“If something only takes two minutes to do, don’t put it off” - Better yet, figure out what you will need to do before it hits you in the face.
Long Version:
I applied to the Honor’s Program to a Community College in the Spring of this year (Spring 2026). I was accepted into the community college (Spring 2026) and am attending in the Fall of this year (Fall 2026).
This semester is the only required semester of schooling I need to complete before I meet the requirements to graduate with my Associates in Science. (This is because I did enough Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment in High School.)
I was fully qualified in every way for the Honors Program (As in I meet all of their requirements.) However, they need to take the time to verify their requirements for each person before allowing them into the program. (I did not know this specific aspect of admissions at the time)
I had spent my summer swamped from the beginning (Volunteering Events, Travelling, Cleaning, the Works) all while an email from the Honors Program sat in my newly provided Microsoft email account. (I use Gmail for all my emailing services, but my school uses Microsoft Outlook.)
I did not know this email account (By email account I mean Microsoft Outlook, I knew the school account’s provided email) existed until late July as the original email information can only be accessed through my college’s provided email account.
However, I could not access my college account without 2-step verification with a phone number. (My phone number which had not been in service since May.)
I then went and got all my college affairs in order (Orientation was a mess because I had to do the late orientation [as I wasn’t in the area for a whole month] and orientation was severely unhelpful. I didn’t get to see my dorm [or any dorm for that matter], and there was no meeting with my advisor, or frankly anyone from the Honors Program).
Eventually, I got back to the Honors program with stating which requirements I would like them to verify. They answered.
Here’s the Cliff Notes: Because it is now so late in the Summer that the semester officially starts next week, I was asked to wait to join the Honors Program in the Spring because they have a lot of people this Fall and do not have seats for everyone.
By the end of December, I’ll have qualified to graduate with my Associates degree, but I plan to take more courses tailored to my planned Bachelors degree while at the Community College because of the cost value. (The point is that missing the first semester of the Honors Program will definitely make me lose opportunities, and I will have to explain to 4-year universities why I joined late, making me look irresponsible.)
The reason I wanted to join the Honors Program was to meet people that had similar ambitions and goals to mine (As you are who you hang around) and because it meant less hoops to jump through when trying to get into the Honors Program at a 4-year University.
So safe to say, I am definitely downloading ThunderBird (To have all my emails in one place), and not letting college tasks pile up. It was a nightmare to handle.
Short Version (Tips):
Place Important things in easy to access spots (For You);
Respond to people a a relatively decent time frame (Quickly but with thought);
Make sure your phone number (or your 2-step verification) always will be able to work;
Set time to review Emails (At least twice a day);
If tasks pile up, Attack them with vigor. (Then remember how much you suffered so that you make systems so that specific issue never happens again.)