Ball State University Top Questions

I feell the best advise would be to go into social work, at the time when I was in high school I didn't know what I wanted to go into major wise. Even though I don't believe in changing anything about your past I would love to know what was the carreer path I was headed. I would also tell myself to be open minded to every opportunity and to keep working as hard as I did in high school becuase it really would pay off in the end, just like my mother always said. I would also say that I made the right desision in choosing colleges and that I shouldn't worry.

I would jump at the oppurtunity to go back and give myself some words of wisdom in high school. "Stay focused and always push to be better" would be the major advice I would give myself. It is so easy to get caught up in the excitement of the people, the places, the parties and forget what you are here for; to educate yourself and grow as an individual. It is important to find your balance between school and socializing. It is beneficial to do above and beyond what is required of you in school but also find that time to socialize and make some amazing friends. Don't be afraid to meet new people and try things outside your comfort zone, in the end those are the things that turn out to be the most worthwhile. So don't stress about the small stuff in the end everything is going to turn out the way it should.

I would tell myself to bring home my backpack--with books in it--on a daily basis. When I was in high school, I was able to complete my work in school and did not spend much time studing but was still able to maintain decent grades. I graduated in the top third of my class. I got into my choice of college but with no scholarship money. My grades were average but not spectacular. If I knew then what I know now, I would tell myself to study more and get all A's so that my parents and I would not have to work so hard to fund my college tuition. I did not think that straight A's would matter that much when it came to money for college. I thought that A's were god and that B's were fine too. Little did I know that this lack of effort in high school came back to bite me, and now I'm working every summer and during school breaks to make money to help fund my education. If only..... I had brought my books home DAILY-- instead of an empty backback-- in high school...

The advice I would give myself is to be diverse and to not be scared of what college has to bring. College can be very overwhelming and the transition can be scary but get to know people and interact with the community as fast as possible. I would tell myself to never judge a book by its cover because every person on the campus has a story and you never know who can become your best friend at school. For instance, being from New Jersey and attending a school in Indiana; to me it seems as though everyone is from the same high schools and it seems as though everyone is from Indiana but by putting myself out there I have met so many people and people have welcomed me to the new state and introduced me to their friends. The most important thing is just to remember everyone comes from something so never judge and be open.

My advice to myself would be to listen a little more to my teachers; study a little harder for tests, and take school a little more seriously. I would advise myself to get involved more in my school and its activities.

If I were able to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have told myself to be more organized and prepared in coming to college. I would have applied for more scholarships and financial aid opportunities that would be able to help me now. I procrastinated and missed scholarships because of deadlines, not because I was not worthy of them. I completed dual credit courses and AP courses that gave me many credit hours in college, and it was the smartest thing I did. I would tell anyone to take courses that could potentially give you college credit. Getting to know your teachers is also helpful. They can write you letters of recommendation that will help in your search for a college and financial aid. Applying to colleges early can also help get extra scholarships, so I would have looked into different colleges sooner and weighed my options. I am happy with my college choice, and the transition. Living on campus, a scary thought in my senior year, is not what I thought it was. Being more prepared, I now know college is an amazing experience.

Lauren, life's what you make it-nobody else. You have the world at your feet so choose what's best for you because in the long run, it's not the size of the school that matters, or that horrible bio teacher you had. All that matters is that you're happy doing what you're doing and you're going to be successful if you work hard and stay focused. You have so much potential, don't sell yourself short and make choices just to make other people happy-who knows if they'll even be in your life 10 years down the road. Nursing school is going to be tough and competitive, but keep your head on straight, have fun, and you'll do great.

I would tell myself to start off on a good note in college. I would tell myself to relax but to still be prompt with schoolwork and other activities. I would say that the responsibility is much greater but will help me mature as a person. The main piece of advice I would give is to be focused and to not give in to negative distractions. There is time for a social life so there is no need to give in to peer pressure just to have fun. I wasn't very good at time management in High school so I would tell myself to be ready to manage my time carefully with schoolwork,social activities, and other activities. The most important piece of advice I could tell myself is to completely get my schoolwork done before I do anything else. This has now help me mature and become more responsible for my life and I believe I have changed alot for the better since i've been in high school.

When I was in high school, I never really thought about what exactly I wanted to study in college, how much it would cost, or how long it would take. My advice to myself would have been to give more thought about what I would like to do with my life and look into universities that could cater to my needs. Going into college, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to be when it was all said and done. I transferred schools and changed my major five times before I found medical technology, which I have finally decided to settle on. I feel that if I looked into all of the possible careers while I was still in high school, I would have known exactly what I wanted to do once I got here. This would have saved me a lot of time and money, two very important things to me now.

I would tell myself to take my senior year seriously, no blow-off classes. It would definitely make the transition to college much easier. It would help me prepare for the classes on the collegiate level. I would also take as many language classes, especially Latin and Greek classes that I could. I would also tell myself to apply for as many scholarships a possible and as early as possible. I would also tell myself to do more work in the community and definitely volunteer MORE! It would also help to watch out for senioritis!