From Admissions to Graduation: Real Advice for the New Student
Donte’ Sharpe
Copyright 2005, 2009, 2012 by Donte’ Sharpe
Cover Image courtesy of Microsoft Word Clip Art
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Prelude: Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for this day and this opportunity to showcase the gift that you have bestowed upon me since I was younger. Thank you for the patience to allow me to experience what I had to be able to create this book and share with others what will help them in life. Father, thank you for the family and friends whom helped with this journey to this point in time. Father, you said in your word that you have not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. I don’t know how this will help, but this is my way of ministering.

Heavenly Father, not only do I dedicate this to you, but I also dedicate this to some people really close to me. First, my wife Christy. Thank you for putting up with me through school and for helping me to be a better man. Of course, my 1015-A crew from South View. Fred, my older brother, C.J., Nick, and Mike Dizzle. Lorraine, the best mother in the world who raised me by herself. My little brother Terrence and my Grandma-ma. I love you all.

Of course Father, I have to thank James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA for the experience it has given me to be able to even create this book. I’m proud to be alum from this prestigious institution.

Father, thank you for the knowledge, wisdom, and experience to be able to create this for potential students, and I pray that this advice will be used to help the next generation of graduates.

This I pray in the name of your son, my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Chapter 1: GOD IS THE WAY

If you don’t get anything from this entire book, this is the most important advice. God is the best way to make it through college because He has a plan for all of us. Once you tap into what He desires for you, then you will know what to do. One of my most favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 3:6 says “In all thy way acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.” (Holy Bible: King James Version). Simply put it, when you acknowledge God and put him first, He will show you which direction to go in.

With me going to James Madison University (JMU), I didn’t know what I wanted to pursue a career in. I knew that I enjoy working on computers, but I just didn’t know what to do. So, during my first semester in James Madison University, I decided to pick Computer Science as my major. After 1 year, I was on Academic Suspension. So, with that, I needed to figure out another major. Second, I decided to pursue Computer Information Systems, because it deals with computers, and it also deals with business. So, I’d figure I go ahead and pursue this major, but my GPA wasn’t high enough to pursue the upper class courses. I didn’t want to just take any courses to waste any more time and money. So, during spring of 2004, I decided to pray and ask God to guide me and just show me what direction to go in. I ended up in our Career and Development Center at JMU, where one of my HR Development professors was one of the counselors here. We talked for a couple of hours, and during that time, I explained to him I like to work on computers, amongst other skills. He told me about Technical and Scientific Communications (TSC), in which I researched and was like “oh, this looks to be a good fit for me.” Not only did I graduate spring 2005, but I earned an A in every class during fall 2004, which was filled with TSC classes. One thing I didn’t notice is that I communicate very well in writing, verses orally, in which I didn’t realize, until I pursued my major in TSC. Out of all the years I have attended school, I never earned an A in every class before. 

This goes to show that when you put God first, he will make a way for you. No matter what you do in life, not just with school, but with everything, trust God with all of your heart. We make mistakes all the time and take chances with our life. Give God a chance and include him in your plans. 

Chapter 2: TAP INTO YOUR GIFT

To me, this will help you determine what you desire to study while in school & in life. You want to tap into what God has for you. God takes the time to uniquely make us in the way that he wants us to be. That is how God makes us, individually, and in each of us, He plants a gift that He would like to bring out of us to not only use for His good, but also to help us prosper.

I knew that communicating in writing was something I am great at. Even dating back to elementary school in the 4th grade, I wrote a book entitled “The Worst Day”. It earned me 1st place in our writing contest in school. Even in high school whenever I was interested in a young lady, I would always write a letter expressing my feelings. Most of the time it didn’t work (sigh), but that’s my way of communicating, and it’s a gift that God has planted in me. 

When I first arrived at JMU, I didn’t know what I wanted to major in. In fact, I found myself in academic suspension for the 1st year because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. The classes I was taking weren’t interesting at all, and that’s because that’s not what God had for me to do. I tried to follow in the footsteps of my older brother Fred & sign up for a major in the College of Business, but that didn’t work either. So while I was taking one of my Human Resources and Development classes, I spoke with one of my professors, who happened to be director of Career Services (isn’t that convenient), and after a day, I was lead to Technical and Scientific Communications. After a great first semester, this is when I knew communicating in writing is my gift. After a year in TSC, I found myself graduating with a clear direction. 

God implants each and every one of us with gifts & it’s up to us to tap into that gift. Some of us are good with our hands. Others are good with persuading others to agree with us. There are those who are good with the arts. It doesn’t matter as long as you tap into your gift. It may take some soul searching for you to find out, but believe me, God individually creates us for uniqueness & it’s up to us to discover what makes us unique from the other person. If I’m able to find out, then you are as well. 

Chapter 3: YOU HAVE TO PLAN

With a big decision like going to college, or with just anything in life, it is very important to have a plan. This is too big of an investment, not only time, but money, to not have a sort of plan. Make sure that you look into schools, and see what they can offer you, as far as classes, and activities, because this is an investment that you are making into your future. So make sure you explore and plan out your time in college. It costs too much to go to school and not have a plan. Also, if you are undecided about what you want to do in school, then don’t go. This is because you do not want to be in a position that you are not ready to take. College is extremely expensive and is very competitive to get into. So you don’t want to waste time in school if you are not truly ready to take that step. Not only are you wasting your time & a lot of money, but you are also wasting a spot for another undergraduate student, who may have a plan and want to attend the school that you are at.

When I first was applying to college, I didn’t have a plan. That was apparent in the “GOD IS THE WAY” section. I really wasn’t given a ‘handbook’ as to how to plan for college. Also, I didn’t have a lot of people I could talk to about college because I didn’t know anyone who went to college. I had to make my plan when I got into college. Because of my failed attempt to plan, I ended up transferring from Virginia Union University (VUU) to James Madison University. Not only did I do that, I ended up switching my major a total of three times. Now, things worked out for me after trial & error, but it cost me an extra year and a half, in which I could’ve used that time to be working to pay off my student loans. 

When you are deciding which school to go to, make sure you plan out what you want to pursue, the best approach to making your transition, and what you want to do when you get out of college. 

Chapter 4: MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ‘PLAN B’

When planning what to pursue in college, you have to make sure that there is a plan that you have. But what if things do not work out? You may be like myself and began to pursue one area and say “you know what, this is not for me. What else can I do?” So, we have to go with plan B (in my case, a plan C). When preparing for college, or even if you’re in college, make sure you have an alternative to what you want to pursue. You wouldn’t want to find yourself in a position where you have to pick up ‘undecided’ as a major. There is nothing wrong with having different ideas of what you want to pursue. I encourage that. With that, you’ll be able to have a backup, just in case the first plan doesn’t go the way you desire for it to go.

When I first went to JMU, I didn’t have a clue as to what I wanted to pursue in a major. I knew I wanted to work on computers, but I didn’t realize there were so many aspects of computers that I was able to pursue. So, I attempted Computer Science. That didn’t work, so, I attempted Computer Information Systems. I didn’t have the proper GPA, so, I pursued Technical & Scientific Communications. That ended up working for me. Even though I didn’t have a plan to begin with, I had alternatives that I ended up looking into. At the end of my time, I was on a plan that ended up being very beneficial to me, and also, I enjoyed it.

Make sure you set yourself some alternative plans just in case your original plan doesn’t work. There is nothing wrong with having an alternative. It is not a means to discourage you from pursuing your original goal. It is a means of having you to develop a backup, just in case your first plan doesn’t work out to your benefit. 

Chapter 5: NETWORK

I’m certain that you are familiar with the term “it’s not what you know, but who you know.” This is absolutely true when you get out of the perimeter of school and you’re out here in the real world. This is one thing I had to learn for myself, and it was not a class that was available when I was in school. It is very important to have a network of people who you can rely on for time of need. Such folks would include your advisors, teachers, and your fraternity/sorority. Also, you can network online now with your schoolmates via facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter . Just make sure the person you network with, of course, is someone whom you do not have a problem with. The last thing you want to have is someone as a reference on your resume and they say something bad about you because they don’t like you. 

While I attended JMU, I was a part of our gospel choir called The Contemporary Gospel Singers, alongside my roommate Fred, who plays the drums. Now, I knew coming in I couldn’t sing, but this was my opportunity to link up with others who shared the same belief as me, and that is being a Christian. During the time I was there, I had the opportunity of meeting some wonderful people, a few whom I still keep in contact with today. For example, one of my Brothers in Christ, James, helped to get me a volunteer opportunity with the University of Richmond during the summer of 2008, which I had a great experience with. Another example of how networking helped me out was my first permanent position came at the hands of one of my Sisters in Christ named Ashla. She advised me of the opportunity for an opening & referred me, and I earned the job. It took 1 ½ years after school for that opportunity to become available for me. James and Ashla are two people whom I met during my time in the Contemporary Gospel Singers.

You hear the old saying “It’s not what you know, but who you know.”  Well, take that to the bank. It will be extremely difficult to be successful after school if you don’t know anyone. Present yourself with pride & confidence when it’s time to network. Don’t be afraid to talk to people. A lot of networking has to do with communicating with others. If you’re not a people person, then pray and ask God to give you the understanding and will power to become a people person. Be serious and professional when it comes to networking. I would not desire for you to come off as a joke when networking really counts. The first impression always leaves the lasting impression.

Chapter 6: BE COOL WITH YOUR ADVISOR

This goes along with the networking piece. In fact, this is one person whom you should stay in contact with. The advisor is there to help guide you to the best way of getting your diploma. If you don’t understand something, then ask questions. Also, don’t be afraid to share your ideas about the steps you want to take for yourself to be successful. Your ideas are just as great as your advisor’s suggestions. The advisor is there to ensure that you have the best path to that graduation stage. Whether it’s with their idea, your idea, or a collaboration of both, you will make it to the graduation stage & it’s good to have the advisor there to help you.

During my time pursing my Computer Information System’s degree, I would be in my advisor’s office every month. I didn’t know how to go about registering for class or even which class to register for. I was in my advisor’s office so much that he knew me by name & would have my plan mapped out to where I would end up based on the grade I received at the end of the semester. In addition, I would write everything down that he would tell me so I would understand and be on the same page with him to ensure that I understand the path to success that I am following. 

When you have someone in your corner like your advisor who can help you develop the best plan to get through school, it makes things a lot easier for you. It takes the stress of you figuring out for yourself what you need to do or what classes you need to take to finish. The advisors have experience with students just like yourself who’s trying to get through. Allow the advisors to assist with getting you through school. Think of your advisor as a GPS in the car: your advisor has been down the road that you are traveling and that road will be bumpy at times, but with your advisor there to navigate the way for you, you will get to your destination in no time. If the route you are traveling gets some traffic, your advisor will find a detour for you to travel. 

Chapter 7: EDUCATION, FIRST…

The main reason that you are deciding to go to college is to earn a degree. So don’t make partying or hanging out all hours of the night as your top priority when going to college. Education is the first thing that should be on your to-do list when going to college. It costs too much money and too much time to attend school. So, if all you want to do is go out and party the night away, then I would recommend not going to school. Now, I am not suggesting just staying in and keeping your head in the books. You need to give yourself some time to relieve the stress of school work, but make sure that your top priority in school is to earn a degree and get some education that will benefit you later in your life.

I have always been the type of person where I kept my head in the books. I always put my education first, because that was important to me. I even reflect on getting teased during my first semester because while my roommates were all getting ready to go out and party during our first Homecoming weekend, I was focused on completing some work for next week. I didn’t care who said what and how people perceived me, I was there to gain the knowledge I needed to help me become more marketable out here in the professional world, and to earn a better living for myself and my family. 

With school costing so much time and money, make sure you put education first. This is the real reason you are going to school and reading this book. Playtime will be available and there will be plenty of it. Just keep your priorities in order and keep in mind what you’re pursuing. 

Chapter 8: …PLAY SECOND (TIME TO UNWIND)

Now that we have things in order as far as our priority goes, it’s no problem to have down time. In fact, downtime is required just as much as time to do your schoolwork. It’s important not to burn yourself out with all the school work & not have time to enjoy the experience. This will help you become more productive with your schoolwork, and it will help you to multi-task when you are able to balance school and play.

Besides going out with my roommates, my way of unwinding after a long day is to play my video games. Anyone who knows me will say “Donte’ is crazy about his video games.” That is what defines me. For example, Fred’s thing is his music. CJ’s thing is rapping. Whatever makes you feel comfortable, that’s what you do. In between studying and preparing for exams, I would give myself at least an hour of video game time just to help alleviate some stress that I have. 

School is a stressful thing, and you have to have something that will counteract the stress of school. That’s why I strongly encourage having some time out of your day & unwinding. Please don’t take advantage of the time to unwind, and treat yourself when you have completed a long exam and you passed it, or after you have worked hard on a project and finally completed it. I know how it is to be under a lot of stress with schoolwork. Treat yourself when necessary because you have earned that right. 

Chapter 9: USE THE FINANCIAL AID (BUT DON’T ABUSE IT)

Now, before you decide to get so much loan money & buy a new car or get some fresh clothes, PLEASE UNDERSTAND: you have to pay back the loans that you borrow. The grants aren’t to grant you with a new wardrobe. When it comes down to paying for school, unless you were born into a wealthy family, this will be valuable to you. The fewer loans you have, the better off you will be. Once school is over, the real bills come in, such as a mortgage, a car note, credit card bills, etc. Use the financial aid if it’s given to you, especially the grants and the scholarship. If you have to take out a loan, please let it be for things that you need (room and board, books, tuition, etc).

I have my share of loans for school. I thank God during the time that I was able to earn some scholarships and was eligible for some grants, but I still have other bills I needed to take care of, mainly a place to lay my head. I didn’t want to be so boggled down with work & trying to pay rent that I flunk out of school. So some of the loans that were offered to me through Sallie Mae, I mainly used to pay my rent so I wouldn’t have to worry about working so much to pay rent. That way, my other bills would be paid through my part time job I had on campus. Also, I used my financial aid to pay for my books that I needed to purchase every semester, because books are expensive & unless you find some on craigslist.org or someone is trying to sell an old book you need, you are looking at paying a good amount of money for books. So, this is where my loan money went to whenever I used it.

Please don’t take advantage of the financial aid that’s offered to you, because you’ll need to pay it back. Besides, how would it look if you were to have a big bill at the end for a new car that you purchased just to impress some people? It’s not worth it. Be wise with what you are given with the financial aid and make the financial aid count for what it’s needed for. Also some places that I recommend for seeking financial aid includes:
•Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
•Scholarships.com: http://www.scholarships.com/
•Your local church/organization
•Your parents’ employer

Chapter 10: WATCH FOR THE PRESSURES THAT WILL DISTRACT

As hard as it may seem, sometimes you’ll just have to say “NO”. When you know that you got a big test in the morning and some buddies want to hang out the night before, it’ll be in your best interest to take a rain check because you don’t want to end up flunking because you want to be down & roll with folks. Now, back in the section “…Play Second.” That’s what it means; get what’s important out the way. We’re all young adults and we know what we’re capable of handling. Be wise with distractions that come your way.

I know how it is once you first get to college & you want to just be cool with everyone. So you’ll find yourself hanging out with all sorts of folks & doing things that you may not want to do. It’s been times I would go out with the understanding I have class in the morning. But I’ll tell myself “It’s all good, I’ll make up for it later.” And believe me, I did. I would either be out of it in class, or I would just miss class all together. Trust me; it’s not worth trying to be down to miss a day of class. You’ll get so far behind that it’ll take you a week to catch up, just for one day of missing class or not being focused.

Coming from a Christian standpoint:  Whatever God has for you; the devil is there to keep you from getting it. The devil is always there to throw something in the path of what God has for you. That is what the devil does, and he’s good at it. But one thing about it is that God is better. So just stay focused on what you are here for, because distractions come in all forms. And it’s ok if you slip up. None of us are perfect. As long as you get up & get back on track. The pressures will come up along the way. Make sure you’re wise with your decisions.

Chapter 11: PRAY CONSTANTLY, EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T WANT TO

I want this to come towards the end because it’s one of those things that we have to remind ourselves. Prayer is powerful. God says we need to have a continuous praise in our mouth, and that is the truth. When you think all hope is lost & you just don’t know what to do, PRAY. It’s just as simple as saying “Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ.”

I’m not a preacher, but I know God is real in my life. He was real in my life before college & he’s still real as you are reading this passage. Prayer is powerful & it definitely changes things. Before a majority of my tests, I would always go to God and ask him, “Father, please help me retain all that I’ve studied in the name of Jesus Christ”, and He has never failed me. I made it a mission everyday to Thank God & Pray. I will be the first to say, when times get rough in school, no one but God will bail you out. Even when it came down to me deciding which major to choose, at the end, I prayed to God & that’s when God revealed it to me.

Prayer changes things, and that is for real. And don’t just pray for yourself, but pray for others too. You may think you have it tough & someone else is going through worse than you are. Besides, God will show favor when you can get out of just your element and you reach out to someone else. Whenever God blesses you, it’s not just for you, but it’s also to spread to someone else. Why do you think I’m writing this book? Not for my own gain, but to pass some advice to someone else who may benefit from what I went through? 

Chapter 12: BE SELF-MOTIVATED

The last thing I like to share that will really help you get through school is to motivate yourself. That is where the true testament of your inner-self will come from. You see, there will be plenty of times in your life when all you have is you and God. I’m not saying that your friends will leave you, but in order for someone else to encourage you, you have to learn to encourage yourself. This goes beyond school.

I’ve always been the type to be dependent on someone else. Whether it’s my mother, who raised me by herself, my older brother Fred, who’s always had my back in school, or my wife Christy, who just keeps me on my toes, I have always found myself being motivated and pushed by someone to move forward. However, there have been times where it was just me and God. In the midst of these times, I had to get in my mind that hey, in order for me to progress, I have to first rely on myself. We are all human and want others to be in our corner. That’s great to have someone there for you, but we all have our own lives to live. We are all human and have to understand that we will not always be there for one another. We can be there in spirit, but we have to learn to motivate ourselves. We should not be in the habit of depending on others to help propel our future. If you don’t learn to motivate yourself to press on, then how would you expect anyone else to motivate you? Your success starts with YOU. Neither family nor friends determine your success.

Stay motivated and believe in yourself. The reason that you would not finish this journey of school is not because of your grades, or you do not like the major you are pursuing. Your success depends on YOU. Just because your circumstance may change doesn’t mean the outcome has to. That’s why you have plans in mind just in case it doesn’t work out. Remember, YOU control your destiny. It’s not how you start, but that you finish.

The End

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my book. This is my first published book and very grateful for the opportunity to present it to you. I pray that it will help you as these tips helped me. Any feedback I definitely appreciate it.