Austin College Top Questions

It is so strange to think of myself as a high school senior, simply because I am nowhere near the same person or student that I was at the time. One semester of college, be it a short time span or not, has drastically altered my way of life. Thus, I suppose the advice that I would give my high school self would be to simply enjoy the simplicity of the time before graduation. Do not worry about the future, for the future will bring enough worries when it comes. I believe that is my only regret of high school... that I went too fast and made myself too busy to truly enjoy the time I had with the students that I had grown up with. Now, I am in a completely new world, and I wish I could go back in time just to give myself some encouragement and a little sense of urgency to live freely.

I have always done well with managing my time and money, but when you enter college and gain the freedom of no parental restraints and a more relaxed schedule than high school, you get caught up in the college freshman buzz. When at high school you're almost forced to spend 8 hours a day, every day, at school. At college, you have a more relaxed schedule of maybe 4 classes a day, every other day. You think that you have all the time in the world to finish homework, but when you get caught up with having fun having a "day off," you slack off and procrastinate on school work. Thankfully I've always done well with time management, but managing money was a different story. When you're out socialized with potential friends, you go to the movies, you go out to eat, and the money goes with it. I would have given myself the advice to not get caught up in the freedom of free time and the need for socialization and whims of my wants. Friends are important, but there are plenty of fun, free and cheap things to do!

Don?t cry. You?re going be a big baby and not very fun to be around, unless you take my advice. Get used to not having you family to rely on. Seek out your independence and run with it. Trust me, you?ll love it. I beg you, try to be nice and TALK to people. People are going to think you?re weird and avoid you, if you don?t. Also, LISTEN to what people are saying and respond accordingly. If you mess up on either one of these things, you?re screwed. Take advantage of that first week. It is the best time to make friends. You don?t want a repeat of the past four years, do you? It is essential to have good relationships with your roommate, neighbors, and teachers. Take things seriously, but not too serious, of course you need to take academics seriously, but you seriously don?t need to stress out about GPA. Find a balance between seriousness and fun. Most important, don?t punish yourself if things aren?t perfect. Perfection can never be claimed, go ahead and do your thing.

If I were able to give my high school senior self some adivice I would tell them a few things. First I would tell them to study a little bit harder for the AP tests because having those credits will help you when you are signing up for classes after freshman year. I would also tell myself to not worry as much, that the transition is not too difficult. That everything that I learned about dealing with people in high school will make my college life easier. I would remind myself to have fun but not too much fun. I think I would also try to convince myself to work on study habits before I left for college. That once I got to college I would have to study a whole lot more than I ever had in high school, and having those habits before would have been very benifical. I would also tell myself that I needed to brush up on my reading non-fiction habits. I think that adjusting a few things might have made my transition that much better than it already was.

College is a completely different world than high school, and every college freshman realizes that fact as soon as their dorm door closes behind them. However, if I could speak to my high school persona and give some advice, I would first suggest to start formulating a daily study routine. College classes require a high amount of studywork that high school classes generally do not. Lastly, I would advise to enjoy your high school years. College is a wonderful place where ambitions become realities and lives change, but it is a rapid occurence. Do not rush the inevitable.

Hello, stressed out senior. Please understand that this is an important decision, but you need to calm down. Think clearly. Be honest with yourself. Be sure to cosider the things you love to do, not just what you have to do. Choose a school that can nurture you're talents and help you realize your dreams, not one that looks good on paper. It's okay to break the status quo. After you find schools that fit with your personality, pick one that sense financially. Think about your parents. They'll do anything for you, but don't make them. This is your expense, your dream, your life. Don't be a burden on anyone. This is an investment, but be realistic about what you can handle. Always be realistic. Find a way to make it work now, it will not work itself out. Also, it's better to make people unhappy sooner rather than later. Be honest NOW. It'll be too late in two years; you'll be trapped. All things considered, you NEED to know that you will never transition into a life that isn't you. P.S. I love you. A lot of people do.

Our eyes would scanning all over the collegeboard.com site, scrutinizing different statistic numbers such as "Percent of students who return for sophomore year," "graduate path," and SAT/ACT test scores from different schools. These value gives us glimps of student life: how satisfying is the school, what kind of graduate program is encouraged, and likehood of your peers being pothead, or valedictorian. After sorting out interesting schools, arrangement would be made with schools to visit the campus. List of "top choice" schools should not be truncated by numbers on financial award nor digits displayed on semester tuition, because great school truely have potential to offer greatest experience of one's life; educational investment is an investment that is truely worthy. Having exposure to various disciplinary fields in High school is highly encouraged, because these experiences could be an helpful guide when it is time for one to decide on major and minor in college. Taking as many AP or IB courses as possible in High school is encouraged as well, not only because it will give you some college credit, but also doing so will lead you a step closer to knowing "how to study" with self-discipline.

Take every opportunity you have to make a difference! Be smart and get out and be apart of the community. don't worry about the transition make sure you try and participate in school activities and stop being shy! Life is about being active to create a change and travel as far as you can go! Home is not that far and you can just grab your keys and take a 45 min. drive if you are really hungry because the cafeteria food is really terrible, applesauce with a dash of cinammon will be your saving grace. There is no better time than now to go out and explore things you would have otherwise never considered, such as being in a sorority, you will meet amazing girls that inspire you to find your purpose. I know you are really set on being a doctor, but you will discover a more rewarding career that will take you around the world. You are still going to do what you intend to do and so much more just make sure to stick through the tough times and enjoy the best of times, because before it'll pass you by.

Don't go to a college just because your friend, boyfriend, or girlfriend is going. Figure out what YOU want to do, where you can make that happen and do it.

Visit as many campuses you think necessary, but ultimately follow your gut-instinct because this is your home, your future.