College Curiosities: What To Know Before Going To College

This Monday our class visited Orange High School to talk to a group of AVID students on the cusp of graduation. When speaking to them, I was reminded of myself and how I was in their shoes exactly a year ago, especially as a former AVID student myself.

While in my senior year, I had many questions and concerns about what college life would be; Would I make friends? Would I enjoy my classes? Would I miss my parents? Would I even be able to afford to go to college?

My worries were even more magnified because I was planning on leaving my hometown to go to an out of state university. This presented a myriad of challenges; additional cost, distance from my parents, leaving my friends behind, etc. 

I recognized that going to college wouldn’t be an easy task, but it was my dream. I’ve wanted to go to college ever since I was a little kid. I had been working at school to prepare me for this very moment, and despite the potential obstacles, I knew I was capable of making my way through college. 

During the visit to Orange High School, I talked to a group of students about college life. While talking with them, it was clear that we had similar questions and concerns. 

The students brought up questions about not knowing which school would be the right fit for them and that really resonated with me, as I also had a difficult time deciding which college I would attend. Specifically, many of their questions had to do with going to school far away from home – something I myself went back and forth with a lot as a senior.

Another primary concern that was brought up was figuring out realistic ways to save up and pay for college. They were worried about how they would be able to pay for college for the four years, and I deeply related with this. As the child of two working class parents, attending a four year institution would mean that paying tuition would be a constant struggle. However, with the assistance of financial aid, paying for college became much more feasible.

Somewhere where the seniors and I differed is that they were largely undecided when it came to what they wanted to major in. Personally, I had known for certain I wanted to study creative writing for a very long time, so I wasn’t confused about what I wanted to pursue in college.

Going to visit Orange High School was an incredibly rewarding experience and I can’t wait to continue the visits for the rest of the semester.