Illinois State University Top Questions

The most valuable part of my college experience is being responsible for my own actions and every decision I make has a consequence. I've learned to take the right path thanks to the guidance from my advisors, parents, and mentors from extra curricular clubs. I've been able to partake in clinical experiences with children. This semester I have been given the opportunity to be a teacher's assistant and teach a creative drama class for second and third graders. It is these field experiences that excite me for my career and allow me to be thankful for the chances that Illinois State University has to offer me.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior and knowing what I know about the college life transition, I would tell myself to start off my maintaining a high G.P.A and to get involve with as many activities as possible. When you first start of in college the classes that you take are usually general education courses that you have to take before you start going into your major focused course classes. It?s better to make sure you get good grades and maintain a high G.P.A that way when classes further down the road start to get harder a B or C in those courses won?t really affect you because you started off so strong. Another tip is to get involved in many clubs, activities, and volunteer opportunities on campus as much as possible. It looks great on resumes when you need to apply to your major or when you have to apply for jobs. Getting involved is also a great way to meet new people and network because the way the economy is going who you know will definably benefit you in the upcoming future.

During my last few months in high school I was filled with alternating feelings of excitement and fear. I was excited to be at the end of my high school career and to be about to venture off to the world of college. However, the thought of college also filled me with a sense of fear and uncertainty at the thought of the unknown. I was worried about the difficulty of college classes and the new living environment. But now, sitting in my dorm room, several weeks into my second semester in college, I look back on my fears as a high school senior and realize how needless they were. Starting college was definitely a major transitional moment in my life, but it was nowhere near as difficult or scary as I imagined it would be. What I would tell myself as a high school senior, is to relax and to face the uncertain future not with nerves, but with hope. I would tell myself to be confident and assure myself that nothing was as hard as I was imagining it to be. And as long as I stayed true to myself, college will be a great experience!

I would tell my senior self to work harder so that the transition from high school work to college work would not be so hard. I would not have taken advantage of the fact that I had it so easy senior year, because now I wish I had it that easy. I would have also told myself that I cannot depend on teachers to tell me how I'm doing. In college, you have to make the effort to find out yourself or you'll never know. I would also tell myself to grow up. If I would have started doing things for myself, instead of expecting my mother to do everything for me, then I would have been more prepared to live on my own and do for myself. I would also have learned how to spend my money more wisely. Being in college is already expensive enough and it is tempting to buy things I do not need because I do not have anyone controlling my spending. I would have definitely prepared myself much better for college if I knew how hard it was going to be.

College is a great time. People may tell you that because it is the best time to drink and party and experiment. It is fun, enjoy every moment. Even though classes may boring or pointless to your major, go to every single class. The more you know, the more impressive you will look to your future employers. Take time to have fun and don't be shy, talk to people, they are not going to bite. They can even help you if you do not want to ask a teacher for help. I would still consider, if you are having trouble , to talk to your teachers and do not wait until the last moment to write papers or do projects. Participate on class, do not be shy to raise your hand an d it is okay if you are not correct, we 're not perfect. Make friends do not sit in your room, feeling isolated. When you make friends do not think it is ok to not go to class because they did not. Be your own person, be responsible, and be nice to people that hate you.

I would tell myself to study more. In high school I never really had to study so I did not know how really when I came to college so that was a big adjustment for me. I also would have told myself not to stress as much. In highschool I tried to get the best grades and be as involved as I could be. Although I did enjoy being involved in all of these activities it did not pay off coming to college. I would not change being involved as much as I was and the grades I earned but I stressed myself out too much over it.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior some advice I would give myself about college life and making the transition would be get involved with as many clubs as possible. This is an excellent way to meet new people and looks good on your r?sum?. Also, rushing to join a sorority may be a good idea. Even if I have no intentions on joining I should at least do rush week because it may be an opportunity to meet a lot of new people and I may actually find a house that shares the same morals as me. Be prepared to share your miniature room with another person for the year. It may be hard to get alone time because your roommate never leaves the room, so you should consider taking walks or finding a place of your own around campus. Now about campus food, learn how to eat what is provided because the weekly menus can have slim pickings and tend to be repetitive. Also, if you ever get home sick, breaks are longer than in high school and a lot of people go home for the long weekends.

College is an opportunity to start off brand new again, a personal renaissance, in which you can find new friends, make new grades, and become a new person. Whatever you may have done in high school that got you labeled into a clique, forget about it, because now you are whoever you want to be, and I encourage you with all my soul to put behind you what other people think about you and do what makes you happy. The drama of high school will be behind you, so go ahead and talk to that professer about your test, debate with your classmates in your general education politics class to support your opinoin, and dont let the peer pressure of drinking, smoking and partying change you into someone you dont like. There are plenty of student organizations on every campus, so get out there and try out something new, continue something you love, or just have fun. Those organizations are also a great place to meet people who will enjoy you for you, and will become those friends that you have forever and are truly there for you. Have fun, do well, and congratulations on a new you.

Enjoy yourself while you can Jose. You may not know it, but you have it really easy. Going from high school to a 4 year university is a huge step. In college, you do not have anyone to tell you to go to class, you do not have anyone to tell you what you can or cannot do. I do not mean to overwhelm you with this, but this is information that you need to know. College life throws a lot of temptations your way. What you should know is that you always have a choice, peer pressure is something that you can overcome. There are many great oppurtunities when attending a 4 year university, take advantage! Join a fraternity, leadership and service group, or any club that you find you might interested in. It will look great on your resume. One more thing Jose... Start applying for more scholarships so that we do not have to pull out so many loans!

If I could go back and counsel myself as a high school senior, I would advise myself to STEP IT UP! After making it through the stress of junior year, with ACT tests, tutoring and college research and campus visits, and the beginning of senior year with college applications and the nerve-wracking stress of waiting for the admission letters, I approached senior year as a time to slow down and maintain, not accelerate and continue to grow. My thought process was - I have worked hard, paid my dues and been accepted into college - now it's ME time! Looking back, I would have opened myself up to new experiences that I didn't have time for previously, maybe joining a club that was outside of my interest area, learning a new sport or even sitting with different people at lunch. I wish I would have stretched myself further, stepped out of my proverbial comfort zone and sought out new experiences. College has opened my eyes, expanded my vision and reversed my own internal stereotypes in more ways than I can state in this paragraph, and I could have begun this process while still in high school!