High School Graduate Survey (Closed)
Thanks for your interest in our survey of high school graduates. We aren’t currently collecting data for the survey, but we may start again in the future. Check back later if you want to contribute.
While you’re here, why don’t you take a look at our lovely blog?
Latest Quotes
Difficult roommate stole snacks, snored, and more!
“Living with roommates was tough for me. I didn’t have a lot of money, so I was careful about the things that I bought, and what I bought I wanted to have for myself. My roommate would on occasion borrow my sodas or snacks without asking, and that for me was something you just didn’t do. You ask, at least, before you take someone else’s stuff. I know that seems small and inconsequential, but it used to really upset me. He snored, too.”
— in Dorm Life
Supportive teachers helped through hard times
“My home life during high school was difficult because my parents got divorced right before my freshman year. After only knowing life with my family together, I all of a sudden felt on my own and like I needed to take care of myself, in addition to getting an education, playing sports, and doing everything else I wanted to do. I latched on to some teachers, authority figures who I could trust and model myself after.”
Don’t waste time worrying what others think of you
“I sometimes found myself worrying too much about what other people thought of me, and it really wasn’t helpful. The more I worried about my social life, the worse my grades were. You shouldn’t care about how people view you in high school because in four years you’ll be out of the school and probably even out of the town your school was in. That social stuff really won’t matter anymore.”
— in Don’t waste time caring about what other people think of you
Internships provided on-the-job experience
“I’ve been lucky to have a few internships where I got to do actual reporting. In graduate school I did an internship with the Syracuse Post Standard, and once I got to write the day’s front-page story. That was something unexpected, and it was very gratifying. It showed me that I was doing stories that people actually cared about, which doesn’t happen a lot in internships. Internships are great because they give you a taste of what you’ll be doing when you get out into the field, and I feel like that’s the best preparation you can get.”
Think ahead to prepare for your future in the workforce
“Kids need to be looking ahead more than they are; they need to be out visiting offices and getting a sense of what work is like and what it means to have a job and been a good employee. Employers I’ve spoken with talked a lot about ‘soft skill’ issues: showing up on time, dressing in a professional manner, behaving professionally, doing what you’re supposed to do when you’re supposed to do it, working collaboratively with teams, etc. Those ‘soft skills’ apply across all of the working world, and kids don’t have them.”
Take your classes seriously
“Go to class. I know so many people who are like, “Yeah, whatever, I’m just not going to class today.” And they either just squeak by barely or they fail. It’s a big waste of money. But if you go to your hour-long class and you take in the information, you’re going to do well. If you put the time in, it’s going to be worth it in the end. I’ve learned that.”
It’s smart to have a back-up plan when choosing a college
“Often times when you’re in high school, you’re so done with the town you’re from and the people you’ve grown up with you feel like you need to move to California to rid yourself of all that and kind of grow up. I looked at schools that were mostly about 1,000 miles away. I got into a bunch of schools in Florida and one in Vermont. UNH was my closest and I was like, ‘No, I’ll never choose that.’ Then the day I was supposed to decide and send in my deposit crept up very quickly, and I kind of had a mini freak-out.”
Taking a gap year a good option
“I think taking a gap year before going to university is a really good idea. Of my friends who have done that, a few never went back to college, but most of them did. The people who absolutely have no idea what they want to do and aren’t very hard workers, those are the ones who drop off the face of the earth. If you’re set on going to university but you’re not sure what you want to do, take a year off.”
Don’t be afraid to change your mind
“Don’t be afraid to change your mind. A month and a half before I was supposed to leave for college, I didn’t want to tell anybody that I didn’t want to go. I was afraid to tell my family and my friends. I didn’t want to be a letdown, but you have to remember that what you are doing is not for other people; it’s for yourself. You definitely want to be who you are. Don’t be afraid to change your mind. Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion because this is your future; it’s not anybody else’s.”
— in Don’t be afraid to change your mind in order to find something that’s right for you
Large student loans can limit your options after college
“I have a friend who did very well, but he had to take out a relatively large private loan. As a result his payments are equivalent to more than a mortgage payment every month. So he’s stuck having to work at a job that he may not prefer to do, whereas he could be buying a house right now. Some of these expenses for education are just tremendous, especially when you have to go into the private loan sector, and I think counterproductive overall to the economy because you could be buying a house or using that money for something else that is more stimulating to the economy instead of paying back the loan company.”
— in Friend with very high student loan payments that seriously restrict his options