This generation dreams big. We always have, and it’s not our fault. We are the youth, the bright future, and we are supposed to want to surpass the achievements of our predecessors. Most students have this goal in their mind, leading them to participate in countless extracurriculars while also earning top grades. They have been told their entire lives that the only path to a successful career is by attending a top college.
However, this philosophy can be harmful. Many students don’t know exactly where they want to end up and struggle with the college decision process. Forcing students to apply to college without ample guidance isn’t helpful; it simply places them under immense amounts of pressure without providing them with the resources to succeed. Instead, a more hands on approach must be taken. They should be inspired and ignited with passion for future schooling, not anxious because of the application process.
Who is better to instill this passion for learning than educators themselves? We often forget that our very own educators were once applying for colleges in high school too. They’ve been through applications before, they were once in that stressful space between high school and college life. Here at Summit, many teachers are happy to share crucial college advice and explain in depth how to find a good overall life fit in college.
Teressa Quade
Teressa Quade knows all about campus life from her own experience at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Whether playing on the basketball team or attending the occasional late night party, she’s always filled with enthusiasm for college and wishes she had taken more advantage of the opportunities offered.
“I would do it again in a second and I wish I had taken advantage of more of the things that were available,” Quade stated.
However, her college experience wasn’t just exciting. It was also a little terrifying. Despite many challenges, Quade made the most out of every day in college and gathered expert advice on college survival along the way. One of Quade’s most helpful pieces of advice is to go into college with something that deeply connects you to the school spirit. For her, this was basketball.
“We were well known because we were on the basketball team. Because of that, we had a little more privilege and people recognized us. We got invited to everything, so all the parties and all the school spirit,” she said.
Connection is something that eases the college transition and allows students to approach college with a built-in friend group found in a club or team. Quade’s choice in participating in college basketball not only united her and peers but allowed her to be more independent.
Additionally, Quade shared how college influenced her independence, saying, “You’re all the way from home for your first time and you’re learning about life, how to get along, [and] how to take care of yourself.”
Quade also feels that the structure basketball provided allowed her to feel a sense of independence and purpose. She explains that when she first came to college, basketball provided a smooth transition into adulthood and taught her to prioritize “the other things that were important to [her].”
“You had to work out on certain days and eat special meals, be at certain places at certain times. So I was having to learn how to weave my classes in between all of it,” Quade said, illuminating how her sport forced her to stay organized.
Along with the benefits associated with basketball, she also remembers how much she appreciated having set standards in high school that shaped her personal preferences about how she wanted daily college life to go. One of those standards was structured learning.
“I think structure for me was really good because when I don’t have structure, I tend to goof off more,” she said.
Knowing yourself can be a powerful tool when discussing your next stage of life. Perhaps consider the weather of where you want to go or look at its campus housing. Maybe look into the food or discover whether you would thrive in that city or town. Look at all the small preferences you make from day to day and, similar to Quade, find out the necessary steps to organize your college experience around your personality.
Mindy Mendenhall
Mindy Mendenhall is a great teacher to discuss college and the arts with. She knows how it feels to be where juniors and seniors are, and even admits that it’s a difficult time.
“I was lost. I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” she said. “I didn’t know what college was going to look like for me.”
Despite her fears during the college selection process, Mendenhall was grateful for her patience during application and commitment decisions. She ultimately felt that choosing to go from community college to Abilene Christian College was the best option for her and her pursuits.
She expresses how she found her passion by describing a moment in her youth, noting how she “would spend time with [her] cousins, and would do these claymation videos together.”
Naturally, as the oldest among them, she fell into a sort of teacher role in making these creative and fun films, which ultimately encouraged her to pursue education and art.
Despite the struggles of searching for an art education program, she is now grateful for all the benefits she got out of her college journey from community college to Abilene Christian. Financially, community college felt like the clearest and most affordable path for her.
“I got a full scholarship because I had graduated in the top 10% of my high school class… Cost-wise, I got out super easy,” she said.
However, the low cost wasn’t the only benefit. Later on, when she decided to continue school at Abilene Christian, it was the community and connections she built throughout her college experience.
“I have this core group of friends [that I met in college], and 26 years later, we’re still all really tight. I’m very grateful for them,” she continued. “It was these friendships that I developed at Abilene Christian that defined that era of my life.”
Steve Platt
Steve Platt’s college experience was that of a real life Top Gun Maverick. He found adventure in college and wishes for all kids to pursue their most daring passions. His story exemplifies the importance of doing something that makes you want to wake up excited for what the day might hold. From jumping out of fighter planes to meeting the love of his life, there’s no one better to talk to about getting out of your comfort zone to reach your dreams.
In high school, Platt’s view was that he would settle for nothing less than his lifelong dream.
“I desperately wanted to be a fighter pilot and going to the Air Force Academy was the surest way for me to do that,” he said.
Along with a heart that yearned for the sky’s, there was immense hard work and conquering of fear.
“I was overwhelmed by how tough it was when I first got there. A lot of people were pretty darn good at being a student and a cadet,” he explained.
But despite the fears and stress, Platt wouldn’t quit on his college goals.
“I just started working, and by the end, I felt pretty good about [school] and I ended up doing well,” he said.
Platt is the purest example of being capable of more than you think and enjoying it along the way. He shows how in college, anything is possible, including the activities you never believed you were brave enough to try.
“I got to go on a solo glider and in many types of planes, and I got to free fall jump out of airplanes. I got rides in the back of F16s, learned all sorts of cool Air Force tricks and got an engineering degree,” said Platt.
The world is your oyster and that is most important to remember when applying to colleges: Don’t limit your potential or go for a career you’re not sure you want, and go to school that allows room for change and growth.
A Message to You
College doesn’t have to be scary. It doesn’t have to be one-size-fits-all and it does not need to be perfect. The pressure of finding the right college should not deter from a student’s excitement for the future. Life is messy, it’s difficult, it causes headaches and heartbreaks and takes a bit of hard work, but that’s what makes it perfect.Your college choice does not define you, it’s the experiences and opportunities you gather that add value.
Ask any teacher, they will tell you that the best part of college wasn’t that one class or attending a prestigious university, but instead it was growing as an individual and creating life long connections.
Don’t feel pressured into going to the top ranked school or into finding the perfect academic program, instead find somewhere where you can be passionate about learning and where you can truly thrive. For many who don’t know where that is yet, I’d encourage you to embrace the experts. They may have more advice and suggestions to make your college life successful than you ever would’ve guessed.
