
the best time of my life, and I want to enjoy every minute of it before I have
to become an adult
10) I’ll do it after graduation because then I’ll have more time
I asked students to write down what they wish they
would have known before enrolling at MCC, what they still want to know, and
what advice they may have for those of you who are potential college students. Combined with their responses, below I offer
wisdom based on the thousands of students that I have taught over the last 18
years.
Each number below will correspond with the excuse
above. Find the excuses that you most often find yourself using.
Let me address your WORRIES
& FEARS first.
1) You
can be the first college student from your family because you look beyond
yourself. You look at the sacrifices
that your parents and grandparents have made for you to receive a good education,
and you will show appreciation through continuing to learn. You will look beyond yourself by thinking
about your future life and family. Those
who come after you will learn from you and follow your example. You are paving the path so those you love can
have every opportunity. When you get perspective
and look back and look forward, this is an easy hurdle for you to leap.
In addition, you don’t have to
figure this out on your own. If you reach
your hand out just a bit, there will be swarm of people who want to help you. My student responses repeatedly counseled
those thinking about college to ask questions – to ask many questions. Don’t be too proud to ask, and don’t be too
shy. Almost anyone who has even a bit of
knowledge about college will want to help you.
Watch a person’s eyes light up with excitement when you ask them to help
you achieve your dreams. If you ask
someone you know and trust to help, and they do not have the answers you need,
ask them to help you find someone who can provided the needed information. Heck, contact me! I LOVE talking about how wonderful school is
and I will get you connected to people who can help with every step.
2) There
really isn’t much work, and it can all be done online at home, or you can simply
walk into the enrollment center with your ID. admissions website
a. Keep
in mind – If you want to enroll in-person at MCC and register for classes,
please come to campus at non-peak times.
For example, waiting until two weeks before school starts will cause you
to wait for long periods of time. The
enrollment center is located across the parking lot, just west of the football
field in building 39. MCC Campus Map
3) You
are not the same person you were when you were 14 years old. Do not make the mistake of thinking that one frustrating
math class in 8th grade determines who you can be. MCC offers you a new beginning where no one
will know about (or care about) choices you made when you were young. College and high school are not the same
thing, so give yourself a break and step onto campus with your goals in sight.
4) Maricopa Community Colleges offer the same exact credits that ASU, NAU, and UofA
offer. There is an agreement between the
schools that all 100 level and 200 level credit courses will transfer evenly
across schools. The biggest difference
is the cost per credit. MCC will cost
$86 per credit if you must pay out-of-pocket, but there are many ways to get
more funding. The very first financial aid
paperwork you need to fill out is FAFSA.
That is federal money that does not ever have to be repaid. Check out
this website for more information: FAFSA Information
5) No
ACT or SAT needed! No essay needed! The movies and TV shows where the characters
have to wait for acceptance are not the reality for MCC students. You will be accepted – 100%. It is like a no-cut sport, but it is a no-cut
college opportunity!
6) MCC
offers career training opportunities that will help you earn a higher
wage. If you then want to continue with
your education part-time while you work part-time, your college job will be a
stepping stone to your career. Look at
the example below. The AAS means it is a
full associate’s degree, and the CCL indicates that it is a certificate that
can be earned and used immediately to ask for a higher wage at your construction
job while you continue your studies part-time.
Even if it takes you four years to complete your associates instead of
two because you are working in the field of your career choice, your resume
will be full of certificates and experience.
Construction Program Webpage
Now let me address your LAZINESS:
Now let me address your LAZINESS:
7) Most
of you have had about 2,340 lunches at school, K-12. Do not sacrifice your opportunity to get help
enrolling in college while you are still in high school because you need
another lunch at the same table in the cafeteria. It will be so much easier to take care of
everything at your familiar high school campus.
Take your friends with you! Use positive
peer pressure to get your buddies signed up too!
8) You
will never regret staying after school to meet with an MCC representative who
will help you build a solid foundation for your future. Very, very worst case scenario? You have to walk for 30 minutes to get
home. Those 30 minutes will save you
hours in the future because you won’t have to wait in long lines. Imagine your family’s reaction when you tell
them what you accomplished by staying after school just one day.
9)
I recently heard a story about a boy who
was shivering by a smoldering campfire as the sun rose on the mountain campsite.
His father asked why he looked so
miserable. The boy answered that because
the fire died he was awake all night freezing.
When the father asked why the boy didn’t wrap up in his sleeping bag,
the boy sheepishly replied, “I didn’t want to have to roll up my sleeping bag
in the morning, so I never used it.” Please do not make such a silly decision that
will bring you so many struggles in the future.
You do not have to spend every day of your senior year worrying about
college, because thinking about and planning for MCC for just a few days should
cover it. You will be able to enjoy your
last year of high school much more if you have the peace of knowing where your
path will take you. Take care of
enrollment and registration early, and then you can focus on the end of the
year celebrations without a nagging feeling.
10) You
will never have more time. That is the
life-long battle of thinking you’ll have more time in the future, but something
will always come up and your time will be stolen. You will have to work, you will want to travel,
and you will have to help the family. Just
do it, and just do it now!
Whew! That was a lot of lecturing, but because it
is in print you can pick and choose the lessons that you most need to hear. You can re-read my wise counsel when you are
tempted to sacrifice the things you want most in your life for the things you
want right this minute. Spread the
message.
Use this blog to
lecture everyone you know.
Baby: http://www.anticancermom.com/5-ways-to-help-you-stop-worrying-that-you-have-cancer-2-is-super-easy/
Lazy Girl: https://www.verywell.com/kids-and-procrastination-what-parents-should-know-3288035
Registration Stress: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/5-stages-registering-college-classes
Generation Hands: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/the-ever-changing-generations
Career Chalkboard: http://outline.occultisme.tk/occultisme/goals-for-a-job-15755.html
Construction Program: https://www.mesacc.edu/programs/construction-management
Walking Future: https://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/into_the_future.html
Sleeping Bag Image: http://blog.nwf.org/2011/04/3-easy-activities-for-campsite-fun/
Spread the Word: http://republicirelandbank.com/?page_id=850
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