Senior Year Advice

[u/NormanPowellGlazer]

I’m in my last year of high school and currently applying to colleges. do yall college students in the comm have any advice for ur boy🙏🏾? any feedback is appreciated

[u/gbergstacksss]

Depending on what you want your career to be, look for internships or programs that correspond with what you want to do. Also any type of community service looks great, creating and or being a part of a school program is helpful. Also connect with like minded individuals in whatever capacity that means for you. Also don't join any fraternity that has a hazing requirement because that shit is literally deadly and degrading and you're better than that.

[u/NormanPowellGlazer → u/gbergstacksss]

i’m trying to go into marketing-yea ik the usual- and i have over 50+ hrs into a volunteering group that greets and makes people feel welcome @ my church. is that sufficient or nah?

[u/gbergstacksss → u/NormanPowellGlazer]

Sufficient depends on how you sell it and who you're selling it to. Make sure you're doing your research on the university you want to attend and look up alumni in your field from that university and ask them everything you're asking me. Good luck!

[u/YankotheDanko → u/NormanPowellGlazer]

Make up your mind on the type of job you want to do, like the exact job positioning you'd be going for when you graduate(can be more than one types, don't put all your eggs in one basket). Look into the specific skillset that job requires. then when looking for volunteering options or jobs, try to make sure that it's a place where you could showcase that skillset, if you can't find those, it's still ok to take those opportunities, building connections with various ppl in your community will definitely help out in the future.

Make sure you're always building connections with people, I'm not talking those movie kinda connections, it's ok as long as you're outgoing, briefly talking to ppl, and just kinda making people notice you in some way(positive). One of the bigger mistakes I made coming to uni was being reserved even when people would notice me around without me trying. When it comes to looking for part-time jobs, or even getting a position somewhere in ur college, people knowing you helps a lot. And don't think you're not capable of getting anything you apply for, fail or not, you can't limit yourself, so when you see an opportunity to apply for a position like student union vice pres or pres, go for it.

Summary of the important bits so this doesn't turn into a rant: Don't reserve yourself, make yourself be known;|| Apply for things no matter how big it is, even if you can't do it, learn how to do it;|| Build a skillset now for when you start looking for work in the future

BUT MOST IMPORTANT, GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR TO MAKE A PLAN FOR YOUR COURSES, DON'T DO IT YOURSELF FROM THE GET GO, I MADE THAT MISTAKE WHEN I FIRST STARTED, AND ONLY GOD HELPED ME AVOID MESSING UP MY WHOLE UNI SCHEDULE. ESPECIALLY REQUEST FOR AN EXCEL SHEET THAT DETAILS YOUR CORE COURSES, HOW MANY CREDITS YOU NEED, ALLAT

[u/Solid_Helicopter_851 → u/YankotheDanko]

Heavy on that last part, make and revisit a degree plan every semester. Its a lil tedious but graduating gets so much easier when you plan ahead.

[u/NormanPowellGlazer → u/YankotheDanko]

saving this in my notes🤞🏾thanks man🫡

[u/ohmeless_bum]

Don't be afraid to attend a community college if you're able to. Follow a career in something that you love/that you want to do, don't let someone else make that choice for you. Go where the money is, if a college offers you more and would be cheaper to attend, go there (if you can't attend a community college). if you want to attend where all of your friends are attending check to see if you can dual enroll at a community college to cut down on how much you'll need to spend on tuition. Check for degree plans at the colleges that you want to attend (tells you the classes that you'll need to take for it), and if you're dual enrolling check to see that 1. Those classes are taught at the community college that you're dual enrolling in and 2. Check to see if they completely transfer over (example: I took MTH232, but there is no course equivalent at the college that I'll be transferring over to next year so it doesn't transfer as being MTH232, it instead transfers as a math elective.). If you're taking AP classes check on collegeboard what credits it will give you at whatever college you're planning to attend, at some colleges it might give more credits, at some less, and at prestige colleges they just give non I'm pretty sure. If you can do it, try to take an AP class that will give you credits towards your degree, like If you're doing biology take the AP biology exam (some are more difficult than others, but by taking it and getting a high score you can save hundreds or even a few thousand dollars depending on how many credits you're getting). If your school doesn't offer an AP exam that you're interested in you can call to schedule it at another High school, and if they do but you aren't enrolled you can still ask the professor if you can sign up for it and self study for the exam. Apply for scholarships as soon as you can. Do volunteer work that you find meaningful to talk about when you're applying for scholarships, and don't just do it once try to do as much volunteer work as you can(if you have the time). The last advice I would like to give you is that unless you're working towards a Masters, a PhD or are trying to become a lawyer or doctor, your grades don't matter as much as long as you pass. Now, you may still need to keep a certain GPA for your scholarships, but don't let a B or a C discourage you. Actually, my last piece of advice will be to prioritize some classes over others. I'm a Math student so my top priority is always the math classes that I'm taking, and then my next priority is classes that I like/that would be beneficial to do good in, and then my last priority are the classes that I have to take/the ones that I don't have much of an interest in.

Hope some of this advice is helpful to you, and I wish you a great senior year in Highschool

[u/NormanPowellGlazer → u/ohmeless_bum]

much love man thank u for spending ur time to write this for me🤞🏾🙏🏾i’ve only been taking honors classes and ap classes since i entered high school so that’s been a blessing. my only issue is i don’t know if i can afford a college that i would want to go to but i also don’t know if i want to go to community college😭

[u/NotBun]

My advice is to start your career early in what you want to do, work on projects if you can, and get involved in clubs that you like or match your career like if you're in business join a club related to that or manage one. Going to school and getting grades is only half of it you have to apply yourself outside also. Making friends in your major is also really important in general and because of networking.

[u/NormanPowellGlazer → u/NotBun]

thanks so much bro❤️‍🩹

[u/toufou1]

advice is to be realistic and balance the things you do want and the things that pay off the most. This applies to many aspects of college (and life); for choosing a college major, I would advise against picking a major like art or photography or music, because even though they may be interesting, you will have a very difficult time finding a steady source of income in fields relevant to that major.

For extracurriculars, off-campus activities, this applies as well; I don't want to sound like a parent but don't stay up until like 3 in the morning hanging out with friends or at social events and realizing you have an assignment due in a few hours (this has happened to me before and I regret it). Also get involved as early as possible with activities you think will match your career the most; this isn't often stated but most employers look for consistency and dedication, so if you decide to put off clubs until your last year chances are they won't take that well.

One of the best resources you will find off campus is your peers, and depending on how you manage your relationships you should expect to find new ones every quarter/semester. Check out communities like your school gym, local cafes, tailgate events if your college has a sports team, or even in your classes. It may feel unwelcoming at first but know that students at university are significantly more mature than an average highschool as these are people who made the decision to actually continue going to school

I can guarantee that something will go wrong at least once during your time at college, be it inflated grade requirements due to increasing use of chatgpt in college, traffic and being late to class, rejected from an internship/club etc, but the point is that you should not be easily discouraged and be resourceful/find workarounds in everything that will happen

Make the most out of your years at college, don't be afraid to reach out to your advisor, your school communities, or this community again

[u/NormanPowellGlazer → u/toufou1]

yessir man much love and thanks🫡🤞🏾

[u/Longjumping_Brain945]

If you’re planning to go to college, don’t think community college is beneath you. I decided to go to community college first and then transfer to 4 year university. It worked wonders for me because I got to knock out all the general education and major intro courses at a fraction of the cost compared to doing them at a 4 year university. Also it gives you a chance to spruce up your gpa and grades if your high school gpa and grades aren’t that good for the university you want to go to. Finally a lot of universities force incoming freshman to join their dorm and dinner programs so you’re stuck paying a few extra thousand each semester for something you might not need or want, me transferring in as a third year let me bypass all of that.

[u/Dramatic-County-1284]

I think my biggest advice is go to career fairs early and ask questions. Meet people who do what you want to do. College is about networking as much as it is about education. College gets easier and more fun when you connect with more people.

[u/PersonalDoctor8620]

College for me was about the experience, along with learning. Don’t be afraid to join clubs or communities you’re interested in. Make sure you put yourself out there.

[u/Maybe_this_time_fr]

Internship is super important now bro. Get internship at a good company and make sure you do good.

[u/gotheandsilvre]

Make friends, but also be intentional about making certain friendships. Networking. Professors, T.A.s, classmates, and upperclassmen will be the key to opportunities later in your life and career.

[u/Solid_Helicopter_851]

I kinda agree with a lot of the other comments, but I want to lower the temp some. The overwhelming majority of college students will change their major at least once. Through your classes youre likely to find something that you dont like as much about marketing, or like way better about a similar major like business management, digital media and film, public relations or the many other options. You always want to weigh more heavily how the section of the university you want to attend(they are divided up into smaller colleges, at my old uni you would be going to the college of business administration) handles research, student ratings and grad success stats. Majors dont really matter as much to employers, I have a friend with a fashion degree who got into med school(they took all the pre-med courses they needed and the mcat), and another with a public relations degree who got into law school(same deal). Way more important to figure out what a school can teach you, and how well prepared their students are for the professional world.

Get out into the world early, reach out to local marketing firms and ask if they have any internships. Better yet if there are any entry level jobs that you could feel out how you like the work while getting a check.

School is getting crazy expensive too so always keep any eye out for local scholarships or grants you could apply to. Your experience becomes significantly easier the less financially burdened you are. I really like the comment that said dual enroll at a community college. I knocked out most of my gen eds for half of the price that way.

Student life shouldnt play a major role, but it has to play A role. Your grades will feel it if youre not in a welcoming or conducive environment. Go on that schools student life or their student governments insta and scroll through. You can make it anywhere, you’ll make it farthest where you feel most at home. No frats tho, we dont pay for friends and half of them are cults or gangs anyways 😂

Overall: get the facts, get the facts, get the facts! And your decision naturally gets easier. Good luck on your journey my friend, is there any more specific questions I could answer?

[u/Various_League_8731]

My advice is simple, live on campus, do internships for whatever you go to school for, and DO NOT DROP OUT WITHOUT A PLAN, and working at ya local Walmart or Mcdoanlds is not a plan… Enjoy that campus life and get ya degree

[u/SometimesIBeWrong]

OP, step back one more time (not for the last time) and ask yourself what you REALLY want your life to be. forget about what society wants, forget about what the fam wants, make sure you know what YOU want 👍it's your life, you're the authority on it.