Many Waterford High School students have been preparing for college. Seniors and juniors have been looking or even committing to a college.
Colton Murch, a junior at Waterford High School, has not been looking forward to starting the college process. He says, “I’m kind of dreading it; it is a big part of my future and is a big deal for me. One wrong move and I can end up on a whole different path.” Not only is it stressful finding a college that supports your major, you also have to find a good college for sports if you want to continue playing.
In Colton’s case, he wants to continue tennis at a higher level in college. He states, “I am going to go wherever I get the best offer and it depends how good their tennis program is.”
Samantha Catala, a senior, has been looking for colleges. She started the process at the end of her junior year: “I wanted to get an idea of what the colleges were offering. Stonhill and Quinnipiac have piqued my interest so far.”
Catala says, ”It’s definitely stressful; there is a lot less guidance because everyone is at different spots.” She adds, “I’m nervous but excited, because you’re starting off fresh, but you don’t know where you’re gonna end up.”
Many people take a long time to decide and look for colleges, but Brielle Kenney, a senior, has already committed and knows what she wants to do. She plans on going to UMass Dartmouth to play softball in D2 or D3, and major in biology. Although she is nervous about graduating and going to college, she is also excited. She stated, “Knowing I am away from home and having to do things without having someone like my mom is scary, however being independent, going into the future I want, and meeting new people is really exciting.” For Brielle she started this process as a freshman. She received multiple emails from coaches about softball and it was really hard to decide which one she wanted.
There are many resources to help find the right college. The college and career center is a great place to go if you’re struggling finding what you want to do. Mrs. Sweeney, the college and career center coordinator, has been running this for two years now. She has a Google Classroom that gives out information regarding college visits, resumes, and more.
Being a part of the college and career center is different than actually preparing for college though, as Mrs. Sweeney states, “I love being able to give, mainly juniors and seniors, but really all students who are interested, resources for post graduation plans.”
While the college career center focuses on upperclassmen, it has resources for all students.
If a freshman wants help for a job interview or filling out an application, this center is the place to go for that. Many students use this center as a resource to help them, Sweeney says, “Out of the 400 students in both the junior and senior class, I see about 20 students who I am working with a little more closely.” Everybody is welcome and it is a nice resource to use if you’re struggling.
Overall getting ready for college can be stressful and overwhelming, but there are resources and advice available.
