Back to School- Things I wish I Knew
20 years ago, I was a high school Junior in 2003 (sheesh!). I thought I was going into the US Air Force. I thought the same my senior year. Although I said I wanted to be a lawyer since I was a kindergarten student. I decided against the Air Force–without a backup plan during my senior year. I only knew a few History Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's). Those were Winston-Salem State (WSSU), Fayetteville State (FSU), Elizabeth City State University (ECSU), North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University (NC A&T), and North Carolina Central University (NCCU). I learned about those from a couple of high school alumni who returned to inform current students about the colleges they attended and what it was like. I also heard about different schools from my church members. I had two older cousins who left for universities. One went to Fayetteville State (FSU), and the other went to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (UNC). Those few people and A Different World were about as close as I got to college information.
I was aiming for NCCU because that school stood out among the descriptions. I later heard that NCCU had a great (and great was an understatement) Law program that could be better accessible to undergraduate students. I took that SAT on a whim--there was not much studying or preparation. I received waivers for college application fees per the advice of a high school teacher. I applied to two colleges: NCCU and FSU. I was accepted into FSU first. That was cool- my first college acceptance; but my heart was on NCCU. In April 2004, a month before my high school graduation, I received my acceptance letter from NCCU. In my mind, IT WAS ON! My mom told me something that didn’t make a lot of sense at the moment: “Wait a minute, Marisha. We have to look at some costs!” That was a reality check for me because I had never considered how I would pay for college. It never crossed my mind.
We had to buy sheets, a laundry hamper, a comforter, toiletries, and lots of stuff I had never thought I would need. August 2004 came. My heart was beating out of my chest. I had never been that far away from my parents before. My first cousin was my roommate, which was a big help but college was a new world. We joined the other students for orientation. Freshmen were taken to the cafeteria and headed to the financial aid building where we were introduced to applying for student loans. I didn’t know what the heck I was doing. I just filled out the forms. That felt like the culture for students on the yard.
Fast forward and refund checks were dispersed. I didn’t receive one each time. Now, I’m thankful for that. However, refund check dispersal seemed to be a bit of a celebratory time on the yard. I was clueless about financial literacy. Fast forward further, and I graduated with undergraduate and graduate degrees with undergraduate and graduate school debt. Here’s where it’s interesting: I took an aptitude test in high school that indicated my career should be in writing. That was so inaccurate back then, but now you’re reading my blog. Nevertheless, I earned two degrees from NCCU, one in Criminal Justice and a Master of Social Work. I was finding my way. I decided that I could help adolescents in the juvenile justice system via Social Work since I decided against defending them in court.
This is a simplified version of my journey that’s still unwinding. But thankfully, it hasn’t taken me to get to the end of the road before I learned a thing or two. Here are my biggest takeaways:
The sooner a person identifies and explores their skills and passions, the easier it is to determine where they may thrive.
College education is not for everyone. There are other considerable ventures that should be considered without shaming.
Scholarships are far more valuable than how they may be marketed to some populations.
Internships are a great way to determine if a career field is for you before you are fully vested.
Although my parents never had problems with me and school, I've learned a lot about parent-school relationships as a a mental health clinician. Parents should know their kids’ grades, teachers, school activities, and resources available to best suit and support their children and success.
Gen Z’s appear to be more self-aware than older generations. Their insight in conjunction with newer eras of child-rearing and the power of the internet have made a much better road ahead for them. They have created options for themselves that were not necessarily available during the eras of house phones and internet dial-up. However, their wealth of knowledge is pointless without wisdom. I’ve shared my gems. Share yours.