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Navigating the Real World

NtRW.org

Real people’s stories of life beyond school

Advice: Good ideas (do these!) page 1 of 27

Advice for college freshman: Try new things and develop strong study habits

from Christina Zahn

Trying a sport a smart idea

from Christina Zahn

Explore college options if you have doubts

from Christina Zahn

Build a close relationship with your guidance counselor

from Christina Zahn

Finding a college where you can thrive

from Alexandria Lewis

Advice for middle school students

from Kylie Keene

Seize the opportunities college offers

from Kylie Keene

Take responsibility for your own learning

from Kylie Keene

Don’t let social drama be a distraction

“I think that in high school it’s best to just keep to yourself and not get caught up in other people’s drama, because if you get caught up in that, it will get in the way of your schoolwork. If you’re really involved in someone else’s life and what’s going on with that person, then you have no time to do your homework or study. If focusing on gossip is all you want to do in high school, that’s not going to get you anywhere.”

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Marina Affo in Don’t get caught up in gossip and social drama

Find a focus when you start out at a community college

from Jessica Whittier

Educate yourself about the financial aid process

from Jessica Whittier

Seek scholarships to lessen financial burden of college

from Seek scholarships to lessen financial burden of college

Apply yourself in middle school to set yourself up for merit-based aid

from Jessica Whittier

Middle school students should think ahead to save for college

from Jessica Whittier

With hard work, you can be anything you want to be

from Jessica Whittier

Adult Ed can help you progress to college

from Krystle Smith

Be willing to put in the extra effort in college

from Krystle Smith

Be open to new possibilities in college

“College opens your eyes to new possibilities and new interests. Go to college with the idea that you might not know exactly what you want to do. You don’t have to be stuck with what you said you were going to do when you first got there. For me, I ended up changing my major three or for times even after I decided I wanted to move towards a business degree. Keep your mind open, experience new things, and be prepared to change your plans if that’s what you need to do.”

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Andy Pfeffer in College students: keep an open mind about the future

Come up with a plan in college to pay off your student loans

“While you’re still in school, sit down and really think about what do you want to do when you get out. You’re going to have to do something, and there are plenty of online tools that will help you determine what the salary range is going to be for what you want to do. Then, start to really parse out and compare what you expect to make and what the growth potential is for the field that you’re looking to land in after college. By comparing those figures, you can begin to estimate how much debt you can afford to take on.”

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Shannara Gillman in Think about what you plan to do after school before taking on student loans

Get to know your teachers and ask for help if you need it

from Marina Affo