Boise State University Top Questions

"Catherine, you won't work in restaurants your whole life." -- I've been taught to work hard for what I want, how will I know when I've worked hard enough? "Trust that intution! You've got talent far beyond a little country bumpkin you've been made out to be." -- I know I've got passion, but it's hard to see anything fabulous coming out of it here in little ol' Idaho. "Don't pretend like you worry about that, you've been trained to think it's hard and that not everyone makes it out there in the so-called 'real world'. You're starting a life-long relationship with your God and he'll support you in your descions. Now stop asking so many questions, you won't learn anything if I just unravel the next few years for you." --You're right, I don't worry. The unknown can just be so daunting, and I want to know now! "You won't be disappointed. Stick with your plan and go to Nantucket. La vida es tuya." : )

Look Dorothy, college is not what you see on the television. It's not all parties, good times, and easy school work. You have to work hard, stay organized, and not get caught up in all the freedom that comes when you go to college. There are going to be deadlines that you have to meet and parties that you are going to have to pass because you have to study for an exam the next day. However, these sacrifices are what is going to make you stronger and show if you really have the responsibility to say"no" when needed. Besides school, you are going to miss your family. All those times that you spend with your family, don't take them for granted because you will miss them when the time comes to leave. Take advantage of the time you have with your family and cherish it. When you are on your own you just have pictures and their voice but never their touch. This you can bear however it will be hard but you must be strong and remember why you are in college.

Going back in time I would advise my younger self to create better study habits. To me this was the hardest transition from high school to college. In high school classes are longer and most teachers give time in class to do assignments, in college, however, class time is shorter and no homework assignments are ever worked on in class. This means that study skills and habits come into effect and if you don't posses those skills you will stuggle doing your homework and achieving good grades. So to you, younger self, I advise doing your homework right after school and not procrastinating. This is the best advise you will get as you transition from a high school senior to a college freshman.

Well this is advice just to myself and probably would not apply too a general crowd. I know that at times I can be TOO focused on school. I would tell myself to relax a bit and have some fun. I would also tell myself to study in groups. I learned the power of studying in groups but it took me 'til my junior year to figure it out. I would also suggest that I look into engineering as a major. When I first went back to school I had no inclination of majoring in engineering and then I fell in love with it. The indecisiveness just added more time before I could graduate. Last I would suggest consistently working out.

I would say become humble as soon as you can, because at college you are no longer the smartest or best in the class. College is competitive and hard so be ready for a ton of pressure. and a few melt downs. I would warn myself that not managing my time well will cost me a lot more in college than it did in high school. I would encourage myself to be more outgoing and to get involved more. I would also mention balancing social with academic responsibilities for a healthy state of mind. I would have taken a few harder courses in high school, especially in science, because it's a lot easier to grasp the concept over a year rather than in a few months. Basically, I would say have fun but be responsible and take school serious, you're paying for an education so don't mess around too much.

I would tell myself to work harder. As a high school senior, sometimes you are just so ready to be done with high school, that you don't plan for the future. You are just preparing to be done with high school, and sometimes you don't seriously look at your future and plan for it until it is too late. I myself thought that I didn't need to go to school, and now I am 24 years old, and realize that I could have been done with my Master's degree, but alas I am only a Sophomore. That is okay, however if I could do it over again, I would go to school right out of high school. Now, trying to pay for school, work full-time, do my studies, and taking care of my family has made college much more difficult than it probably needs to be. However, I know that to have a wonderful future and to be a more rounded person, college is essential. In conclusion, I wish I would have known that the longer you wait to go, the more challenging college will be for you.

That starting college is best experienced right after high school. It opens up and introduces you to the whole world. Here, you can taste everything and develope yourself into exactly what you want to be. Waiting to go to college makes it harder to actually start. By the time you do choose to go back, you will already have a life, and whatever that life is, it doesn't step aside for school. Go to college NOW! Make college your life for a while and have a blast! Don't put college aside to be somebody now, go to college and be a better somebody after!

I would tell myself to apply to as many scholarships as possible as soon as possible. The economy is tough, jobs can be hard to get, and school is expensive. Gas money, book money, basically money for anything can be related to school and it runs out fast.

Dear Jamie, College is like a giant pond, and you are just a small guppy lost in the mucky water. As my mother once said, ?Go do something out of your shell.? Just enough to live on the wild side for a moment or two. As for studies, getting to know those around you will allow for great studying opportunities. Break the ice, because after all, ice melts in the long run. Boise is a great town and you shouldn?t miss any opportunities including football games, walks on the green belt, movie nights, or even the sporadic dance in the rain. College is all what you make it. You will have the education and life experiences that will prepare you for anything. College may become overwhelming; take a deep breath and smile, because you are living the dream. As my semester comes closer to an end all of the pieces have come together. This is not a puzzle in the image of a favorite cartoon character, but the landscape of an archway that shows the entrance to a new beginning. As said by many other anonymous authors, ?This is not the end of a chapter, but just the beginning.?

I think the first thing I would tell myself is just not to worry. I didn't have the greatest experience in high school, attending 3 schools, I was always the new kid. I worried a lot about going to school and being on my own and that I would experience the same trouble as in high school, however that was not the case in the least! College is completely different. You can be whoever you want to be, and change your plan as many times as you want (I suppose it is limited for most people) but everything is just different! The only other thing I would have warned myself about would be the money. Although I was receiving loans and had money saved up, I struggled towards the end, because I had no outside help for personal funds. I guess I would also say to just let loose. Stop worrying so much.