DigiPen Institute of Technology Top Questions

Easily, I would have told myself to have gotten more involved. To have thoroughly immersed myself in scholarship opportunities, the college search, and really work to prepare myself. I missed a lot of opportunities as a high school senior and I am paying for those mistakes now in my first year of college. I would have told myself that my future and my education should be the number one thing on my mind, no matter what, and to always put myself first, and not allow others to get in the way of that. The only one who should be in control of my future is me, and that I shouldn't doubt myself or let others discourage me. I especially would have warned myself not to allow myself to sit in abusive relationships that will only harm me and my future, even if they are family. I would have said, "You are important. Don't worry about being a disappointment to anyone but yourself. "

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior I'm afraid most advice would have gone unheard. Even so, the best advice I could have given myself is to not have a girlfriend when I decided to go to college. It makes things so much more difficult. I second guessed myself so many times while applying for school because my girlfriend was gonna be crushed when I left. Now that I'm in school it's very distracting when I'm trying to get school work done. I'm constantly getting text messages and expected to respond in a timely manner. Often times it would be more beneficial to me to stay up here on the weekends to finish homework and help with my group project, but I am torn between academics and trying to make my girlfriend happy. So in retrospect, things would be much easier if I could focus my attention solely on school and not have a significant other.

"Hey, Nelson. I knew we'd get into DigiPen. Now prepare to get wrecked with loads of homework. Study up on anatomy, pay attention in art history, and don't procrastinate. You got someone to look out for. Also, try your hardest in figure drawing and do your best. Go to all of the drawing sessions. Even if you are tired and sick of it, go through with it to the end. Good luck in your freshman year. It will change you." Maybe my GPA might be a little bit higher if I gave myself this advice back then.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to open up and not be scared. I went my whole first semester being scared to talk to new people. I learned that once I got to know people I enjoyed college a lot more. College students should open up and get to know their peers. The people they meet will become a very important part of their life, almost like their second family. I was worried that people would judge me, but they did not. That gave me confidence to talk to more people and enjoy this time more.

As a Digipen college student talking to a high school student, here is some advise: Time management. At Digipen there's a lot to do in a very short amount of time. The school emulates the game/film industry, meaning that most of your time will be devoted to your work. I’m talking ten to twelve hours a day on campus. The workload also extends outside of class, and it’s up to each individual student to manage his/her own time to get everything done. In your case, I advise to carry a planner wherever you go. I know you may not like the idea, but believe me, you're not a person who can keep everything in your head (it stresses you out). The planner will help you know what you are doing everyday, and complete them. It will inspire you to realistically set out time for work where you can put all your focus on a particular task. Plus, you will enjoy the feeling of checking off finished assignments. At Digipen you’re the manager, and keeping organized is the way to succeed. All you need to remember is to stay focused and get a planner.

College is not going to be easy but it is a wonderful foundation to build the rest of your life on.

Never give up on yourself and your belief that hard work will pay off. You can make a living doing something that you love, you do in fact have talent and when combined with your strong work ethic will take you into one of the hardest and most rewarding growing industries. You can do it!

As a highschool senior, I had no idea where to go or what to do with my life. My parents have always pushed me to become a doctor. I blindly followed, knowing I'd slave away at chemistry and biology just to do it. However, in my heart, I knew it was different. I loved impressing people; bringing my imagination to life. However, I never took art classes, because art was only a “distraction.” I knew this especially well since I would always bring my sketchbooks to class and draw in them, come home and look up tutorials online on digital coloring, and stay up late just to get those finishing touches done on that picture. It was silly to go into art when I was supposed to go to medical school. If I could go back in time and tell my old self about DigiPen and that there -is- more in "your" future than having to make money as a doctor, I would tell myself that I could go to an amazing school while following my passion, and have fun learning. I would tell myself that I could stop looking at simple tutorials online and actually take classes instead.

I believe it would go, a little something like this: I know that you're struggling through this high school thing, and I know it doesn't seem to be looking up at all. However you have to know that going to college, the sooner is better. Sure, it's scary! You're bright, and a quick learner - don't allow yourself to be so pressured that you forget just how much you can achieve. College staff work their hardest to make sure you have the answers you need, and that you know you're exactly where you need to be to gain everything you can from the experience. Don't be afraid to assert yourself, and succeed. I know you can, and there is plenty of people that support you as well.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself in Senior Year of high school I would tell him to not be afraid. Although college can be a scary transition it can also be one of the greatest experiences of his life. I would also tell him to do his best to immerse himself into the school by meeting a lot of the other students and the professors. By meeting a lot of people it can make the transition much easier and make the overall experience more fun. Another thing I would say is to save up a lot of money. They may not have any scholarships but working and saving up could help in the long run. Also I would say that it would be okay to take the year off from school mainly to save up money.