Albert Lea High School students were provided a glimpse into life after graduation Friday.

Albert Lea graduates Joy Berglund, Chris Dorman, Larry Holcomb, Anna Englin and Emma Stensrud and Alden-Conger graduate Addison Galagan shared lessons and tips of college life to teacher Therese Netzer’s fourth- and fifth-hour western humanities and AP English courses.

Dorman, a 2008 Albert Lea graduate who attended Grinnell College in Iowa, advised students who take liberal arts courses to be prepared to write.

“A long paper will not be 5 or 10 pages — it will be 20 or 50 or more,” he said. “The amount of time and dedication it takes to do that much research, to annotate everything, to be prepared to defend your paper to professors is difficult.”

Dorman told the students to not feel pressured to attend a four-year college if they are not comfortable with it.

The panelists discussed their favorite and least-favorite parts of college.

Holcomb discussed the need to read textbooks before class to be prepared for lessons.

Berglund, a 2011 Albert Lea graduate who lives in Washington, D.C., and works in human relations for Lockheed Martin, told the students they will enjoy attending classes in college.

Stensrud, a 2015 Albert Lea graduate who served in the Marines, suggested being aggressive.

“It’s OK to make mistakes, just go for it,” she said.

The panelists told the students to strike a balance between socializing and studying to have a successful college tenure. Students were advised to know courseload tips, interest rates and other financial information before accruing debt.

“Once you get through the first semester, you kind of know how your rhythms work and how you study best and where is the best place in the library to go and who is your study partner,” Berglund said. “I think it gets better.”

Englin, a 2015 Albert Lea graduate who is in band and choir at Luther College, said socializing can come outside the classroom.

“Some of the best friends I have made aren’t through those classes,” she said.

Studying together can form relationships, Englin said.

Albert Lea High School graduates Diane Henry, Erica Samp, Natalie Martinez, Bill Villarreal and Alden-Conger graduates Alicia Roberts, Kayla Roberts, Michael Reyerson and Kody Schoppers were scheduled to speak to Netzer’s first- and second-hour classes.

Netzer said she has seen research that shows the importance of such sessions.

“I just think it’s really helpful for them to have an authentic speaker talk about their experiences, and then to have the consensus among the group is really helpful in showing the kids what they need to know for going forward,” she said.