Pay attention and follow directions!

Warning: This is rant. But it is so very valuable information for you as first generation and low income college student, so here we go...

You are a college student now, and that should mean you are a responsible adult. That should mean that you are capable of paying attention and following directions...

But, alas, I have encountered a ridiculous amount of first generation and low income college students this week who clearly have not been paying attention and following directions....

And when I say not paying attention and following directions, I'm talking about things like, but not limited to:

• Filling out forms and applications incorrectly by misspelling your own name (seriously!) or putting the wrong number from a tax form when it clearly states which line to pull the number from (I get it, tax forms are confusing, but there is nothing ambiguous about "line 27 on the 1040" on a form)
• Going to the wrong room or wandering the halls looking for a classroom when a sign is posted telling you where you should be
• Paying for expensive overnight postage to make sure an application arrives "before the deadline" when the application says that a postmark is acceptable (reading the application just a little more closely would have saved you $18!)
• Asking questions when you have the answer in front of you (this is the one professors hate the most, too)

So, my dear fisrt generation and low income college students, please don't let yourself do things like this that reflect poorly on you. Instead, read everything and follow directions. That's it, really. This is a valuable skill that will help you in life everyday.

And I mean READ EVERYTHING like signs, syllabuses, emails, everything. In addition to that, please be observant as much as possible, which means you have PAY ATTENTION! And once you know what's up, FOLLOW DIRECTIONS!

Remember, you are an intelligent and capable college student and human being, so make sure you act like it... Ok, rant over.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.