Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Top Questions

I would tell myself not to take things so seriously. College would show me that I'm not the smartest person in the world, and that's ok. The important thing is to value different things within yourself and not define yourself in one area (grades and education). Forming relationships and being involved in many different communities and organizations is just as important as grades and class standings. Good networking skills will get you a job before a perfect GPA.

Well beyond academics, campus life can be hard to adjust to in the beginning. Simple chores like laudry, food shopping and getting around campus may be difficult. Time mangement is also really important. You must set aside time for everything from homework, tutoring, dining, chores and extracurricular things. Don't over whelm yourself, go easy the first semester. Maybe spend a few days shadowing a current student in your major to see it this school or major is for you. Homework can be overwhelming ,, I had more homework in one week here verses one semester at my high school.

Be more social, and don't go somewhere you think everyone wants you to go.

Prepare early, and most of all, don't procrastinate! Holding off on scholarship applications is absolutely unacceptable! Although the present year is very important, you have to consider the future years to come! The first year is the hardest because there is so much to handle at once. Between setting up housing, acquiring funds, managing communications, and physically moving to school, there is a lot of stress! Acquiring the funds is something you actually can do long before all the others, and if you succeed, even if only with a few thousand dollars, it makes a tremendous difference in the stress. The worst thing you could do is let it all pile up at once. Take care of tasks as they come instead of waiting on them or expecting better opportunities in the future; take each financial opportunity for what it's worth in the moment. Finances are the one part of college - except getting in - that all college students put almost their entire stress budget into. If you can get at least a portion of it squared away befor the summer you will thank yourself for it, and you will have so much less to deal with later.

Denise, Be nice to everyone. Even people who aren't nice to you. Always be respectful. Stand up for yourself and for others. Get a better job, and save your money. Be more involved in the opportunities you are given in high school. Study very hard, and always do your homework. Read more than you watch TV. Spend as much time with your parents as possible. Make lots of friends. Be outgoing. Don't be shy. Speak your mind. Don't be afraid. Be yourself.

Work harder, take different classes, don't mess up, know your priorities, think of the long run and don't drop classes, don't try to fit in with every crowd, know yourself and stick to your ideals, study differently because THIS IS COLLEGE, people judge you based on everything so present yourself well, it's not cool to be dumb, make sure you go to class, don't try to skip and act smart, try getting out of the crowd and do something better for yourself, stay focused.

Kytrina! There is so much to learn still, be open minded. Realize that the only thing you can control are your reactions to this crazy life. The more you try to control life, or people in it, the more difficult and scary life can seem. Bad things may happen to you, but you need the bad things to break through to the good. Dont assume life is over when something goes "wrong." Being able to look for the silver lining in situations will keep you fresh and untainted. In school working hard really will pay off, you just need to put the time, and more importantly the effort into your success. Remember, though, not to over run yourself. Giving your self a break every once in a while is good for you! Just try to balance out your life.

You're responsible; your parents no longer control how much you study or what classes to take. In fact, they're as clueless as you are, sometimes more. Also, the mistakes you've been making every year, like waiting until the last minute to study, need to go. It's almost impossible for you to pass tests that way because the information is more condense and abundant. Do yourself a favor and get into the habit of doing work every night in a timely fashion so it won't be as hard to keep up in college. Last but not least, don't overdue yourself. Don't test yourself with 8AM classes. If you're a morning person now, chances are, you won't be anymore. Take it easy your first year by taking important yet easy classes first. Don't rush yourself to graduate in four years. This was the hardest lesson to learn. It's not about graduating "on time" but about how well you do from the time between now and then. Focus instead on achieving the best grade possible in your courses. By doing so, you'll find yourself crossing the finish line in due time.

Go straight into college after high school. It is extremely tempting to just go out and have fun when you graduate, but you will regret it in the long run. You will see all your friends who went to college right out of high school and they will have a decent career, instead of just a job. It will be 10x's harder to go back to school once you let a few years pass. It is worth it to just go ahead and go to school. You may think that you can't take anymore school, but it would surprise you just how much you actually do need the extra 4 years of school to get anywhere in life.

I would tell my past self to ask for help from my TAs, that's what they're there for. I'd also form study groups earlier in the semester to the ground work for future studying.