My first year in college was horrible. I didn't receive the kind of guidance that I needed when I was a senior in high school. I found out later about all of the scholarships that I was eligible for, the classes that I could have clepped out of. At least I knew how to network though
I worked 3 jobs and took out loans to be able to attend school only to later find out that I should have been at the school that I later transferred to all along, with a scholarship and everything! I don't believe in going into debt for a car or a house, those things are material and can be taken away at any time, but no one can ever take away the knowledge from you that you have attained, I mean your degree can be stolen or burned up, but that knowledge is still inside your head
So I didn't mind taking out loans at all. Where there is a will there is a way for anyone who WANTS to go to school! I attend a white institution and I think that what would have helped me was a mentoring program with an older minority student preferably in the same major as my own. Also, I wished there would have been more supportive African American faculty on hand! Not just someone to talk to about academic advising but, anything in general. College is a stessful time, and I needed someone who could relate to that. I knew nothing about financial aid, and nothing was really done to help me interpret all that loan jargon. The best thing out of that situation is this: I now make myself available to anyone who wants to talk to me about attaining a higher education. I want to make them aware of everything, all of the opportunities as well as the sinkholes they can fall into. I don't want them to have a hard as a time that I did! But luckily I had the drive and determination. I have been doing internships in my major since 6th grade, I kept in touch with all of those people that I worked with. I decided to minor in a foreign language to make myself more marketable in my field, I even went to school for a semester in Mexico! I had no academic adivsors pushing me, I don't think they really cared at all about me, I was just another minority...they probably didn't think I would graduate at all
So you have to learn how to PUSH yourself! And with GOD and FAMILY all things are possible
By the way, I graduate in May and I will be giving my degree to my parents who worked their fingers to the bone just so I could have the opportunity to go somewhere. They didn't get to go to school, so this is their degree. I can get another degree in something else later
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