If you attend college, be sure you know what field you want to study, because the rumor that you have two years to decide is false. Enjoy high school because when it is over all you will ever have is the memories that you made.

Remember who you are now, because a lot is going to change over the next few years. Take it all in stride and remember that everything happens for a reason. Things may not end up the way you want them to right now, but in the end, it’ll all work out for the best, though at times it may be hard to see that.

Be prepared to actually work. College work, even at the Chatt. State level, is more demanding than high school work. Be ready to go into classes determined to work harder and study more, because you can’t start college like you ended high school. That’s bad news.

In college, find a routine that works for you and stick to it. Definitely go to class, even though it is not always mandatory. Unlike having countless tests per class in high school, in college you have very few chances to prove your knowledge. Avoid the so-called freshman fifteen: find a workout buddy and workout/run at least three times per week. Check out Isaiah 40:31.

The biggest problem I had in my first year of school at UTC was my management of time. You don’t realize a paper is due, or there is a test unless you keep track of it with a calender or don’t miss any class. Once you are on your own, its hard to be responsible, but there is a perfect balance between partying and studying, because I have found it

5 Steps to survive college:
1. “Closed Class” does not mean you can’t get in with a closed class form… I promise!
2. Scope out your class locations before you’ve already missed the first week…
3. Do not take 8 am classes! Your sleeping habits will only get worse through out college life, and Monday mornings are killer!
4. Try new things, Go Greek! only if you’re the type
5. Try to come home at least once a semester, After a few years away, Rhea County can actually be a vacation from your new REAL world.

Enjoy high school, that is one of the first things I would have to say. I wanted to graduate and get out of the high school, but now I really miss those days. As for college, schedule a routine for when you are going to study and make sure you stick to it. Don’t give up if you start doing bad, just try hard. Put your heart in what you do so you know that you did your best no matter what happens.

I learned a very valuable lesson my first year of college. Go to class even if it isn’t required. The teacher will definitely give you more slack and bump your grade at the end of the semester. Go bell curve! Go!

Life hardly ever ends up where you expected it would. But if you simply live with faith and love, you’ll be happy no matter where you end up.

Put a lot of serious thought into your major selection and take classes specific to that major as early in your college career as possible to help you be sure whether or not that course of study works for you. Changing majors can cost time and money, and the sooner you make a final decision, the milder the repercussions will be. Developing a solid academic plan when you start college can mean the difference between graduating in 3-4 years and graduating in 5+ years. This difference can really be felt if you eventually go on to graduate or professional school.

Advice that might make your college experience (and life) a bit more enjoyable and meaningful:
1. Understand the words you know and look up the ones you don’t. Use a dictionary!
2. Read biographies of people you find interesting.
3. Learning is a privilege no matter the context. Take it seriously and don’t study just to past the test because you’ll soon forget what you crammed for.
4. Do something outside of your experiences up to this point. If you get the chance, study abroad or go on a mission trip.
5. Support your friends’ endeavors as much as possible. The favor might be returned to you when you need it most.

Don’t be afraid of figuring out who you are. Question everything. Don’t be afraid of change and growth. Take lots of pictures. Work hard and have a good time. When all is said and done, you’ll have a tougher skin, loads of great memories and lifelong friends.

TALK TO EVERYONE!! Graduation maybe the last time you see or talk to a certain someone! Even if you have never spoken to someone in all the four years at Rhea County, talk to them because you will even miss them!!

Enjoy high school while you can. It is NOT as bad as you think.
Have fun in college if you choose to go.
Take time to do the things you want to do. Even if you don’t have the money to. Later in life, when you have a career and the money to do those things, you won’t have the time.
Go somewhere! Take long trips. That’s when you learn about yourself.
Make mistakes. Learn from the small ones. Then you won’t make the big mistakes.
Make life fun but be wise about what fun things you do. To much of anything can be bad… even the good things.
Pick something in life that you enjoy and make that your career. It’s better to enjoy what you do than to make lots of money doing it.
Learn from those who have gone before you.

1. Don’t try to move out on your own in an apartment it doesn’t work!
2. 8 am classes do not work! Do not do it!
3. Teachers do not care if you come to class so go!
4. Do not overload yourself it does not work!
5. Have fun and get involved! You will love it!

1. Live on campus for your freshman year!
2. Make a lot of friends and don’t be caught up with boys. Have fun or you will regret it.
3. DONT TAKE 8AM classes. You will not do good in them.
4. Don’t rush through college. Have fun and learn.

1. Get a planner.
2. Actually use it.
Most of all though, make the most of your college experience. Don’t hold back. Get out there and meet people even if you have to step out of your comfort zone.

If you go to college: get involved in something- anything!!! Embrace what you like or what you are interested in because people that you will befriend will be there too!! Try and not be judgmental of the people you will meet- you have no idea who they are or what they will be like. And don’t let old friends/family/boyfriends/girlfriends hold you back or bring you down. It’s okay to let go of some unhealthy friendships and to set new boundaries! Your whole future is ahead of you, the people in your life should enhance it! Good luck!

Don’t be afraid to go off on your own and start something new. Some of your best friends will be the ones you haven’t met yet.
Enjoy your youth! Be spontaneous before you’re tied down with too many responsibilities.
Take roadtrips.
Remember to be yourself in everything you do. People will appreciate you more if you’re not pretending to be something you’re not.

Set goals and never lose sight of them. Keep your cool and stay focused no matter what happens. Don’t be afraid to do something that has never been done before. Question everything (out loud) and trust yourself.

Don’t feel obligated to follow the crowd, or do what’s been deemed “normal.” if you want to go to college, go! If you want to work, work! Do what makes you happy, feel fulfilled. It’s not about them, it’s about you. This is YOUR life.

Get to know the people in your dorm. They could end up being some of your best friends!
Your first year will be one of the easiest, but don’t think that every year will be that way.
College is an exciting time in your life! Don’t take it for granted because it will go by faster than you think.
Make sure you go out and have fun with your friends on the weekends. The campus is usually dead at that time because everyone is doing something!
Stay in touch with old friends and come in town every now and then to catch up. Even though some of your best friends will be from college.

Get involved and stay involved. And put yourself out there. If not, you may find yourself sitting in the corner of your dorm room missing high school. Which is not something you really want to do, especially when there are cute guys walking around right outside.

Don’t think that you have to have a set plan to go to college. You can take your general courses while you figure out what you want for your future/major. If you go to a community college (a great way to start if you are nervous about going away to school or to raise that gpa) make sure that your class credits will transfer to a four year university.
Take a college prep class if it is offered. It will teach you how to make the most of your time and give you good study habits. If you learn this early on, you will have more time to take advantage of the fun parts of college.
Try to take one fun class that you know you will enjoy. It will keep you interested and give you something to especially look forward to.
Keep in touch with your parents. They will miss you…and they usually send great care packages.

Spend your graduation money on a really great computer with a lot of memory to store the billion photos you’re going to take and the million songs you’re going to acquire from all of your friends. Because when you’re too broke to get a new one after your old one is overloaded with said photos and songs, you’ll thank me. Oh, and travel as much as possible, so make sure to buy a laptop…

If you are attending a larger university, it is important to get to know your professors even if the class size is large. Go to your instructor’s office hours. They will learn your name and face. They will advise you and help you in any way. This is often times what makes the difference between receiving an A or a B or a B and a C. If the teacher knows your name and face, they are more willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and can help you out.

Pick classes that you can and will make it to. Don’t overload yourself either (such as trying to work, go to school, having a social life and internship). The first semester or two take your time and figure out what you can really handle, I learned the hard way. And advice for underclassmen….go through Dual Enrollment as much as possible if you can. I will be graduating in May 2010…thanks to Dual Enrollment I already have my associates degree and will have a bachelors in a total of 3 years.

Cherish your memories, but relish in the future. Realize that, from now on, the quality of the education you receive is in direct proportion to the fervor with which you seek knowledge. Whether you seek higher education or not, pursue your passions rather than a hefty paycheck. For those of you who plan to attend college or trade school, commit yourselves to your studies and strive to learn everything you can about your fields.

Don’t forget about your hometown friends. As everyone goes their separate ways, it will be harder to stay in touch, and you’ll be tempted to not even try. But those relationships are far too valuable to ignore. Put in the effort (especially using Facebook, email, and the like), and you’ll definitely enjoy the rewards.
Think about balance. If you go to college, your classwork will be extremely important, but don’t let it keep you from being involved in other ways. Religious organizations, Student Government, the newspaper, professional organizations—these are the places where your best memories will happen. Of course, if you spend all your time doing things other than classwork, you’ll lose the one thing that gave you the opportunity to be there in the first place.

1. Make sure that you AT LEAST consider new people, culture, music, sports, subjects and mind-sets to get to know. College is a whole different ballgame ladies and gentlemen.
2. Expect to hear about 38 references to the Scopes Trial if you are in any field of science. So make sure you know a little bit about it so you don’t sound like a complete failure in matters concerning your home town’s history.
3. Just because you see guys in blazers and girls in dresses pretty much every night doesn’t mean that you need to go out and pledge for a fraternity/sorority. So don’t feel pressured.
4. Don’t come back to Rhea every weekend, make a legitimate effort to make your new school your own. And coming home to mommy and daddy for laundry and cash every weekend will not give you the feeling of independence that you should gain in college, one that is necessary in my opinion for a good college experience.
5. Have a pre-made answer to the question, “Rhea County?, where is that?” Because you will encounter that one about 2,389 times at least by the end of your junior year (Oh yeah, I’m still keeping count).
6. And finally, don’t be afraid to switch majors a few times. The average college student changes majors 3-5 times. So don’t worry, no one in their right mind will expect you to know what you want to do with your life at the age of 18.

Don’t forget your high school friends, live a life that you won’t regret and wouldn’t mind people reading about, and most importantly, find balance. Don’t forget to study and don’t forget to have (legal) fun.

Top five things would-be graduates should know (in no particular order):
1. Procrastination and working well under pressure are two different things.
2. It IS possible to maintain a healthy physique eating only ramen noodles and oatmeal cream pies.
3. The ill effects of economics class will wear off. Just give it time.
4. FAFSA: Flippin’ Awful Form that Students Abhor.
5. Facebook = The Antistudy.

Never burn any bridges. The contacts you make today will help in days to come!

Find a way to keep balance between your body, mind, and soul.
-Body- There are ways to NOT gain that Freshman 15 lbs! Don’t fall into the trap of eating too much junk and not getting any exercise.
-Mind- Manage your time well, keep up with your assignment, try to not procrastinate. This will help you keep your sanity.
-Soul- If you consider yourself a Christian, now is when you make your faith your own. You are an adult now and responsible for your life, not your parents. If being involved with a church is important to you don’t put off finding a church or campus ministry to be involved in. I promise it is worth it! On the flip side, if you don’t consider yourself religious now is the time to determine what you believe, ask questions, Seek God…you might be surprised with what you discover. Most campus have several campus ministries, be open minded and check them out.

Get involved with organizations and student activites as soon as you can. It helps you transition smoother and you make friends you keep your whole life!

Finally, major in something you enjoy!! Ultimately, you have to live with yourself and if you are in a job you hate then college is a waste. Follow your dreams and attempt things bigger than yourself regardless of what your family and friends say. Travel and see as much of the world as you can because there will always be home to come back to.

Talk to as many people, as as many questions, and try as many new things, as possible. This is the easiest access you’ll probably ever have to highly-educated experts, interesting people from all different backgrounds, and all kinds of wonderful activities and experiences you might not know existed. The experience is truly unique, so take time to cultivate your interests and explore your sense of self.

I’m sure all of you are quite happy to to be escaping… I mean, graduating, from the high school. Remember that your high school years are the easiest, in many ways, that you will ever have. You will be making many important decisions in the next few years, like what major you’ll study, wether or not to get married, wether or not to go to college right away, or at all. The decisions you make, the people you’ll meet, the objects you’ll acquire, and the events you take part in will not grant you everlasting happiness. Lifelong happiness is something only you have control of and nothing will make you happy if you don’t want to be in the first place. In the words of Anthony J. D’Angelo, “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.”

Start off studying a lot more than you think you even should at the beginning of every semester. Making a good foundation for each specific class is the key to making good grades in college.

DO keep up with old friends (and enemies!)
DON’T wipe the dust of your hometown off your feet.
DO go live for a short time in another culture where you don’t speak the language and you don’t recognize the food and no one’s ever heard of the movie “Juno” or the band “The Fray” (and go alone if your mom will let you).
DON’T take the highest paying job just so you can afford cable and highspeed internet and a new i-phone/pod.
DO give your time and energy towards something you won’t get paid for.

DON’T make and hold fast to a list of all the qualities you “have to have” in a significant other (you will miss out big time!).