We asked students at Michigan’s Kalamazoo Valley Community College what advice they would give to the students, and their parents, coming up behind them in high school. Here’s what they said:
Shaun Ore
Senior, Animation and Video Game Art
"Had I known then what I know now … you are so much more independent in college than you are in high school.
I wish my parents would have made me do my homework. I prided myself on not doing homework. The whole experience was about rebellion for me.
(But) for the rest of your life you will be learning to be studious. If you can’t do it you’ll be one step behind the game … always struggling; it’s frustrating, a million things to worry about before I go to sleep.
To be helpful, parents can keep a running tab of what we’re doing. It’s like one thing to ask, “What are you doing?” but then another to show understanding and ask more questions.
Now I want to work at a major video game production studio; create video games and getting paid to do it. I had no plans to do this in high school. I didn’t know the wide range of things that you could do. [I also] didn’t realize that like you could take psychology and apply that, to say… the psychology of video games and the culture. I thought that when you took psychology that you would become a psychologist. Like it was a very finite linear thing."
Katherine White
Freshman, Dual Enrollment
“I’m dual enrolled. So I’m a senior at Loy Norrix High School and a freshman here. I’m trying to take as many [college credits] as possible. The school pays for it, except for books. My boyfriend did it, and he entered college as a sophomore. You have to plan ahead. Me, for example, when I got in high school, the first thing I did was all of my core classes.
Get a relationship with your school counselor. I pop in regularly; we even talk on the phone. He’s told the different colleges about me and referred me for scholarships. I tell my cousin, your school might try to just stick you in art or gym, but you tell them I want social studies and English; don’t just stick me anywhere.
My biggest piece of advice is to go to class. I would think, ‘Oh, I just missed one class so it’s nothing’ and you get in a habit of skipping. You miss stuff you need to know. And colleges are looking at you. I wanted to go to Grand Valley State University and they denied me; I found out today. They told me that the main issue was attendance.
What should parents do? Be nosy. Like my dad; he gave me my space, but it would have been better if he would have been asking me more questions. Sometimes it just lets kids know that their parents care and then they’ll start sharing stuff."
John Willis
Sophomore, Criminal Justice
“My advice? Get involved with organizations and programs, ‘cause I wish I would have more. I was kind of shy, but you meet people and learn from them… and it’s just a lot more fun.
As a “Young Explorer” for four and a half years with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, I decided I wanted to be a cop. We trained with the SWAT team in the academy; we did one week of military type training. We learned how to write paperwork and to write and read better. The discipline and responsibility trained me for the real world.
And some of the people who have been there longer taught me, the young person, how to come up in the ranks and stuff like that. It was all volunteer but pretty much you love it so much you didn’t want to leave."