Geneva College Top Questions

The biggest thing I would stress to my high school self is that you need to be true to who you are. People who question your actions are mainly curious, and in college none of that matters anyway. You can be anyone or anything. Do not let other people decide what you want. You have a voice and you need to use it. It is important to care what image you give off, but do not be afraid of being labeled "weird" or a "goody-two-shows." Mostly though, make sure that you are happy. If you are not doing what you love, then what is the point? There is not a point. Do the things you love and you will be happy.

Go to a state school and do not major in Liberal Arts

I would tell myself to choose based on courses offered in a program and cost of the institution. Do research into the school and possible careers and do not choose a program that has class sizes of 100 as the norm. Medicine is not something I expected to enjoy as much as I do, so I would tell myself to go for the Bachelors degree, and not the Associates that I chose to do complete first. Get ahead in the process so years aren't wasted working and putting myself through school at the same time. Take advantage of moving away! It is much easier to get room and board in the form of financial aid than it is to move away with car and rent payments. Look for scholarships online. These are also easier to find when in school full time rather than part time. Take as many courses at the community college as possible. This will save thousand is students loans. And finally stay under dads health insurance as long as possible. These costs are the reason I work and attend school full time, rather than paying triple the price when working part time.

I would tell myself to pay more attention to life and to the challenges that come up. Not everyone that you meet and seems nice wants to be your friend. Also do not give everyone who wants to be your friend trust, because if they turn against you, it will hurt you the most. Learn to forgive others better ASAP because you will encounter pain and hurt. Try and have more remorse for your actions, and most importantly, think before you speak. Continue to being open in life and accepting of others and their differences. When it comes to life situations, never say never because incidents will change your views on life. Be prepared to change as a person and experience self-doubts.

Make sure you really take the time to get to know yourself and pick your college based off those things; don't go to school somewhere just because it is cool, exciting, and adventurous. Be sure that you are picking a school that will provide an environment comfortable to you where you can learn, grow, and make friends.

I know you can’t wait to finish high school, but savor the time- this year will provide you with some of the best memories of your life! And if you think high school ended up being great despite your fears and insecurities, just wait until you get to college! You will learn so much about the world and amazingly, about yourself: thoughts, feelings, interests, abilities and opinions you never thought you had! Your ideas will matter, and you’ll discover your strengths. You will also meet people whom you will truly have a lot in common with. People you will have amazing conversations with, who will appreciate your point of you, but show you alternative perspectives that will amaze you. Listen to them, even when you disagree with them- some will become your greatest friends! Don’t be shy! Take part in everything that you are interested in- make this time about you. Try things you know nothing about, or scared that you may not be good at- they may turn out to be just fun memories, but they may become your passion. And don’t hold back! Always be yourself, and enjoy being accepted for who you are!

I would tell myself not to be afraid to make new friends and be open. In highschool, I was very shy, and the more I open up in college, the more I enjoy the whole experience.

I would tell myself to take college more seriously at first, not wait until I "grew up" more to really appreciate my education. I'd also tell myself to allow change -- I have changed so much since I began college. Changes such as maturing, having stronger opinions and becomming more of my own person as opposed to adopting my parents' views when I was younger. I would also tell myself to be open-minded and to take advantage of every opportunity and to not let fear get in the way. I want to experience everything I possibly can while I have the chance. For example, my freshman year, I went on a trip to Alaska through my college; experiences like that are once in a lifetime. I would also tell myself to think hard about who I am and who I want to be. College is a time to figure these things out but you also have to know who you want to be or you will be too easily influenced by the people around you. Stand firm to who you are, no matter what.

I would tell a younger self to watch out because people are going to walk over you by accident because we’re short and that we need to have a “Hakuna Matata” outlook on life because of that. Be the best you can be and don’t allow yourself to get scared of anyone or anything. When the raging bull of life comes out you take it by the horns and tip it like a bovine it is. As long as you can follow these ideals everything will be smooth sailing.

I have learned so many things about my high school experience that I wish I could do over. If I were to pick only one, however, I would want to tell my high school self to start good study habits early. I did not realize that the habits I formed in high school would absolutely affect the way I study and do homework in college. While in high school, I focused more on getting the task done rather than absorbing the information. I wish I had learned how to study well and learn much because the human brain is an amazing organ. The human brain can obtain so much more useful knowledge than many people allow it to absorb. I wish I had taken in much more of the information that was presented to me. High school is such a unique time of life to enjoy and to learn as much as one possibly can in that concentrated four years of his life. It is worth every minute.