Submitted by Alexis Butterfield, VP of Public Relations
Where are all my seniors at? Is preparing for your college journey stressing you out? Whether it be writing essays for scholarships, figuring out the application process, or submitting your housing deposit, the process can be confusing and stressful. Here are some tips to take to make sure your path to college goes without a hitch!
Submit your application to any college you are considering. Even if you do not think you might attend a certain college, but it is on your radar, submit an application. You never know what scholarships you could receive that may change your mind. When completing this process make sure you are familiar with the deadlines!
Research scholarships both college specific and general/local ones. Everyone knows that college is anything but cheap, so filling out scholarships is huge! When familiarizing yourself with scholarships offered by the college of your choice, you will often find major specific ones. As for local scholarships, write clear, grammatically correct, and intriguing essays. Don’t forget to apply for Nebraska FCCLA and National FCCLA scholarships! (TIP – have multiple people proofread them.)
Submit your housing deposit. Submitting this takes a little bit of time, but it secures you a spot in a dorm room at the college of your choice! This process was the most exciting for me personally because it felt like I was officially going to college in the fall. (TIP – make sure you are totally set on the college before you submit this, because some do not give full refunds.)
Cannot decide on a major? Sometimes this is very difficult especially if you have multiple interests. I had this problem my entire junior year of high school and it made the college searching process a lot more difficult. I took multiple personality/ interests quizzes to see what they recommended for me. I then took these suggestions and completed job shadows. This really helped me, and it can lead to major specific scholarships as well!
It is never too late to be thinking about college and what you want for your career. The Career aspect of FCCLA can help you with this process such as STAR Events like Career Investigation and Entrepreneurship along with the Career Connection National Program. This process may seem overwhelming at times, but it is building the path toward your lifelong career.