Monday, Sept. 12 – Students will be given the opportunity to decorate a college related poster. The winner’s poster will be hung in the College Access Adviser’s office for the school year. Tuesday, Sept. 13 – A college application drive will take place in the library from 4-6 PM Wednesday, Sept. 14 – Students and […]

Athletic expertise, academic ability, creativity, and the passion that backs each of these qualities are all things which define a person, molding them into who they are or who they eventually will be. This is especially true for senior Erica Russell, whose athletic passion has turned a life-long dream into a reality on the softball field.

A college acceptance means a lot of things for a student; it marks the time for filling the closet with school colors, buying dorm essentials, setting up a credit card, planning out a course schedule, looking into all the interesting intramural sports and student organizations offered on campus – the list is endless. However, though it can be lost in the midst of excitement, a college acceptance also means an extraordinary monetary commitment.

Summer has always been carefree for me. The sun kisses my skin, sweets become even sweeter, sweat goes unnoticed, and of course spending every day with my friends is the best part. But the summer after my junior year was different. Sure, it was still a break from school, but seeing my expectations in comparison to my realizations was like a slap in the face.

As we approach the second semester, many of us find ourselves struggling to plan out our futures and make life altering decisions. With college looming around the corner, the decision remains, to stay or to go.

The past 12 years of school have led us to this moment: your senior year. The days of naptime are long gone, and soon we wave goodbye to the familiar friday night lights. The next steps will most likely determine the course of our lives, or so we are told. But how are we supposed to jump into the ‘real world’? The possibility of college is daunting enough, but the possibility of leaving home, our hometown, or even the state does not come without fear or apprehension.

For students, the junior and senior years are vital in starting to look at college they would like to attend in the future and applying to such colleges. Studying and working hard is something everyone has to do to get that desired score on their ACT and SAT exam.

The prevailing attitude among students seems to be that the singular goal we should all work for is attending college. The belief is that if you earn a good GPA, participate in extra curricular activities; you get accepted to the college you choose.

On Friday Jan. 27 during all lunches, Blinn representatives will be presenting information to 12th graders on applying to Blinn and applying for scholarships in room 1200.

Gear Up will be hosting a Scholarship and College Workshop for students interested in attending college or a technical school on January 19 from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M. at Jane Long Middle School.

Additionally, Gear Up will be hosting another college preparation session on January 30 at 5:30 P.M. at the Rudder High School Presentation Room. This session will feature Edward Tarleton and address course management advice, college preparation tips, college application process, graduate school options, graduate school essay strategies and graduate school interview guidelines.

Life after high school may be a daunting question for anyone, luckily there is a place for the questions to be answered. The GO Center is a place for students to go to plan for college and career fields that they may be interested in pursuing.

College Night is Wednesday, October 5th from 6pm to 8pm at the Brazos Center.

A representative from Texas A&M will be in the Blue Commons in front of the Go Center this Thursday, September 22, during all lunches.

For Juniors and Seniors planning on attending a college or university after high school, many opportunities are available to learn more about each school and the application process.