Hello everyone, my name is Kristina. I am a junior at an early college high school. My dream is to become a trauma surgeon. During my eighth grade year, I heard of a school called [schools name] early college high school. I learned that it was a high school where the students are high school and college students. After the student graduates, they receive a high school diploma and an associate degree. All college classes and textbooks are FREE while you are an early college student. I have learned many tips and tricks to help make my life easier, and I want to share them with other high school and college students.
1. Have an idea of what you wish to do after high school.
Because I have always known that I want to become a physician of some sort, I choose to receive my associate’s degree in Science. There are also ways that you could do a trade and get your degree in that trade if that is what you wish to do.
Knowing what you want to do also allows you to get in your required courses for FREE. If you are going into the medical field, take all of the biology, chemistry, and psychology courses that you can now, so you can go into a four year not stressed out. (Who am I kidding. We are all still going to be stressed out, but it gets the courses out of the way IF they transfer over.)
2. While in high school, prepare yourself for college.
Create a study calendar to manage your time better. On my study calendar, I include a week’s worth of assignments, notes, and due dates. I tried a traditional planner, and I have one, but planners do not work for me because I like to see everything on one page. It keeps me sane checking off assignments, and I do not feel stressed about my workload with the calendar. Also, create good study habits now instead of right before your first major college test. (I learned that one the hard way.)
I am not going to lie on this post and say that I have a good sleep schedule. I do not go to bed at the same time every night, nor do I wake up at the same time. But I do wake up early enough to have the time to do an assignment or two if I choose to do so. As college and high school students, none of us probably have a good sleep schedule. But it is essential to sleep and refresh your brain.
Enjoy and check on your friends. During this pandemic, we are limited in what we can do. Our “normal” of hanging out with friends, no masks, and traveling is not something we can do without taking precautions. So I FaceTime with my friends and text them to keep in touch. Mental health is important, so DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH!!!!!
3. Do not allow others to stop you from doing what you want to do career-wise.
Now is the time that you cannot do everything that your friend(s) are doing. You must do things for yourself to start your career. Make sure you are happy with the career you choose to go into, and if you are not, don’t do it. But make sure that you find something that you can do in the meantime until you find what makes you truly happy.
4. Lastly, going to a community college is OKAY!
Let me say that again for the people in the back. GOING TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS OKAY! After early college, I plan to enroll at a community college to become a registered nurse. Yes, that means becoming a registered nurse in two years. It is faster and less expensive to go to the community college. Of course, we will all get TONS of scholarships (manifestation is crucial!) But weigh your options with what you want to do always. It makes more sense for me to go to a community college rather than a four-year university for nursing. Of course, not all of this will apply to everyone, and I do not expect it to. I just hope that this post helps at least one person on their journey.
- By Kristina Parker
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