Jordan Paine is a senior at Pattonville High School. After he graduates, he is going to attend Transylvania University in Kentucky to study music technology. He gives tips for students looking to attend college, and shares his opinion about his senior year and what he expects his college experience to be like.

1)   What do you think the hardest part about being a senior is?

For me, the hardest part of senior year was college stuff. Narrowing down my school search was hard because many colleges seem really great, but trying to finance college has been the hardest. I feel like I’ve applied to a hundred scholarships. This year, I’ve written more for scholarships than I have for school.

2)   What do you expect to be the hardest part about college?

Probably the classes, specifically math. I’m not really worried though. You have a lot more free time in college, so if I need to, I can study. I haven’t really thought of college as being hard at all.

3)   What are you looking forward to in college?

Mostly, I’m looking forward to learning with other people. I really want to be able to dedicate more time to my interests. I think it will be great to learn from people who are more experienced than I am, and to be able to talk with them.

4)   How are you preparing for college?

As a senior, it’s really easy to decide to stop trying. I’m trying not to do that. People look at graduation as the end goal and they think that none of it matters anymore. It may not matter for high school but if you stop thinking and learning now, you probably won’t be prepared for your first semester in college.

5)   Do you have any tips for students that are interested in attending college?

Well first I would like to say that you should go to college, no matter who you are. You’ve probably got about 50 or more years left of your life and going to college will probably make those years a lot more fulfilling. I’m at the end of high school now and I’m not adequately trained to do anything. You won’t be either, so start thinking about your next steps and, most importantly, start making them. You should also go visit the schools you’re interested in and talk to students and teachers. You don’t want end up at a college you don’t like. Now is your chance to be selective.