Fitchburg State University Top Questions

The best piece of advice I could give myself as a high school senior is to make the decisions that will impact the rest of your life solely on what you want, and not what other people would want. We are blessed with the opportunity to live our lives based on what we want to do, and when your hopes and dreams are overshadowed by others, we are simply not living our life to the fullest capacity. I can say this piece of advice would have definitely helped me in my decision for college, and luckily I was able to act early enough and change things to the point where I'm satisfied with where I am currently.

Assuming I could go back in time and talk to myself when I was a high school senior, I may have had more respect for my youth. Knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, the advice I would give to myself is to LISTEN to me. Listening to someone with more experience and wisdom is certainly not something a seventeen year old takes fondly to, or at least I didn't. I had no inclination this upcoming period in my life was going to be so full of personal and emotional growth. The thrill of new surroundings, new friendships, and new independance was overwhelming. It is a whole new beginning to a you of your choosing. You are tested by all extremes of peer pressure and personal responsibility. The experience for me felt like I went to sleep one night in my childhood bed knowing my parents were down the hall watching over me and guiding me. The next day I woke up to adulthood, responsibility and maturity. The time to discover my identity in this world began in that moment when I bid my parents farewell and thanked them for the ride to school.

If I was given the opportunity to send a letter to myself in high school about my college experience, I would express the importance of focus and determination. As a high school student, I was intrigued by the idea of collegiate studies and campus life. Though I have always been a driven student, I may have placed focus on certain aspects of my educational career that were not as important as others. I allocated most of my time to studying for specific assignments, rather than reading or studying just because. As I entered English courses in college, I realized that my vocabulary was extremely limited. I had trouble understanding things that I needed to learn because I did not know the context in which most subjects were written. I would tell myself to be sure to read for pleasure, to read articles from prestigious magazines, and to learn vocabulary as it is used in context to subject matter. I learned that expanding one's vocabulary is best accomplished by reading and paying attention to how words are used. I would tell myself to read in my spare time to increase my vocabulary, which would benefit me in my collegiate courses.

Knowing what I know now about college life, I would have advised myself to wait a semester after high school to go to college. I wasn't financially or mentally ready. I was going through a lot in my life and still am. Even though I would have waited, I'm glad I went to college right after high school. College changed me and made me want to do better things for myself. I'm determined to achieve and succeed my goals in life of becoming a child psychiatrist. I love kids and want to help them. I've gone through so much struggles getting to where I am now. College taught me that life isn't easy and I have to be mentally and physically strong. Freshman year was hard for me to transition because I always missed home, family, and friends. Now I work out a schedule to go home once in a while to spend time with the people I love. Also, being at college, I made new friends and we have become a family. No matter what happens I know they will always be there like I am for them. College is a great experience!!

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Fortunately, I was accepted into my first choice for school and major. I even ended up with my own room! I think the reason, however, that I was actually so fortunate was that I was on top of my application process. I started really early, submitted everything before it was due, and paid my housing deposit, and other fees as soon as they came in the mail. I don't know if I would have done this all on my own; I had my parents encouraging me and urging me every step of the way to get certain things done, to stay on track. I didn't always listen. I missed out on several scholarship deadlines that I might have been eligible for. So, even though things went just the way I wanted in the end, they might have been even better if I had listened more. So that's what I would tell my high school senior self if I had the chance: listen to your parents, or other helpful adults, even if it hurts your pride a little to do so.

Know your options. Educate yourself as best you can about each possible school and weigh every aspect of it. Always take the financial part into count and never assume you can make it. Apply for as many scholarships and as much financial aid as you possibly can. Of course, thats not all you should consider, make sure you go somewhere you know you'll be happy. You want to have fun. Find out about clubs and activities offered at your schools and join as much as you can, it's a great way to get out there and meet new people. Overall, it is about your education though. Check out their programs and make sure it is right for you. You want to go somewhere you know you'll exceed and get the best education you possibally can all while having fun while doing it if you can.

I would inform myself that I need to go to a physical therapist to fix my knee problems. I would also tell myself to start working out more, college is more fun when you don't feel crappy about your weight. Also, it's more fun without acne, so talk to the doctor about being on anti-biotics. I would tell myself to go see a doctor, inform myself that I suffer from depression and need to talk to a doctor and my mom about all of my current issues and that talking fixes them so that I am not suffering. Lastly, I would tell myself not to take an honors english class, because that is just a horrible idea and not to procrasinate signing up for classes even though I procrasinate with everything.

The first day of college is a new environment, it is nothing like elementary, junior high, or even high school. You are going to a school where you are known as a grown adult and not a child. Therefore, anything you do is all on you. However, every freshman in college has this one worry, which is how to survive the first week of college. Many advices I like to give to freshman on how to survive the first week of college is to tour the campus, look over all the syllabus your professor provide for you and view over your textbooks, organize your room and school supplies, and make sure you have a routine so your schedule is balanced. These are good tips on surviving the first week of college. Being on your own is scary. Going to a new school, new people, and a new home is overwhelming. Using these tips will help you survive not only the first week of college, but also your schooling throughout college and throughout your life. College is teaching you not only your career you want to pursue, but also the beginning of your life and goals you want.

The only advice I would give myself would be, apply for scholarships. I thought when I graduated that there would be people just handing me money to go, but I was quickly snapped back to reality. The fact is that I need scholarships in order to stay in college. If I knew how important they were I would have told myself to apply to them.