Illinois State University Top Questions

If I had the ability to warn my senior self about college life, I would have told myself to stop wishing I could finally escape the routine world I lived in and to cherish every waking moment my world was handed to me free of charge. The high school to college change is much harder than I could have ever imagined. Making new friends and gaining the same trust you had with your elementary school to high school friends is unbearably frustrating and discouraging. I would have told myself to never waste or take any moment for granted in my old house if I knew we were going to move out of it shortly after going to college. I would have trained myself how to see money as a prize instead of a luxury and encouraged myself to never let that optimistic smile that got me through highschool go because perspective changes everything about a place. But if I could only chose to do one thing, I would have shaken my hand and said "Great job kid, keep doing what youre doing" because support and having someone believe in you is one of the most powerful gifts there are.

If I was given the opportunity to go back in time and give myself advice as a high school senior, I wouls tell myself numerous things. First, I would start off with telling myself not to put off taking Spanish. Next, I would tell myself to be a full-time student every semester, and if I can even take over full time. Last, I would tell myself which classes are unneccessary for me to take and which ones to take in place of them.

of anything. College is the time to grow and find yourself. Try not to fall too much into the party scene- I have seen countless number of people get too caught up in the party scene and then get on academic probation, it wastes time and money in the long run. Don't be afraid to ask professors questions about *anything*! Maybe they do research on something that you've never heard of before and what they share with you turns out to be what you desire in your life. Get involved with student organizations! It's a great way to meet people, and to stregthen your skills and abilities. If the school you attend (so this goes out to all starting Freshmen) does not have a student organization you're interested in, don't be afraid to start your own. Specifically for ISU, pay attention at the summer orientation... there's some valuable information there.

When I was a senior in high school, I had no idea what the future looked like. If I could talk to my former 18 year old self, I'd place a hand on my shoulder and say "open your eyes." The world is far more vast than I could have imagined back then. Having a goal in life is great, but having multiple goals is what truly gives someone the opportunity to achieve success. Creating a back-up plan is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it shows your ability to prevail in multiple things. When I was in high school, I wanted so desperetly to become an actress that I never looked in another direction. I was on a one-way street, and the idea of that path ending was non-existant. Maturation has taught me that there's a plethera of ways to feel full-filled in life. At 22, I live the motor "The world is my oyster" and I wish I could have expressed that upon my younger self. Maybe I could have had a head-start on this whole college thing instead of waiting so long to enroll.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself about college life, I would say study more and leave the parties alone. This was my greatest mistake when I attended West Georgia College in 1989 after graduating from high school. Be sure to study at least 2 hours a day per class and just review class material to help with remembering what is going on in class. This will help with the foundation of what will be given to you the next day by the insturctor. Yes, the one thing I would express is to study daily. I will take you along way in class.

I had a blast my senior year of high school playing sports, hanging out with friends, and getting out of school early since I already earned the required credit hours. There are not many things I would change if I could go back, just three certain things. One, focus on finishing with a strong GPA to insure state scholarships that would help take the presure off the tuition payments. Two, I would take high school college credited courses to jump start my college experience and be further ahead incase I needed to drop a course once enrolled in college. Three, and most importantly, I would do the research and take the time to visit more colleges to truly find the best fit for me and my goals. Following the croud and going to the most popular college will somtimes come back to haunt you and spend unnessisary money in the meantime.

If I had the opportunity to go back in time and give my senior-self advice about college, I would start by asking myself what it is I want to accomplish in my life: "You want to be smart? Go review your textbooks instead of giving up on your homework. You want to make your family proud? Work hard instead of worrying about not being good enough." I was very self-conscious in high school; I thought that I was stupid and that I was incapable of reaching my goals. Now that I can look back on those experiences, I can see how greatly my mindset affected the way I behaved-and how it affected my grades. I would explain to my senior-self that I should not give up on studying if the material got difficult. I would admit to myself how I wish I did not quit in fear of failure. I wish that I would have worked hard to earn a full-ride scholarship to a nice school so that my immigrant mom would have less financial stress. Now, as a college sophomore, I still regret earning mediocre grades in high school.

The best advice I would tell myself is to not worry about anything and just be friendly. If you keep an open mind about everything and just go with the flow then everything will work out in the end. You need to make sure that you don't procrastinate too much with your homework or studying. You know how sometimes you would wait till the night before the test to start studying, that will not work in college. Always remember that the most important thing is to stay organized. Buy a big calendar and write everything on it. Write down when you have a test, when homework is due, extra credit opportunities, and anmything else you can think of. Even if its just something small and you think you will remember it, write it down anyways. It is so much easier to plan your time when everything is right in front of your face. Make sure you work hard but don't stress too much, afterall it is college and you want to have a little fun. Just make sure you have a good balance between working and having fun.

Hello Self, I wish there was a few things I could have told you a few months ago to make your transition to college easier. First, don't start out in summer classes like I did. This is your first semester into college and you don't know what you've gotten yourself into yet. Summer classes are so face paced, you need to be use to college before you take on the challenge of summer classes. Also, if you decided to fill out the Fasfa application which my school required for admission, make sure you have a professional help you. They usually don't charge. This is because if you do it yourself, and mess up, it is very complicated and frusterating to fix. It will also take longer for your results to come in if you have made mistakes. Have fun in college but make sure your priorties are set straight. Enjoy, Myself.

Although going back in time is not an achieveable source, perhaps in the future this maybe an attainable concept. If I could go back in time and tell myself about the college life and the transitions many face I would tell myself to take all the opportunitites given in life. As a high school senior I always made sure I did well in school but I never challenged myself to the fullest extent. For this reason I would tell myself to not pass up on the opportunitites and challenges that college can hand you. Take every chance to join a club, to volunteer, and to network as best as possible because in every field friends can always be of assistance. I am currently working in the field of fashion and am also in the process of receiving my Bachelor's degree in fashion. With this said, I once had a professor tell me, " It is who you know what will get you in, but what you know that will keep you there." He taught me to be myself, with all people but to always remained focused. All in all, I would tell myself to stay true to who I am.