Five North Scott Graduates Give Their Advice for College

Knowing your next steps after high school can be stressful and not very fun. It’s scary going from a place you have lived in for so long to a place that might be an hour away or even ten hours away from home. Either way, leaving high school and creating a different life outside of what you know is terrifying. However, it might not be as scary as you think. Keep reading to find out what advice North Scott graduates wish they could’ve given their past selves as they were preparing for college and their future. 

Leaving high school and creating a different life outside of what you know is terrifying. However, it might not be as scary as you think.

Ashley Fluegel graduated with the class of 2022 at North Scott and is now attending the University of Iowa, majoring in finance. When asked why she chose the University of Iowa, she responded, “because it was far enough away from home, but also close. I grew up as a Hawkeye, which motivated me to go because I already liked the school. Iowa is also a big school with great programs.” When asked to give some life advice for future graduates, she expressed, “Come in with an open mind; it is not what you expect. Say yes to everything, it will bring you so many opportunities.” A tip Ashley has learned in college includes not slacking off and going to class no matter how badly you might want to skip. Grades are important! When asked if there was anything else she wanted to add, she exclaimed, “GO HAWKS!”

Anna Nichols was in the class of 2023 at North Scott and now goes to the University of Iowa, majoring in Business. Anna chose the University of Iowa because she explains, “I have always wanted to go to Iowa, and it felt like home when I went on a visit.” Some life advice she wishes she had told herself sooner would’ve been to try harder in school to achieve all A’s. Tips that she would give someone going into college would be to use your time wisely and work hard in school!

Natalie Naber graduated with the class of 2023 at North Scott and is now attending the University of Northern Iowa, majoring in real estate and finance. Natalie chose to attend UNI because she explains, “The University of Northern Iowa is the only college in Iowa that has a major specifically targeting Real Estate.” The life advice Natalie shared was, “Do not get lazy with your work. I thought that college was going to be very similar to the college classes I took in high school, and I did not think I had to study as much as I actually should. My first semester was honestly very humbling, it's important to study and take advantage of study groups because they help significantly. Simply just going to class is not always going to be enough to obtain the information you need to know for quizzes and exams.” A tip Natalie wanted to pass on: “It is very important to have good communication with your roommate. I have heard some horror stories at UNI about several students who hate their roommate, and I later came to find out it is because they have not talked to their roommate about the things that are bothering them. My roommate and I are very open with each other and have had no issues. You do not have to be best friends with your roommate freshman year to have a great college experience; however, you want to learn how to get along so you are not constantly annoyed with each other.”

Drake Laughlin graduated with the class of 2023 at North Scott and now goes to the University of Iowa, majoring in pre-med. Drake says he chose the University of Iowa for many reasons, but the main reason being because “it has an amazing medical program.” Some advice Drake suggested was, “Take as many college credit courses in high school as possible. Trust me, your future self will thank you.” Drake took many college classes in high school and now has almost a full semester of college done ABSOLUTELY FREE. Drake says some tips he has learned in college were creating better studying habits and time management. Drake expresses, “Professors recommend you study for at least a couple of hours outside of the classroom, which seems like a lot, but it's needed.” Drake also explains how important it is not to procrastinate when it comes to getting your work done, even though that can be a challenging thing not to do. The last thing Drake wanted to add was a couple of pieces of advice:

1. Don't stress too much. I know adulthood seems scary, but there are people more than happy to help you along the way. Teachers, students, and parents all want to help you succeed. Email professors and attend their office hours! They want to help you do well in their courses! Their job is to facilitate your learning, so use those resources!

2. Save your money! I know purchasing the newest White Fox hoodie seems like a good idea right now, but I urge you to save as much money as possible. You never know when you might need it. (There's a reason the phrase "broke college student" is so common lol).

3. Try new things! We're all creatures of habit but take advantage of going to college! Meet new people, see new things, try out for the university musical, go on a walk, visit the local sites, whatever it is, just make sure you get the most out of your college experience. Don't just put your head down and focus on studying and forget to live. While academics are important, don't forget to enjoy yourself where you are.

Katy Jecks Graduated with the class of 2022 and is now attending Grand Canyon University in Arizona, majoring in justice studies. Katy decided on GCU because she said, “I wanted to go to an affordable school out of state! Also, the programs were designed in a way that would allow me to graduate in three years instead of four, which saved me money!” When asked for some life advice she wanted to share, she responded, “Do not follow your friends, you will make new ones!!! Pick a place you will love for four years because college is meant to help you grow.” A tip Katy has learned while being at college is “Using chat GPT helps you get things done fast but doesn’t help you learn anything. Don’t use it because you won’t grow in your desired field, and you will also be wasting your money going to college.” When asked if Katy had anything else she wanted to share, she said, “College is meant for growth in all areas! Find a place that has lots of different things to do and do all of it!”