College? I don't know the first thing about college and I have a low GPA. That's all I know. Help?

I don't know the first thing about college, psat, sat, gpa scales, transcripts, etc, etc. I'm like a first grader when it comes to college. I know it's there and to go to college to further education. That's it. Can someone expand the information and help me with info on my journey to college?

College? I don't know the first thing about college and I have a low GPA. That's all I know. Help?
Since I don't know if you are a 12-year old or a high school senior, please excuse me if I say things which are not possible for you. First of all, know that you are not alone. Many people are first-generation college students, and even if their parents did go to college, things have changed so dramatically over the last twenty years or so that the knowledge they have may not be terribly useful today.





So, first of all, a major reason to go to college is that studies have shown that college graduates earn an average of $1 million more than do non-graduates over their lifetimes. The world is complicated, and many jobs which used to be pretty simple are now far more complex. The easy jobs are going overseas. So the world of the future in the U.S. doesn't offer many opportunities to those who have not had an education that goes beyond high school.





First of all, there are several types of institutions which are all referred to by people as "college". On the not-for-profit side, which is usually far preferable, there are community colleges, four-year colleges, and universities. Community colleges are usually inexpensive, and they offer a combination of vocational programs like auto repair and cosmetology and academic programs (which are really preparation to transfer to a four-year college or university). People tend to go to a community college in their home community, and the faculty are primarily responsible for teaching - they are generally not expected to do research in their fields. One of the major advantages of community colleges, beside the price, is that they will take anyone who has graduated from high school, so if your GPA is low at the time when you are applying to college, this may be your best bet, because you get a second chance with a community college. You also do not need to prove yourself with an SAT or ACT score. If you do well, you can transfer to another school for the last two years of an undergraduate degree, and those schools will no longer consider how you did in high school or require you to take an entrance test. At the end of an academic program at a community college, you get an associates degree (AA or AS).





Four year colleges are usually somewhat smaller institutions which focus on undergraduate (bachelor's degree, or your first four years of college) programs. Their faculty usually focus more on teaching than on research, and they don't offer graduate programs or they may offer a limited number of master's degree programs, but not doctorates. Most are private, which means they can be expensive, but there are a few public schools. If you want to go to one of these after high school, your grades and SAT or ACT scores will be considered, along with your extracurricular activities. At the end of four years, you get a bachelor's degree (BA, BS,BBA, etc.).





Universities generally offer both bachelor's degrees and graduate degrees, and the faculty are more likely to be involved in research. That makes them preferable for those who want to go into the physical sciences or other areas in which they might need to do research. They range in size from small to huge, and exist as both public and private schools. There is a huge range of costs from one to the other. In many cases, with both four-year colleges and universities, a lot of students live on campus, although some public universities are known to be "commuter schools".





If you are early in the process, to have the most options, you want to take a rigorous schedule, improve your GPA, take the SAT or ACT, and get involved in some extracurricular activities, including community service. If this isn't possible, you may do best to start out at a community college, get good advising, and after two successful years transfer to another place.





I forgot to warn you against some of the more aggressive, for-profit online colleges or vocational schools which advertise heavily on TV and on buses. These tend to be expensive, and while they will offer you financial aid, you end up with big loans to pay off and a low-paid job at the end of it.
Reply:I'm going to presume you're in the USA.





Go find the nearest public community college. Call the campus and ask to speak to the people in student services who do career development. Make an appointment with them to do career counseling. They'll help you figure out what your goal is, and then you'll know what your major course of study should be.





Then enroll in that community college. They love students like you--underprepared and wanting the good life but not quite knowing the way to it. You'll have lots of resources for assistance and guidance--USE THEM! Work closely with your academic advisor, and keep in contact with the career development office.





I wish I could give you more complete information here, but obviously I can't get to know you at all well in this forum. The community college should be able to give you the degree of individual attention and knowledgeable service that you deserve. Good luck!
Reply:I wonder what year school you are. It is never to late to bring up your GPA. Begin by going to your teacher(s) and telling them you are serious about wanting to improve your grades and what can you do to do that. Your high school should provide you with the test info or go to the library and get some books on the sat and about colleges. It helps if you know your interests but even if you dont, a general education is great to have. It is your future so just look up as much as you can here on the internet, at the library and ask for help from parents and teachers. Good for you!
Reply:It's higher education that will afford you the opportunity to broaden your skills and potentially "open doors" in a career field of interest.





I humbly suggest that you don't just blindly go to college. It's not for everyone and you MIGHT find that you don't need it (I'll get a lot of thumbs down for that comment alone).





I simply mean you need to think deep and hard about what you really want to do in life. It's tough to pick a lifelong chance at this age... but that's what society tends to expect for some reason. I'm in my mid-30's and still don't know what I REALLY want to do.





But for example, if you like "doing hair" or something, and would like to own your own beauty salon one day... you don't need to go to college. You would need to go to a beauty school or something. Even then, a business degree wouldn't hurt!





Bottom line: Having a college education can help further your career and contribute to your fulfillment in life. Just do some soul searching and find out WHERE you want this journey to take you. Don't just hop into it.





Good luck!
Reply:Hmms. I know how you feel. A few years ago, I didn't even know college existed. Seriously. But college is a place where you can get higher education in specialized fields. HS is more general education. Everybody knows it. But you are considered a more valuable individual if you have a college degree. Because you have special knowledge that many people do not have.





The PSAT and SAT are important because they show how ready you are for college. Almost all colleges take your PSAT and SAT scores into consideration when you apply to college. The PSAT is the practice SAT test. That is usually taken in your sophomore year in HS. The SAT is the ACTUAL test that colleges consider when you send your application to them. The PSAT is about 2 hours and the SAT is 4 hours. Try going to the sites I listed below to get more info.





I hope this helps.
Reply:well, to get in to college, you need an SAT score or a PSAT score. Of course, the higher the better. Also, the higher the GPA in high school the better. Transcripts are what you order from your high school and have them sent to the colleges you are applying to. If you have official transcripts sent to you, you CAN NOT open them if you are sending them to the college you are applying to.





So to go to college, you need to fill out their application, send the application fee in...send them your SAT/PSAT scores and then your official high school transcript. Each University has their own application requirements. Most of them now a days have that stuff posted on their website. Just go to the college website of your choice and make sure you are giving them everything they want (for example...some want essays).
Reply:Well go to Tech school to get your associats first, its cheaper, then youll want to transfer to a 4year school to get your 4 year degree, if you want to go that far.





So call your local tech college and set up an apoitment with the division of art and science and talk to them about your options and plans, they will point you in the right direction, youll probably need to apply for federal financial aid and get some student loans coming in.





The most important step you can take is to get the ball rolling and talk to a councler. They will get you moving and help yuou out.