alisha
I would say to my self, Alisha " college will do nothing but give you a better career in life." Sure it will be scary when you first start out. The best thing to remember is that you will be the first in your family to finish school. Not only once you finish your degree are you guareented a new begining, but you will also make the rest of your life easier. They only way to get a stable life for yourself once you are elderly is college. While others may think oh just being a manager somewhere is good, it can always be better. Take the average joe who makes 50,000 a year. If they had a degree for the field they were in they could make up to twice the money. It is all about bettering yourself one step farther than if you had not gained the knowledge. College is also a good life expieriance. Teaching you to be more preductive and set goals to reach for in life.
Angela
Just because your parents told you that you wouldn't be good at something doesn't mean that it is true. Don't be afraid to try something just because of what someone else tells you. Even if you were bad at something earlier doesn't mean that you can't succeed at it now. Always be open to opportunities and possibilities, you may just find a new passion.
Richard
If I could travel back in time and deliver some sage advice to my 18 year old self concerning the choices that will affect my future, I would surely have enough information to fill a novel or two, or three! However, I would emphasize the importance of choosing a career that has a limitless future as well as being something that I could enjoy doing and take pride in for the rest of my days. An education is useful only if; you can take advantage of it, enjoy what you learn, and if it will constantly evolve over time. Whether you seek an Associates degree or a Doctorate, the institutional aspect of education is merely a stepping stone in what will become a lifetime of learning. I would advise myself to create a 20 year life plan that would help me choose a suitable career path. Set obtainable goals for those 20 years and evaluate my progress after the first 10. It's far easier to change paths or modify your progression in your younger years than it is later in life. Finally, be studious...there will be plenty of time to "kick up my heals" later in life.
Brian
As a returning student, I have contemplated this question many of times. What would I have done different? I would tell myself to take my education seriously. At the time I graduated high school, I started at an assembly plant making more money than I ever had in my entire life, but I had not been around long enough to know how unstable the autoindustry could be. Now I know that jobs will come and go and the only thing that allows one person to stand out from the rest is the education and skills one possesses. I would tell myself to enjoy the college expierence and get that education; life will pass you by quickly and you may end up searching for a job at thirty something wishing you had taken the opportunity more seriously than you ever did. As an older student now, I would tell my younger self to be assertive, punctual, and always be on time. Future employers look for these aspects in their employees. Seeing that I graduated in nineteen ninety I might tell myself to also invest in the internet. (It couldn't hurt, right?)
Alyssa
At the start of my senior year, while still living at home, I would have made myself save every dollar I made. I am not receiving any government assistance of financial aid for my college tuition, I'm paying it all on my own. I only have about 1/5 of the amount of money I'll need for my tuition once I've completed my associate degree, so I should have saved more while I had the chance.
Somer
Looking back to my senior year of High School, Some advice i would have given myself would be to focus more and take time to do assignments thouroughly. Take things more seriously cause after high school you are kind of on your own, and you will have to make the decision rather you will want to be succesful or fail. I would also have said that sometimes in order to achieve things you might have to let go some things as well, such as friends and other things that are distracting you from getting ahead.