An intro to College TNT: Helping you get to and through college successfully

Unlock the secrets to a successful journey to and through college with the College TNT podcast. Join me, Jen, as I share over 35 years of experience in higher education to guide you through the maze of college applications, scholarships, and campus life. Whether you're a first-generation student or not, this episode promises actionable strategies to help you not only secure your spot in college but thrive once you're there. Discover the importance of finding joy and purpose in your educational path, and learn how continuing education plays a pivotal role in your growth.

Having worked with over 10,000 students at diverse institutions, from the University of Washington to Rivier College, I bring a wealth of insights into what it takes to succeed in college. I discuss my passion for helping students achieve their goals, from crafting the perfect application to embracing the college experience with the right mindset. TNT isn't just about blowing your mind with information, it's about equipping you with the tools to navigate college life with confidence and purpose. Tune in to explore how you can make the most out of your college years and prepare for a fulfilling career that meets both your financial and personal aspirations.

For more about me - my experience and my speaking, check out the links below.

You can reach me at jen@firstgenfm.com.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenschoen/
https://www.firstgenfm.com/speaker-high-school-educators-students-parents

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:10

Welcome to the College TNT podcast. I know you're saying what is College TNT and who is this for? Well, first of all, it's for you. If you're listening and you're interested in getting tips on going to college and tips on thriving in college, whether you're a first-'re interested in getting tips on going to college and tips on thriving in college, whether you're a first-generation college student or a continuing education college student, then this is the podcast for you, because I'm going to be sharing how-tos, sure, about essays and activities lists and putting your best self into your college application, but I'm also going to talk a lot about mindset and practice and things that you can do when you get to college to make it the best experience possible. You may ask hey, jen, why are you doing this podcast? And the reason is because I've been working in college for more than 35 years now a very long time and a lot of that has been in admissions and scholarship work, as well as retention, which is making sure that once the students get admitted, they stay at the college that I'm working at. So that is very important. But my why is that I feel that every student should continue their education after high school, whether that is an associate's degree, whether that's a technical degree, a certificate program or a four-year bachelor's degree. Continuing education is so important. I think it's important for our society as well as for all the jobs we need to fill that require some level of expertise and knowledge. I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say I've worked with over 10,000 students in my career and I've worked in all different arenas in the college. So I've worked in admissions, helping students get into college, and giving lots of talks around the country about the college application process and what colleges look for, as well as about finding and getting scholarships. I've worked in orientation to help students get ready for that first year and finding first year success in college. I've taught first year college seminar programs, again to help first year students find success in college. I have worked with commuter students. I've run leadership workshops. I've worked with non-traditional students or students who are not the typical 18 to 22-year-old student, and I've worked in career development to help students find what it is that they want to do and what will give them purpose once they get out of college and make money.

Speaker 1: 2:43

That was a section with a lot of I's, but I did want you to know a little bit more about me, my expertise and my experiences and where my knowledge is coming from, so that you know that I have worked with students very closely over these past 35 years and so I've learned a lot from them, and I'm going to share what I know, as well as what I've learned from them, in this podcast. As I said, I've been doing this for a long time now, working in higher education and working with high school students and college students. It has been a real privilege to work at different types of institutions, from large flagship state schools like the University of Washington to very small private schools like Riviere College in Nashua, new Hampshire, and places in between. Some were religiously affiliated Catholic or Lutheran, some were not, were private and non-secular, like Northeastern University, where I am now. All of the experience I've gathered over the years I want to put into this podcast as a resource for you to get information that you need to get into college, to get ready for college, first to get into college and then to succeed once you get to college.

Speaker 1: 4:17

The purpose of getting into college or getting into the program that you want to get into in the morning, or at least looking forward to getting up on that Monday morning going into work and doing whatever it is that fills both your need to make money but also your need to find a purpose. And so buckle up, because TNT is going to blow your mind. Well, maybe not all the time, but I do plan on giving you some strategies and tips that will really help you succeed. Tnt, in case you're wondering, stands for to and through. So it's college to and through. It's one thing to do everything you need to in high school to get to college, but, even more important, I want to see you succeed and thrive once you get to college. So hopefully that'll be a lot of episodes about getting into and getting through college for high school students, families of high school students, as well as college students and their families.

Speaker 1: 5:17

I'm always reachable at Jen that's J-E-N at firstjenfmcom and you can always call me Jen. My name is Jennifer Schoen, but you can just call me Jen. It's just much easier that way. Three letters is always simpler, so feel free to reach out to me if there's a specific topic you want me to talk about or if you have any questions for me that you'd like me to answer in the podcast. Thank you so much for joining me and I look forward to hopefully getting your five-star reviews and your comments so that I can share my 35 years of experience working in college admissions and retention with you. Thank you for joining me this week and letting me be part of your journey to college. See you next week, thank you.