Dakota State University Top Questions

I would tell myself that it is not easy but to just keep on going and you will get through it. Also I would tell myself to start to save money because college keeps getting more and more expensive and I was not ready for that and the amount of money I had to take out. I would also tell myself to take college credits in high school so then I would not have to pay to take them in college because that would have saved me a great amount of money.

The single best advice I can give anyone is that they should go to class. In class you will make more friends than you think and actually learn the things that will help you be successful.

Don't worry about dating, leave that alone for the first year or two. Focus on getting friends, and just get your work done early so you can spend that time with the friends you make. Don't sign up for too many activities, and make sure you don't take on too much. Also, keep an eye on how much money you have. Don't be too cheap, but be wise.

Don't slack off. You don't have Mom around to keep you on track. No matter how easy classes might seem, or how inevitable failure might be, spend as much time as you need in order to be the best student you can be. You're there to learn, and there's no reason not to try your hardest. Even between classes and studying, you'll still have plenty of time to hang around and make friends. College might seem like the time people are supposed to goof off and have fun, and it IS supposed to be a fun experience, but it's also supposed to be the time that sets you up for the real world. High School didn't really matter. It's four years of your life that are supposed to set you up for the four that actually make the difference.

I would advise my younger self to try her hardest in high school and actually study. I don't have problems studying now, but my habits could be better. I would also tell myself to study hard on core subjects. Math and science classes are a part of nearly every college student's career, and going in with more than I had (nothing) would have helped immensely. I have a hard time with math, and studying it more in high school would have prepared me better. I was good in Biology and could have easily gotten college credit while in high school and I didn't. I'm now going into my final semester, taking four 400-level classes and one 100-level science class, something that could have been avoided. A last thing I would tell my younger self is to read while she still can. I have a mountain of books I want to read but on top of work and school, I just can't motivate myself to do so. I really wish I would have read more while I was in high school.

If I were to replay my life I would go to college after highschool on my own and be done before I was 40. I would have listened to others and not have moved out of my home so early as a teen. I say I would love to do it all over again but the reality is if I did I would never have had my two incredible children. If I could have still had them and go to college I would have worked harder and went to my dream school and I would have done it all on my own to prove to my father and myself that it can be done. If anyone wants to go to college they need to do it while they are young. Don't wait, do it now before life happens and there is no way out but online college and student loan debt at 40. I work two jobs and go to college online and have no free time, why would you want to live like this. Go to school now before it is too late! Cross that stage with a degree in hand and be proud of yourself!

Josh, forget the Art Institute of Schaumberg. Columbia is much MUCH better for what you're looking to do! They have a BETTER curriculum! Also? Fill the FAFSA out with the help of SOMEONE WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING! Don't do that yourself! You'll screw it up! I know! I was there! You'll spend a semester at what you'll later call your definition of "heaven" and spend the next 4 years going to Purdue for what they call, "practically the same thing," when really? It's not. Not even close! Please, look into all of this in your JUNIOR YEAR, not after you graduated! Seriously, get someone for that FAFSA. It doesn't get simpler until 2010. Also, relax. It's just high school. Forget the girls, forget the bullies, work on extracurricular. Also, Academic Decathalon is awesome. Do that ASAP. Take it easy, I'll see you around. PS: Don't be afraid of the train or Chicago. The world is big and scary, but can be a really cool place to live if you just take time to get to know it.

In just the first semester of my college career I have learned some important lessons that I wish I had known from the start. I was determined to live in the residence halls, even though my parents tried to talk me out of it. After the first three weeks of school I had already moved back into my parent's house because it wasn't worth the drama or the money. I wish I would have listened to my parents and saved my $2000 but what newly graduated senior is going to listen to their parents. At the beginning of the semester I was ambitious and ready for anything; but about a month or so in, that ambition started to fade. If I had known the effect my lack of ambition would have on my grades I could have made more of an effort throughout the entire semester. I ended up passing everything just fine, but I definitely had some catching up to do toward the end of the semester. I would just make sure that my high school self new to take advice to heart and always keep your ambition! It will pay off!

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would inform myself that I should try harder than I did in my classes instead of waiting for the teachers to push me who never saw the point in making me want to learn. I would tell myself not to use my learning disability as an excuse . I would also tell myself to go to college right out of high school instead of waiting until I turned 32 years old. I would tell myself to stop skipping school because I was depressed over things that seem trivial now. I would inform myself that I have a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder and to talk to my parents and counselor about getting into behavioral therapy.But most of all I would tell myself that I should stay in school and work hard on my grades no matter what every one else thought of my capabilities and intelligence because now that I have the instructors I have , I know I can make it and succeed in college.

You need to study more. Yeah, it's fun to slack off and see if you can finish that 8 page paper the night before it's due and see if you can still make the grade. But you really should learn to be more time efficient. Plan things out better. Don't wait until the last minute. It only stresses you out. That tv show will be online tomorrow; you can watch it then. Yeah, it's fun to stay out late, but the grades you make in college, effect you a lot more than you think. So close facebook, twitter and pinterest, open up Microsoft Word, and start that paper while you have the time.