Colorado State University-Fort Collins Top Questions

Things are never as hard as they seem, you know that more than anyone. You?ve always made friends easily and you?ve got great ones, just remember not to take yourself too seriously. That goes for your assignments too; you?re smart and there?s nothing you can?t do. If you get a bad grade, it really isn?t the end of the world. And you?re parents really did get your ready for the real world; be prepared, a ton of people are not going to know how to wash clothes or even cook a few meals. Being helpful feels great. By the way, get more scholarships. Now. No doubt you know how to stretch a dollar, but out of state tuition is kind of killing you slowly and your family is collateral damage. Other than that, have fun and don?t be afraid of growing up.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would help myself prepare for college. First of all, taking what I know now, I would make sure the high school me focused more on studying. In high school all the learning is structured by the teachers. They tell you what homework to do and what to read and what will be on the tests. In college, you take notes in class, and you are responsible for learning on your own. You must know what to study and how to study. There are no worksheets to take home. It takes hours of reading and studying and constantly going over the material. I would make sure my high school self knew this so I would be able to practice study habits and be ready for college!

Caitlin, though you imagine yourself more worldly that you really are, you?re still a naive little senior. Busy with school, friends, sports and anything else you can pack into your schedule. You dream about leaving high school behind and finally entering the ?real world?. You?re making all sorts of plans for yourself, but don?t forget to stop daydreaming and listen to Smailes? lectures in English. He?ll make writing a paper at 2am a lot easier, trust me. That brings up another good point: try to get the procrastination bug behind you. The dance parties with your friends on the floor are a blast, but not when you have that paper for Government in the back of your mind. Go talk to all of your professors at least once?not only will you stand out, but you?ll get more help than you realized. Remember that when you first meet people, you don?t have to share everything. Let people get to know you slowly, and you cultivate better friendships than you imagined. Enjoy recruitment for the sorority; these girls will be your sisters for life. Above all have fun?it?ll fly faster than you know.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would let myself know that the next 4+ years of my life would be harder than I think. Homework barely exists anymore, and when it does, it is usually reading. Professors do not really care if you get the reading done; lessons will continue as planned. Late work is not accepted in most cases. Exams usually can not be made up. The trick to surviving college is discipline. You have got to make yourself do your work, and do it the right way. Mom and dad will not be there everyday to make sure you get your homework done. Although school is very important, and it is imperative to keep studying, do not forget to have a social life. Make friends, but do not go crazy. These will be the best years of your life, you have just got to make sure you do not regret them. Believe in yourself above all, because if you do not, you will sink faster than lead in water.

I would make sure I knew before my senior year the colleges that had what I was looking for. I would tell myself to make sure and spend a lot of time to go on many websites for the scholarships and fill out as many as I can to get any finical help that I need. Especially for going to a state school that is out of state which makes it even more expensive.

After going to college, out of state, for one semester I now know that it is not as scary as I imagined. During my senior year I was debating on going out of state or just staying in state, which would have been the easier way. After hours of consideration and countless pro and con lists I chose to go out of state. I wasn't sure if I made the right choice at the time because of the cost of out of state tuition but I now know better. I know I wouldn't have been happy if I stayed in state and I would have regretted it later in life. College only happens once and you need to make the most of it. So, the advice that I would give myself is to do what you want to do and don't have any regrets. And, you can't put a price on happiness. I would rather be paying off loans my whole life and be happy than not have loans and be miserable.

Vicky do yourself a favor and go off to college with no fear and no baggage. That means no boyfriend, try not to be shy when meeting new people, and don't be afraid to put yourself out there, because in reality everyone is in the same boat as you. Try to stay at the dorms on weekends it'll help you make friends, and join as many clubs as you can handle because they really are helpful in meeting people, you will find yourself eventually. Everyone is nervous and a little scared. College is a big step in life and you just have to applaud yourself for even getting there, take it one step at a time. Some other advice i would give you is that you should never stop looking for scholarships, just put in the effort to find them. Focus on your studies, grades come first, so the minute you get out of class and have a few hours go over the material again, its a very helpful technique. Even though your classes are your number one priority make sure your taking care of yourself as well, and don't be afraid to try new things.

Transitioning from high school to college is a big step, and the advice I would give myself is to continue to stay focused on school work and do all of the volunteer work and club work as possible because colleges and scholarships look at those things specifically to see if you are a well-rounded person. It is important to be a well-rounded person because in the long run, you will see that all of your experience out does the next person giving you an advantage in the "big world." Stay on top of it.

If I could do the whole college search experience again I would first and foremost start the process earlier. There are so many different paths to go down and figuring out which to take is a time consuming ordeal to make sure you are happy with where you go. Visiting the campus before was crucial to deciding if I fit. I did! I think feeling overwhelmed, nervous, and excited were the main emotions my senior year. Mixed emotions are perfectly okay. First, to increase the excitement I should have communicated with my roommate more because I went into it without a clue of who she was really. Fortunately, it worked out perfectly! Secondly, I would say keep a planner. It is my main form of organization and without it I would go crazy. It tactfully lays out my homework, extracurricular activities, important dates, and social events. Lastly, learning to say "no" is okay. With so many things to do at college, choose the top priorities. I figured out I do not have to do absolutely everything to be happy.

Assuming, I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, knowing what I know about college life and the transition;the advise I would give myself is listen to your elders. My uncle, mom, and financial status was telling me to go to community college but, I did not want to accept that fact. I had worked hard in high school and wanted to be that girl who went to a university as a freshman. Even though I knew it was not possible. I needed to accept the fact that community college is great; but, remember to know exactly what classes you want to take for the semester and register the minute registration opens. This point is extremely important. During your second semester it will cause problems for you forcing you to attend the university prematurely. Once you attend the university prematurely you will run into many problems and give yourself a meltdown. Focus harder on being the best student, have fun, meet people but most important-what you take and the grades you receive are utterly important. High school senior self please don't forget this advise it will help you; I promise.