^{Photo: Take Stock Monroe students at the University of Central Florida}

At Take Stock in College, we know how hard you have worked to get this far.

Graduating from high school is a major accomplishment, and we are so proud of how far you have made it already!

Now it is time to embark on a new journey, and you have a new goal in your sights: earning your college degree. This is an exciting time! A college education is a wonderful opportunity to grow, make new friends, learn new things, and invest in your future.

As you will no doubt learn, college is very different from high school. High school is much more structured; teachers set up conferences with students that are falling behind, your schedule is set for you, and the school will call home if you miss class. Things are routine in high school…you even met with your Take Stock mentor during your school day. In college, more of the responsibility is on the student. You get to set your own structure. It is up to you to select classes that are interesting to you, to make sure you attend all your class lectures, and to reach out if you need help!

That’s where this blog comes in.

While starting college can be an adjustment for all incoming freshmen, we know that first-generation students often have additional questions on the road to degree attainment. It is not uncommon for me to hear as a College Completion Coach, “my parents never went to college, so I didn’t know who to ask.” That is what we are here for.

Take Stock in College is here to help connect you with the campus and community resources you need, and to use our years of experience working with first-generation students to empower you with the information you need to achieve your goals.

On this blog, we will be covering anything and everything that will help you get your footing in college. You can expect in-depth guides on how to hunt down bargain textbooks, where to go if you don’t own a personal computer, how to pick a major that’s right for you, and much more.

You should also check out the College Term Glossary. This handy tool will index all the terms you tend to hear on a college campus. It covers everything from credit hours to the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), from study abroad to “clepping out,” and definitions to help you understand the difference between a Teaching Assistant and an Adjunct. Sometimes it feels like colleges have their own language, and our glossary will help you be conversant.

Keep an eye on Take Stock Connect, our online networking platform for Take Stock college scholars. To join, visit TakeStockConnect.com. We will be posting updates to the blog there. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Take Stock in College team or your Student Ambassador if you have any questions. Who knows, you might even inspire a new blog post yourself!

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