Returning to the Freshman Role

With the final year of high school almost halfway over for seniors, students are beginning to choose where they would like to go to college and the major they would like to study. Some students are eagerly waiting to be able to go off to college and begin with a new chapter in their lives, while some students are enjoying each remaining day they have of high school and being with the people they grew up with.

I talked with a couple seniors in order to see what their plans are for after high school. Senior Matt Janke has decided he is going to continue his education by attending North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, Iowa. Matt plans on playing goalie for the Trojans soccer team, as he has already attended practices with the team. “The majority of kids that play there don’t speak English as their first language, so that will be something that I will have to adapt to, but the team looks solid from practice.” Matthew plans on studying to become an engineer during his time at NIACC.

For my second student, I talked to Oliver Thomas about his plans for the next couple of years. Oliver is not completely sure of where he would like to attend school yet, but he is heavily favoring the University of Minnesota in Duluth. “I plan on studying to become a teacher of some kind. I’m not sure what subject yet, but I’d like to be able to teach,”  Thomas said. If Oliver does in fact attend UMD, he believes he will leave his car in New Ulm and go through life on campus without a car. Although that may sound weird, it is very possible at UMD because everything on campus is connected through hallways both above and underground. Student dorms are connected to their classrooms through hallways, meaning student’s don’t need to go outside to get to their classes in the harsh cold weather of Duluth’s winter months. The school also offers a free shuttle bus that will take students anywhere in Duluth free of charge.

The last student I talked to was Matt Schlieman. Matt has decided he will attend the University of Minnesota in Duluth. When asked what his favorite aspect of the school was, Matt replied with: “I like that the school is completely connected, so you aren’t forced to have to go outside to get to class and you can really wear shorts and a T-shirt anytime of the year because you don’t have to go outside in order to get around campus.” Matt plans on studying civil engineering while attending UMD.

Whether students decide to go to college or go directly into the workforce or join the military, they are starting to figure out their plan on what they’re doing after high school, and potentially the remainder of their life.