While many students are preparing to move onto the next grade, seniors are preparing to move on with their lives in a whole new way. Many graduating seniors are getting ready to go to college and continue their education. This may seem like a large step to be taking in life, but previous Warsaw graduates are willing to pass down some advice to anyone who is about to leave the comfort of high school behind and jump into the college world.

Class of 2013 graduate Kelsey Henderson attended State Fair for two years while living in Sedalia, and is now transferring to Missouri State.

“You need to go in with an open mind about everything, this is your chance to have a clean slate and you can truly be whoever you want to be,” said Henderson.

Class of 2014 graduate Austyn Bair is currently a student at University of Missouri in Columbia. Bair also thinks that college is a fresh start.

“You can be whoever you want to be when you go to college and you can really find yourself,” said Bair.

When going to college there are a few choices that students have when choosing living arrangements. If one is going to a university then they can chose to live on campus, in a dorm by themselves, or in a dorm with roommates. If a student chooses to go to a community college such as State Fair or OTC then there are the options to either commute from home or find an apartment, either by themselves or with a roommate.

Class of 2014 graduate Jessie Blankenship currently attends The University of Missouri in Columbia.

“If you get the option to, and go to a university, live in a community-style dorm, It’s the best way to meet people and they will be the people that you go to lunch with, have classes with, and study with,” said Blankenship.

“If you’re going to live with friends from high school, you need to be 100 percent sure that you are going to get along. You need to make sure that you are on the same page about money and cleaning for sure, or else there is going to be a lot of problems,” said Henderson.

One of the biggest things that worries students is the thought of living on their own and having to take on new responsibilities.  Students will need to learn to manage their time, do their laundry, and homework, while many will also be learning how to manage their money by paying bills and going grocery shopping.

Class of 2014 graduate Eden Kohn is currently a freshman at Ozark Technical Community College in Springfield.

“Be prepared for a wake up call if you are used to your parents doing everything for you, there are a lot of decisions that you are going to have to make for yourself,” said Kohn “and learn how to bargain shop, because you are going to be broke.”

Class of 2014 graduate Monica Grace is currently attending University of Missouri in Columbia.

“Living on your own is going to be weird for a few weeks, but it will eventually become more of your home than your actual home, and it will be weird going home for the first time, but you shouldn’t go home every weekend. You should stay at college and try to go out and make new friends,” said Grace.