CollegeV2 is back and better than ever!

Julie

Yep, that’s right guys – we’re baaaack! Your old host – Sean Blanda – did an exceptional job on this site, and I am very much impressed with what he was able to accomplish. Now you’re probably wondering who I am, so let me take the time to introduce myself.

My name is Julie Kent, and I am twenty-three years old.?I am currently a sometimes graduate student at Kent State University in Ohio.  And by that I mean that I am holding down a full-time job, and take classes when I can, which may not neccessarily be every semester.

By day, I am a children’s librarian, and by night and off-work hours I am a fledgling writer and web developer. I am very interested in technology and the internet, so I hope that I can bring some of that knowledge here as well.

Now, since this is a blog about college, let me share a little bit about my college experience. I first began taking college courses at the age of 16 when I was a high school junior on a part-time basis at a local private college.  In my senior year of high school I took a full course load at the local community college as well as a couple classes at the private college.  I much preferred this over taking Advanced Placement (A.P.) classes whereby you aren’t really guaranteed any college credit unless you score well enough on the exams. The kicker of it all is, I didn’t have to pay a dime for tuition or books – it was all paid for by my school district. So essentially, I got about a year and a half’s worth of college for nothing.

By the time I graduated from high school in 2001, I had earned about 50 some college credits. I applied for financial aid and all kinds of scholarships, and was fortunate enough to get a full-ride to a nice private college in the state. I decided to live on campus when I began my first year at college outside of my high school experience. I stayed there for 4 semesters – fall, spring, summer, and fall, and then decided I wasn’t happy there anymore.

I took a semester and a few weeks off to regroup and figure out what I wanted to do with myself.  I knew that I did not want to quit college altogether and give up everything I worked so hard for. But I also knew that enrolling again at the school I was going to would only drive me crazy because it really wasn’t what I wanted to do.

After much consideration and research, I decided to enroll in an online school. Now at this point, I was only two or three semesters shy of graduating, and switching schools would also mean I’d have to pay for most of the rest of my schooling without scholarships. But I wasn’t happy with my major. So I decided to switch my major and school in what would be considered my senior year of college. So much for all those plans!

But you know what, I couldn’t have been happier with the way things eventually turned out.  When I enrolled in the online school, I had a part-time job for about a year and was looking to move up to a full-time job. This is a major reason I choose the online route.  I switched my major to something I am very passionate about – graphic design / web design – and spent the next 3 semesters taking all of the core classes for that degree.  In 2004, I finally graduated… yay!

Since graduating from college, I have taken a few classes in a Master’s of Business Administration – Marketing program, and also a number of classes in a Master of Library & Information Science degree program. I keep plugging along, and eventually I’ll finish up at least one of the programs. Working and going to school is rough, and I sympathize with those of you working students out there.

I’ve been to every type of college that you can imagine – a  small, private school, a huge state school, community college, and even an online school.  I think that my experiences with all of it have been invaluable, and I would love to share with you guys some of the tips and tricks that I have come to learn along the way.

My plans for the future of CollegeV2 include continuing the tradition here of providing our readers with useful information, tricks, and tips to help you through the college experience.  As well, I will keep you updated with the latest happenings and news that will affect you as a college student. Whether you are a traditional undergrad, adult student going back to school, a high school student preparing for college, a graduate student, or a working student trying to juggle classes and surviving on your own, CollegeV2 will arm you with the information you need to know.  So sit back, and enjoy the ride – I know I will! :)

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