Is your child looking for a career as a storm chaser? Or perhaps she wants a job working with a roller coaster manufacturer on storing and re-using propulsion energy?

To do either, he or she is going to need to go to college.

On Monday, Dec. 19, a number of Columbia High School graduates who have gone on to top colleges and universities came back to share their college experiences and the paths they have chosen with students who will soon have to make some of the same difficult choices.

Margaret Brier, who is an engineering student at Harvey Mudd, shared her interest in roller coaster technology with Jennifer Broekman's 10th grade physics class and Kristin Furlong's 9th grade biology class. On the same panel with Brier was Alex Goldstein (the storm chaser guy, studying meterology at University of Miama) and Tracey Otto, pre-med at the Ivy League's Cornell University.

The three counseled their younger counterparts to make the most of high school.

"High School will blow by," said Goldstein. "Make every day the best you can. It's going to go by quickly."

Otto answered a question from a student about balancing academics and extracurricular activities: Being involved in multiple activities at the college level, said Otto, "makes my schedule more rigid so I'm actually better at time management." Brier concurred. She had found that her role as class president in college had improved her interpersonal skills and public speaking. "You'll learn things you can't learn in a classroom."

Brier also told the 9th and 10th graders to do their homework — even in classes that they are not particularly interesting to them. Brier wished she had done more of her reading homework and admitted that she was a biy lost when her college peers were discussing Homer's Odyssey.

The trio of college students got down to the nitty gritty as well, discussing what classes are needed to get into a pre-med program (Otto's track) and what tests you need to take in special areas.

Allan Tumolillo, physics teacher, put the day-long event together for the second year running. Tumolillo said last year's event featured three panels; this year features six. He hopes to expand to 9 or 10 panels next year and feature more students from community colleges.

"The main goal is to give kids here a chance to talk in a systematic way with kids already in college," said Tumolillo. "It's as if they're hearing from a big brother or sister, rather than someone like me who went to college years ago."

And the college students gave advice freely. Carolyn Ehinger, Kenyon, and Olivia Karten, Tulane, both encouraged students to "learn time management not," and to "get organized."

"It's not like high school," said Ehringer, "where teachers remind you. You'll get a syllabus at the beginning of the semester and that's it."

Karten concurred, noting, "Cramming for a test won't work anymore. You have to review your notes and study all semester."

Michael Williams, NJIT, Ben Richardson, Northwestern, and Prisca Osuji, Howard University, advised students to take Advanced Placement classes seriously as a way into college work. "It won't be the same," said Richardson, "but it's a good beginning. If you take Calculus here, you'll be much better prepared there."

For their part, the 9th and 10th graders listening to Brier, Goldstein and Otto seemed riveted. There was no fidgeting or talking — outside of questions to the panelists.

"It's great to get them thinking forward!" said 9th grade biology teacher Kristin Furlong.