A Brief Overview of College for the College Bound

A Brief Overview of College for the College Bound
Caitlin Havener

Core II: Commentary


Prof. Mohrenne

ENC 1101

Rhetorical Context:

Subject: I am writing about how college bound students are unclear about college within the realm of the financial aspect, the freedom aspect, and the extracurricular aspect.

Purpose: I am writing this to give students interested in college, a good overview of what college is like and how it differs from high school.

Audience: My readers are high school students who are interested in going to college, particularly high school seniors.
















A Brief Overview of College for the College Bound

When I was a high school student, I was very excited to be going to college in the future. My only obstacle was that I had no one close to me to confide in about my college bound adventure. I am the first to attend college in my family. My parents do not know anything about college besides what they have learned from me. I am a sophomore at UCF (University of Central Florida) and there is so much to learn about college. I would have been more prepared if my high school had helped me. The problem is that there are many high schools that do not make college an easy task for graduating students. Yet I will only cover that in which I find the most important for the college bound student to explore before diving head first into the new world of college. Since no one in high school told you, I will be informing you of the following: the financial aspect of college, such as tuition, fees, books, living, and financial aid; the freedom aspect of college, such as how to deal with all the freedom of choice you will be taking on all at once and choices you will have to make; and lastly, the extracurricular aspect of college, such as activities you can get involved in outside of school work and job prospects.
You have been informed that college tuition is pretty expensive. UCF’s tuition alone is just under two grand a semester and I spend about four to five hundred dollars on books and supplies each semester as well. What you haven't been told is that there are many other expenses you will have while you are in college. Those are the absolute necessities of college, but the personal expenses can add up quite a bit as well. First you must ask yourself where you are going to live. If you can stand your family, staying at home is a good idea because you can save yourself some money. If you really want to experience college though, I would suggest living on campus somewhere. Be wary of off campus housing because the apartments around big college campuses have high crime rates. I bet your high school did not tell you that either. I made the mistake of leasing an apartment for a year with student loans. That is going to be very expensive to pay for after college and I am going to learn it the hard way. It's great if your parents are going to pay for you to live somewhere, but some of us are not that fortunate. Your high school will not give you advice about where to live during your college years, therefore it is important to seek counsel. Other college expenses include food, transportation, and personal needs. It is a good idea to get a job if your parents are not sending a check, but do not work too many hours or your grades will suffer. Grades are top priority. Looking for grants, loans, and scholarships are important as well. I have the Bright Futures Scholarship, which awards me 75% of my tuition. You can find many scholarships on FastWeb and definitely search on your intended school’s website. It is ignorant to not look for scholarships, and it is preposterous that high school staff has not shown you the way. There is a myriad of financial aid available, and they are rewarded for any reason you can imagine.
First and foremost the biggest difference between high school and college is the amount of freedom and responsibility you must take on, as well as the choices you must make. Before you even enter college, you must make the choice of which school to go to, what classes to take, where you will be making an income, where you will be living, how you will make friends, and all the many particulars about the school you choose to go to. Then as you enter college, you begin to realize that you have so much more freedom than you think. A couple among the many freedoms is that you can usually get alcohol and other substances quite easily and you can choose to go to class or not. Freedom feels awesome, but along with it comes a lot of responsibility. Responsibility sucks! No longer can you have your mommy make doctors appointments for you. It is time to face the world. This new world is novel, it is exhilarating, it is wonderful, but at the same time it can be annoying, strenuous, and challenging. Start preparing now to face the freedom that you will soon have on your own, because high school is not helping you. Do as much research as you can about college and start thinking about where you will be living. With all the choices you must prepare to make, high schools should really make a class dedicated to making you ready. Since there isn't such a class, this challege is one you must take on your own and with sought counsel.
There are so many clubs in college that it is rare that you will not be able to find one that interests you. There are activities ranging from Aerobics classes to Zoology club, but if you do not find one that suits you, you can start one! In high school, there are a limited amount of clubs and sports; therefore, you aren't used to participating in school extracurriculars unless you liked playing Lacrosse. Recently I have found that there are fifteen different religious clubs, but no club for the atheist; therefore, I intend to start one next year at UCF. It is difficult to start your own club in high school, especially if it is “Frisbee Club.” Another important extracurricular is having a job. It is recommended that you find a job or internship related to the job field you intend to pursue. Any experience you have after college in your field enhances your chance of getting a job by a tenfold. Unfortunetely, your high school did not give you any classes related to what you wanted your chosen career to be, or a class to help you make that decision. Extracurricular activities are also important because you can start to form a social network. Having a social network makes your college experience much more rewarding. You will also need friends because you are entering a new world, and it is hard to survive all alone. Your lucky if any of your high school buddies are in any of your college classes. College is also a time of finding your authentic identity and having friends will help you along the way, either with negative or positive reinforcement. The best way to form a social network is to participate in extracurricular activities.
As you can see, you have a lot to ponder between now and the first semester of your freshman. There are many financial aspects that you alone will be responsible for; there are many choices, responsibilities, and freedoms you will gain; and finally, there will be extracurricular activities that you are highly suggested to participated in. Since high school does not help you make these choices, start your homework early and you won't fall behind.