“College is an Opportunity”

The word “college” means different things to different people. For some, college means a 4-year experience at a large university. For others, it means pursuit of an associate’s degree or a credential earned through community or technical college. Whatever college means for you, one thing is true: completing a post-high school education or training program and earning a credential is essential, be it a degree, apprenticeship, or certificate. Students with a credential will earn nearly $1 million more in their lifetime. They will also open the door to the more than 700,000 job openings coming to Washington state by 2021.

Here at Ready Washington, we want every student in our state to graduate high school ready to pursue post-high school education and succeed on the career path of their choice. To kick off 2018, we’re releasing a series of videos that feature college students in Washington offering advice to younger students about preparing for life after high school.

The first video features students from the two largest universities in the state: University of Washington and Washington State University. In this video, Giovanni and Nicole from UW-Tacoma discuss what college means to them, the differences between high school and college, and encouragement for all future college students, including those who would be the first in their family to attend. Then, Michelle and Reyna, freshmen at Washington State University, offer study tips and dispel the myth that college is a scary place. Check it out:

The second video features two students getting an early jump on college. Elizabeth and Kristina are high school seniors and Running Start students at Tacoma Community College. Running Start is a statewide partnership between colleges and local high schools. The program allows high school juniors and seniors to attend college tuition-free and have the credits count for both high school and college.
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In this video, Elizabeth and Kristina share why they enrolled in Running Start and how college classes have changed the way they approach their education: