College of Charleston Top Questions

College represents a transitional period in pretty much every student's life. Whether their major is Undecided or Theoretical Physics, each student is fighting a battle, and each student has to reforge both the way they think and the habits they keep. No one is over your shoulder to tell you to attend class or to complete your homework. You are the only one held accountable for your errors. My advice is to make damn sure that your interpersonal relationships don't interfere with your ability to achieve your goals. Friends, lovers, and the like aren't there to hold you back, but the momentary reprieve they offer can quickly send you down the path of being unmotivated and slacking off. You must find a balance between your academics and the time you devote to your friends. If you fail to do so, then you'll wind up dropping out and effectively wasting a few years of your life.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself the following things: find a study plan that works for you, try harder on the classwork that you have, find plenty more scholarships than you applied for, and take more AP classes than you did. Studying is an every day thing in college, as soon as you are out of class you will be doing homework and studying. If you would have tried harder (even though you tried really hard) you could have gotten slightly better grades and had more chances at more scholarships. You will be about $10,000 down in loans if you don't look for more scholarships, that might not sound bad now, but it is more avoidable than you think, so find more scholarships, and apply until your fingers hurt from typing those 250 word essays. Take more AP classes, it helps your GPA when you pass and you have the potential to pass the exams that give you college credit, and I promise you will want that in the end. Most of all listen to me, you will thank me later.

I would definitely tell my high school self to be more open new things. I would say to give the sorority life a try, try to be more involved in clubs from the beginning, and talk to more people. In high school I was pretty unsocial and I stayed that way. I really wish I had opened up sooner so that I would have friends. I would also tell myself that college is a little harder than I expected. High school should be the time to learn how to study and not stick with the old ways of winging it. School is hard enough class wise, but it's also going to be hard to pay off. Look for scholarships sooner! I also wouldn't want myself to get tied down to a guy as quickly as I did because I feel that I would have been more open to new people that way. The last thing I would say is not to room with my high school best friend in the dorms. It is not the smartest idea because the relationship goes away and the opportunity to live with a new and unfamiliar person is taken away.

Looking in the mirror today, I like what I see. My reflection shows a strong, ambitious, and beautiful person. However, it was not always this way. If I were back five years ago, the reflection staring back at me would be desperately searching for help. I would see it in her eyes, a story within each tear. If I could speak to her I would tell her that, even though she doesn’t believe it, she is beautiful and life will get better. I would hug her and let her know that her pain will turn into strength. I would open her eyes and her heart to the passion she will develop. I would remind her how big her heart is, and I would let her in on a secret: her heart is going to take her on a wild journey. I would tell her that, even though I don’t know how the journey ends, I merely know the beginning and it is already worth it. For even though there will still be heartache, she will be much stronger. The insecurity that she holds so firmly will eventually be let go, and that she will learn to love herself.

"Take your school work seriously." When I was in high school, I was bright, but I did put any effort behind what I already knew, so though I could ace and exam, my grades were still a train wreck because I would procrastinate with projects and papers and even skip homework all together. When it was time to apply for colleges I found colleges that fit my supposedly level of intellegence and was shocked when I didn't get in. I realized my problem when one of my teachers said to me, "You want more than you're willing to work for." I will never forget that. And the moment I entered college I was and still am an entirely new person. I made the deans list this past semester and tutor other students in my major. I truely have a passion for the science I study and enjoy learning it. I would tell my former self, to jump threw the hoops. Do the worksheets that seem pointless because you will learn from them in the long run and get the grades you need to go where you want to go. To the best Medical School!

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self, then I would tell myself to apply earlier and apply to scholarship earlier becasue I missed out on some good ones. I would also tell myself to learn how to code during high school, so I can make money while working at the college for a back up plan if I need it. I would tell myself to get things done earlier and not annoy my mom about the stuff and be pacient.

A pep-talk to my high school self... Don't be so prideful! As a high-schooler, you thought you had my life all planned out and that you knew everything there was to know. Boy were you wrong! Humility is a quality that will get you far in life. Being able to admit when you're wrong and take the advice of those who are older and wiser than you is an invaluable quality to have. Listen to the advice of the people who love you and who want you to succeed. However, don't be afraid to follow your own heart and become your own person. Just make sure you use your head as well. Finding the balance between heart and head is crucial to your success. We were given both for a reason and you must learn to use both wisely and maturely. Both will offer you help and guidance throughout your life. You need to learn to balance the advice you get from others, what you feel in your heart, and what you know in your head. And make sure everything you do is coupled with a good dose of humility!

If I could go back and talk to my high school senior self I would tell myself to make sure that I was making choices based on what was best for me. Being in graduate school now, I would tell myself that it is important to have fun in college but it is also important to work hard. People always say, work hard play hard, but I would tell myself play hard, work harder. I had a great time in college and I would assure my senior self that she will have a great time but I would instill in her the importance of thinking ahead and honestly doing the best you can. If you have an "easy class" make sure you get that A, and if you have a hard class, work even harder to get that A. It really does pay off in the long run. I would also tell my senior self to not worry so much her first year of college about what her major was going to be. It will click and all fall into place. She will end up where she needs to be.

Take advantage of every oppertunity for scholarships and AP credits. Get involved in as many clubs as you can and have fun. Hang out with your friends and make new ones so that even if you go to a college that none of them go to, you will have lots of practice making new friends. Try not to worry too much about the future and continue to do what makes you happy throughout college and take in as many new experiences as you can. Have fun and study and be yoruself because that is what really matters, you can be the smartest, most successful person, but if you aren't being yourself it isn't worth it. Be happy because you made it to your senior year and be excited because you're going to college and take it all one day at a time.

I would give the following advice to myself: 1. GO ON A STUDY ABROAD 2. Don't get in a committed relationship so quickly. 3. You only live once, live it up responsibly. 4. Take a roundtrip with your friends. 5. Get more involved with clubs you care about! 6. Don't worry about the little things, or drama, it will all work out in the end. 7. Make a difference in your community! 8. Pick a major that will get you a job, and take electives that you find interesting. Majors like Art History, will not get you a great paying job! 9. When choosing classes, chose it baed on the professor not the time it is held. Great professors don't always choose the best times. 10. Make sure you do an internship with a great company-They may give you a job after college. 11. Don't eat late at night- you will gain weight! 11. Take advantage of the fitness facillities on camus. 12. Pay interest rate on loans, and get a job before you take out a loan! 13. Hunt for scholarships- don't be lazy!! Free money is always best!