College Questions!

Basically I've decided to go to college this fall for the first time ever since I graduated highschool in '02. I am still battling extreme social phobia but I think if I just put myself out there will make the scariness go away (I was ok in highschool for example, would always have anxiety attacks when going back after summer vacation but would be fine once I'm there).

I'll be the first and currently only, person in my family to go to college. I was also the first to graduate highschool. =/ They have no idea what to do and, well, neither do I. So I've come to my CC mentors to help me out!

How exactly do I go about signing up for classes for this Fall? CCRI is the college I'm going to be going to. Do I call? What do I ask for? I wanna go on those college tours of the place first, how do I do that?

I know all about the placement test and some other details that are still kinda fuzzy. I basically need to know the FIRST step.

Also, is college (community college) hard or harder than highschool and in what ways? I'm afraid I'll be a failure, but this is a typical worry of mine.

My goal is to be an art teacher around the 3rd-5th grade level. It's been a dream of mine for years, I find it pretty ironic now because I'm terrified of social interactions. =/ But I think I can do it and I know it'll only get easier the more I spend in the situation.

Now my social anxiety is pretty bad, my main fear (other than getting lost...) is having to do group projects/speaking in front of the class. I am not mentally able to do that without having an anxiety attack. Just thinking about it makes the dark cloud of doom feel as if its overhead. =/ Is it possible to avoid it? Or at least do group assignments alone? I know it's weird but I have never ever done well with group assignments my entire schooling.

I'm pretty ashamed that I'm 24 and going to school this late. Are there older people in the classes or will I be around 18-19 year olds? And those of you who went late as me or later than me, how did it feel?

Thanks

Call the school, and tell them you are a new student and want to set up an appointment with an advisor/counselor. They should be able to help you with all of your questions and give you step by step instructions and help you set up a tour. Also check out the website it has lots of info on what you need to do. Right now you should direct most of your questions towards the Admissions office and the Academic Advising office. There are people at your school that are paid to help you figure this out so that you do well your first year.

Whether a class at a community college is harder than a high school class really depends on the subject and the teacher. But generally, I don't think they are much harder. And there will be a lot of older folks with you, especially if you take evening classes. My roommate is 27 and she's just decided to go back to school at the local CC.

You can't avoid public speaking/group projects entirely, it's just something you're going to have to work through. If it starts causing major problems talk to your teacher about it and see what other resources your school has to help you through it. A lot of schools offer free counseling services for students.

Good luck!

First step is to fill out your FAFSA.  Get an electronic PIN (trust me, it's worth the wait).  Then go and take your placement tests (should have that info online) and sign up.  Then talk to the Financial Aid department and see what other aid you qualify for (or loans).  Most CCs have online classes too.  The first time around someone will help you.  After that you're on your own.

College is harder than high school because you have more freedom.  Ex. you don't go to juevy for skipping classes.  The work isn't that hard provided you can write.  There is a lot of writing.  I had to write papers for algebra classes even.

You'll eventually have to take a Public Speaking course (probably more classes like that if you're going into education) but skip it the first semester till you get your feet wet.  We didn't have many group assignments, only in science courses and Art History classes.  Your school may be different.

There were people in their 50s going to my University.  Don't feel ashamed for getting an education.

YAY! I'm glad you're finally gonna do it :D Congrats! I hope everything goes well :]

First and foremost you must apply to get in!

http://www.ccri.edu/OES/admissions/ApplyOnlin e.shtml

Definitely make an appointment with an advisor or counselor, they will tell you everything you need to do, help you pick classes for your chosen careeer, etc. They'll know of financial aid stuff like FAFSA and they'll know of any counseling the school can provide, and any tours or oreintations. Also, once you apply/get accepted you'll probably start getting stuff in the mail from the college, and you'd probably get a flier for orientation.

Thank you guys so much!

I'm filling out the FAFSA and the application as we speak and I've got a question!

On the application for the college they ask me for my planned course of study... I don't know what to put (it's a drop down menu). I want to be an art teacher, but I'd like other options too, like if being a teacher doesn't work out etc. Do I choose arts or education?

You aren't really committing to anything :] I think they just want an idea of what you're looking to do. So I guess just put whichever you find more interesting! Even when you tell the school you want to go for a certain degree, you can still take classes that don't apply, or change your mind later.

Yay thanks! I applied! :D

So nervous :O

Good for you, there really isn't a point, in my opinion, that it's too late to go to school.  If you want to learn, and you have the opportunity, do it; at least you'll know you tried something.

As far as how to get things started, there's normally a student services area.  You should be able to find an advisor there who can help you figure out financial aid, placement testing, and the class sequence you should be taking. 

I would also suggest, if you haven't taken them yet and the CCRI requires them, that you do some studying for the placement tests before you take them.  My brother just took the placement tests and ended up in a lower math level than I know he should be in because he insisted on taking the test cold.  In other words, don't cripple yourself because you're so nervous to get it overwith.

Difficultly level, as other people have said, really depends on the class you're taking and the school you're taking it at.  I didn't think that my CC classes were much, if at all, harder than my High School classes, but I also had a habit of taking the hardest classes I could in high school.  In general, you should always try to progress toward getting your degree, but be mindful of what you can handle.  Just because you can take, say, physics, calculus and essay writing in one quarter, doesn't mean you should.  Don't overwhelm yourself.

If your planning on being a teacher, keep in mind that that most likely means transfering to a 4 year university at some point.  You need to find an advisor and make sure that the program you're following will transfer to the university level.  Also if your state has transfer agreements, make sure that the university you're planning on going to honors them.  For example, the UW used to take transfer agreements, meaning that if you got a transfer degree from one of the local CCs and your grade point was good enough, you got in.  They don't really do that anymore as the transfer students now compete against each other and only the best of them get in.  That's not the case with all of the 4 year schools around here however.  Just make sure you have a good idea about where you want to go when you start.

If you do intend to transfer, start looking at what the university you want to go to wants for it's degree program.  Depending on how well you do with things like math, science, and english, you might want to spend longer at the CC level taking those courses rather than taking them at the university level.  For me at least lecture hall type classes, teach me nothing, and I can't imagine trying to learn something I wasn't solid in one.

If you have problems in your classes, don't wait to get help.  Ask the teacher, find the tutoring center, do something, but don't let it get ahead of you. 

As to the group assignment thing, I doubt you can work on them alone.  At least out here, the schools have this schoolwide learning thing, and one of those is working in groups.  It's what's expected in the workplace, so that's what they do.  How often you need to work in groups, however, is going to depend on the class you're taking.  If you're really concerned about this, talk to the teacher.

The other thing you might want to look into is the students with disabilities services.  If your anxiety is this bad, they might be able to set things up to make it easier for you.

Age really isn't an issue in colleges; CC colleges inparticular are full of people getting retrained or broadening themselves.  Besides, even if you were in a class full of 18 year olds, it's unlikely that they'd even know that you're 24, unless you tell them.  I'm 33, and I have one year left.  I'm the oldest one in my class, my college is very small, but there are also 30, 27, and 26 year olds in the class.  The point is nobody cares. 

Wow, thanks for all the info!

I was going to go out and buy a GED study book or SAT review book to refresh my memory as well. I took a look at their placement test example questions, I did just fine on the sentence structure and reading ones... but I had so much trouble on the math! It's been so long since I had to do long division and multiply/add fractions and do percents, I was so embarassed. So I'm gonna study the math pretty hard cause I used be just fine at that stuff... that part of my brain is so rusty.

How long can I stay at a CC college? I thought it was 2 years max?

Naw, you can stay there as long as you like.  For most people it takes 2 years as a full time student to get an associates (half a BA).  Some it takes longer, some it takes less.  There is no maximum time you're allowed there though.

Don't stress yourself with the math stuff.  They have "refresher" courses.  Those will help you ease into the harder math classes.  No shame in taking things slow.

Often times, colleges will offer some health services for free or pretty cheap. Look into that for working on your social anxiety, because you probably won't be able to avoid all group projects. 

Of course, like you said, the more you expose yourself to social situations, the less anxious you'll be. 

Good luck! College is a great experience!

I went to a community college for a year and then transferred to a four-year university, and I just wanted to emphasize vultar's point about making sure the courses will transfer. Here in Illinois there is a special certification that the state grants to certain classes, and almost every university in the state has signed an agreement to accept classes with that certification. There was information in the course schedule about it, and classes were marked if they had it. (Edit: Found transfer info on the CCRI website.)

Speaking from experience about going through college with emotional issues (depression for me, but I think it still applies), the single best piece of advice I can give you is to not to overload yourself. Start slow, especially since you're so anxious about it; the last thing you want is to overload, struggle, and give up because you think you can't handle it. It's better to get the most out of two or three classes and walk away with A's and B's than struggle through six and come out the other end with D's and your blood pressure through the roof.

And as far as the age issue goes, it's really not one. I went to community college and half of my classmates were over 30. Even at the 4-year institution I'm attending now, the majority of my classmates are between 18 and 26 but there are frequently students between 30 and 50. I have never seen or heard anyone even make a comment about it, much less a big deal - it's absolutely normal, trust me.

Above all, remember that you're doing this to make your life better. It's rather like losing weight, in that in order to achieve your true goals of self-improvement and greater happiness you need to approach it sensibly. Getting to your goal weight is meaningless if you're malnourished and exhausted, and getting your degree is meaningless if you're a burned out nervous wreck. Take it as slow as you need to, remember to take care of yourself along the way, and you'll be fine.

I started at CC right after I turned 16, and there was this really old dude in my photography class. Had to be in his 70's. Little asian guy. He was such a badass, he did some of the coolest projects!

But I know how you feel, I'm only 21 and I feel weird walking around my CC campus. I felt like I fit in more when I was 16 than I do now lol.

Good for you!  I think it is great you are taking a step to go after your dream job.  A community college sometimes has tutoring services to help students with difficult classes.  And maybe you could volunteer at a school classroom once a week?  It would be great experience and the teacher would probably love to have an art experienced person.  Thinking good thoughts for you!!

bunny, i don't know enough about the american system to offer much advice, but wanted to say congratulations, and i'm proud of you!

Thank you guys :D

I finished filling out the FAFSA too!

I'm so nervous!

I bought some cheapy SAT and GED books, the GED book looks more promising. The practice tests are similar to the practice test of the placement test on the site.

Seldonlives, I think I'm going to follow your advice and take few classes at first and go about seeking help because I've been trying to get help for about 6 years now. ><

Thanks :D

I would check to see if community college even offers health services. I know it's common at 4 year uni's (my uni even had psych services offered by some of the psych profs who were certified and used to work in the field before moving to teaching).

I am 19 and finishing my freshmen year at a university.

I have had older people in my freshman classes. But when they reveal themselves, I am always caught by surprise because I just don't even notice that they are older. No one makes a big deal about it though. I admire anyone who is willing to pursue a college career.

Some advice. Don't take too many classes at once. My parents convinced me to take 5 classes my first semester. I was overwhelmed, failed one, and felt terrible. Also, if you are still unsure about the personal interaction, consider online classes. Take one or two in-person lecture classes, and one or two online. That way at the beginning of your day, if you are feeling unsure about going to campus, you can tell yourself, "I can make it through a couple hours and drive right home," rather than knowing you have to spend an entire day there.

Wish you the best of luck!

I'm so glad you guys mentioned the too many classes thing because I was so going to go charging in there and take as much as I can. I don't know how long classes typically are or if they give alot of work but is 3-4 alot? Should I do 2-3 instead? I don't know what I'm doing... =/

Alibsam, thanks for that! I checked and they do offer services for depression, anxiety, sexual abuse, drug abuse etc. :o

Another question (sorry): How will I know if I'm accepted or not? Is there a way for me to check or will they call me/email me/mail me? I'm nervous! Also, I am so freaked out about getting lost on my first "day", what can I do to avoid that? I know if I panic I may bring out an attack that I really don't need to have in public. >.< I kinda wish I had someone to "hold my hand" just for the first few classes =/.

re: acceptance - it's pretty usual these days to get a letter by email and a hard copy in the mail.  you're unlikely to get a phone call unless you're applying to a very small program.

they should have orientation the week before or the first week of classes, including tours, intro to library services (including on-line research via your library account, which gives you access to all kinds of peer-reviewed journals). 

check out student services; they should have a range of programs you can take advantage of.  one of the advantages of being a little older is that you're more likely to do all that stuff, rather than deciding to wing it ;)

but how big is the campus?  i went to two orientations (one for my program and one for new grad students), but skipped the tour, because there's only six or seven buildings on my campus (compared to the school where i did my undergrad, which has 40,000 students and covers about 60 acres...well, i figured i could find my way around ).

they will send you a letter or email telling you of your acceptance

before the 1st day of classes; i always went the day ahead of time to locate all my classes.....or u could aarive 20 minutes early to make sure u don't get lost

also i would only take 2 to three classes ur first semester, have u thought about online classes?