Get help from the career center. Your tuition is paying for it. Ask for help with your resume! and go to the career fair!
– Chris J.
It’s OK to start off at community college and transfer later. It’s cheaper too!
– Jose R.
You can change your schedule after classes have already started. Within the first couple of weeks of the semester, you can drop and add classes to find a schedule that better works for you. You still have to make up any work you missed though, so use your power wisely.
-Maddie M.
Figure out your living situation before you go to college. Just discover your living options, like staying with your foster family, living in a dorm, or getting housing help from your county worker. And then pick one that’s better for you overall.
– Kendall W.
As a previous foster youth myself, there are so many struggles in life that prevent proper study and many foster youth don’t take education as seriously. However, it is important to know how crucial it is in today’s society to have a solid education and that a degree isn’t simply just a piece of paper, like many students believe.
– Kelly T.
High school is so much different than college. Being in college is something that I absolutely love because I get to choose the classes I take. When I try in my classes I feel much more proud of what I have done because it shows how much I applied myself to the material.
– Brandon W.
You will get homesick. It is hard at first, but you will make new friends and find things to do.
– Asia D.
There is a decreasing trend in enrollment in trade schools, which I think is not only hurting foster youth but regular students. I wish someone had told me that trades are a respectable route to pursue, not only financially, but also in terms of career opportunities.
– Brian B.
High school and college are very different. I think self-discipline is so important and I wish I 
had it more before going to college. Unfortunately, that’s hard to teach, but sometimes I really just want to give up because I think I’ll fail anyway and set myself up for failure.
It’s important to realize that YOU alone are responsible for your own success. No one will be keeping after you to make sure you attend classes, turn in assignments, etc. If you do not want success for yourself, you will not be likely to succeed.
– Jasmine P.
Pay attention and take it seriously. Understand how important grades are and that you cannot easily withdraw from a course. Every action for every class affects the course of graduation.
– Amber H.
Don’t take out loans. Use your money wisely. I have a ton of debt from my freshman year. I was so scared of running out of money that I took out a lot of loans. Now I know that with ETV and the Pell Grant, my tuition and housing are paid for. I got a job on campus to help pay for everything else.
– Tyrese L.
Prepare for transportation issues. Learn about bus routes. If you have a car, it’s going to break down and then how are you going to get to class?
– Daniel P.
Course loads in college are much bigger than in high school. Especially in the summer. Summer school is really hard. Don’t take too many classes – take one or two – or you will seriously regret it.
– John D.
Write more — no matter what it is. Work on time management. Also, it’s okay to take some time for yourself; don’t always push yourself to your very limits (take naps and hang out with friends). Society puts this huge burden on us about gaining knowledge to get a job and the best way to do this is to get college education. Honestly, school, learning, expanding and opening your mind to new things is important but life is about more than studying.
– Kayleigh S.
Take at least one class that interests you, along with the classes you need for your prerequisites. Within the first week of class, make sure that all the classes are doable for you or withdrawal before you can’t! Find someone you can stay accountable to. It is easy to fall into laziness and without support, it’s almost certain that we will fail.
– Antonio B.
Take it seriously in the beginning so you don’t spend your 4 years playing catch up. I screwed up really bad my freshman year – all Ds and Fs. I lost the Pell Grant and ETV for a semester. I had to pay for classes myself and get good grades to get my financial aid back and get back on the right track.
– Erin T.
