On Wednesday, January 10th, four Dominion alumni who are currently enrolled in college returned to attended an ATLAS meeting in the Dominion library. At the meeting the former students were questioned by students and parents and gave tips about their experiences in High School and College.

        The four students were Ashley Edwards, a senior at the University of Mary Washington, Diego Espinoza, a freshman at Virginia Tech, Caroline Ehler, a freshman at the University of Virginia, and Austin Edward, a sophomore at Villanova University.

        The importance of technology in College was also discussed. The students mentioned how in many of their classes technology was not allowed in class for note taking, as they are a means of distraction because it was found that technology was being used for entertainment purposes rather than note taking. Austin Edward mentioned that Villanova rarely allows students to use technology in class but no specific rule is in place.

        Many topics were covered including what classes at Dominion best help students prepare for College. AP courses were mentioned the most. Ashley Edwards, who is a communications major said, “I took AP Art, AP Psych and AP Bio. Mr. Haberman really pushed us and honestly I feel like some of his classes are harder than some of the classes I took in college.” Diego Espinoza, who is an engineering major agreed saying, “AP Chem really prepared me a lot, so did AP Computer Science, and definity the Calculus classes. Mr. Korn and the teachers here are great and some are even better than the college teachers.”

        The importance of extracurriculars where also discussed. “Get involved in as many clubs as you can here, be consistent with it and try to get a leadership role,” said Ashley Edwards. Espinoza also stressed the importance of clubs and said, “As a freshman, be involved in as many clubs as possible, [this helps] figuring out what you like and what you don’t, so you can figure out what you want to be involved in in the future.”

        The importance of extracurriculars on your college applications and resume was also a subject of conversation. Ashley Edwards talked about what her college valued saying, “I think at UMW [University of Mary Washington] it was definity more of the extracurricular activities. It’s like ok ,you get in [with your grades], but why do we want you at this school.”

        To relieve stress while applying for colleges, Espinoza said, “The application was a bit stressful, and getting that first one is the most stressful because you want it to be perfect, so my advice would be to start earlier, and the essay will be the most challenging part.”

        A lot of advice was also given about College life, and how to succeed in College. A major topic of advice was attending class. “Go to class, As silly as that sounds you have so much free time and a lot of classes don’t require attendance, I definitely suffered because I wasn’t in class and just staying updated on assignments and having that face to face contact with your teachers and being able to work with your peers.” said Ashley Edwards.

        Ashley Edwards also expressed the importance of GPA saying, “Everybody always says start off high, get those good grades early, don’t slack off. And you don’t realize how those grades will affect you until [later].” She talked about how her first semester in College really affected her overall grade and even her grad school and post graduate plans.

        Espinoza gave advice to improve the college experience and help students in the future, saying, “Don’t be shy, be more inclusive, Get to know more people because having those connections [may be helpful in the future]. They might be involved with some companies who might hire you, especially professors, Make sure to go to the office hours for professors so you get to meet them, [and] so they get to know you, and know your name.”

        The students also gave more advice about enjoying college, succeeding, and overcoming struggles. Espinoza said, “As your first year, don’t stay isolated and meet a lot of new people.” Edwards talked about finding motivation in college, saying, “You have to be self motivated to go out there and do those things, and there are a lot of opportunities out there and you have to be motivated to find them.”

        College’s many opportunities were also talked about. “[My favorite part is] sports and all the activities you can do, you can do intramural soccer and basketball, There is a lot of competition and a lot of people who want to play,” said Espinoza.

        Ashley Edwards talked about the many opportunities she was given in college, saying, “Your mind is just opened to so many different things, you are taking so many different courses and you are meeting so many different people from all walks of life.”

Photo courtesy of ATLAS