College. That word alone can be scary and overwhelming. It was for me at least, but I knew I had to do something with my life. I knew that I wasn't going to be handed anything and if I wanted to make something of myself, I had to get to work. I knew I had one of two options: 1. I could continue to do what I'm doing, which is nothing to further my life to be able to provide a stable life or 2. I could attend college. I think it's pretty obvious what I should choose and what I did choose. I settled on attending college online. I'm a single mom of twins so I knew it was going to be hard work. However, if I can do it then you can too. I have so much faith in you.
You must be disciplined because there are many things that are going to tempt you. I am an older, returning student, but if you're freshly out of high school and on your own for the first time, it can be scary. There can be this sense of freedom that you didn't have before. However, that freedom can backfire on you. Your professors aren't going to constantly remind you like your teachers in high school would about your assignments, quizzes, etc. It is up to you to be organized and get these things done. The good thing is there are many tools that can help you along the way. I definitely suggest getting a planner. A planner that is broken down by the week and month will help you tremendously. Whenever you get your tentative schedules from your professors, go ahead and put everything into your planner on the days that it's due. You can cross them off or highlight it whenever you're finished. That way you are able to stay on top of upcoming assignments, quizzes or whatever it might be.
Another thing that helped me was creating a schedule. I broke each class down to the bones and pieced out what was expected of me (for example, discussion boards, replies to discussion boards, quizzes, and assignments). I then assigned each item to specific days Monday-Friday. I look at school as my job. The weekends are my time with my children. I enjoy the weekends far more now. Seeing the classes broke down that way also made it less overwhelming and more organized. I didn't feel like I was doing classwork all the time. Having time to yourself and time dedicated to class is very important.
You have now made the first step to having a better life. I am so proud of you and just being here shows that you want to be successful. Don't be afraid to reach out to someone if you need help, whether it be an advisor, professor, family member, it doesn't matter. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness. Now go kick some butt!
