Indiana University-Bloomington Top Questions

Throughout high school, my teachers told me the same thing. They told me that I must learn to study or I would struggle immensely with college. They were not the only ones with this advise either, for I heard it from my parents at home as well. However, I did not heed their warning and breezed my way through school studying little to none, making very good grades, and expecting to do the same in college. This was until I sat in on my first of many college tests and quizzes. With clammy hands, I realized I needed to put more effort forward before I entered this particularly stressful environment; this meant learning the skill of studying. I now wish I had taken the time to learn this particular skill in high school because with all the readings and homework to do now, it is difficult to practice this necessity. This is why I have tried to warn some of my high school friends of this as well, but many of them ignore the warning like I did.

The ability to go back in time to tell one?s ?past? self advice about the future is a opportunity. If I had this amazing power, I wouldn?t want to tell myself what I have learned since my senior year of high school. I wouldn?t be the man I am today if I had a cheat sheet which stopped me from making mistakes and having experiences that would later come to shape who I am today. Instead, I would tell him to pick a school four or more hours away from home where none of his friends are attending. This was the most important aspect of my experience so far at Indiana University in Bloomington. I am from the Chicagoland area and, unlike any of my friends, I chose to become a Hoosier. This forced me to meet new people and create a new extension of friendships and experiences not bound by my past. My interpersonal skills have increased exponentially. It has been my responsibility to go out of my comfort zone to experience things in a different way than I would if I worried how my friends or family back home would react or judge me.

Be prepared for the unexpected and don't expect things to go the way they would have when you are at home. Be prepared to have to give in to someone else when dealing with conflict and not have the ability to go to Mom and Dad when problems arrise.

If I was able to go back in time, knowing what I know now, and give myself advice to this new world I will be going into I would. There are two tips that I would give myself and they would be; to relax and keep an open mind. I am a person that can stress about the smallest thing and knowing that making this transition is going to be good for me would benefit me mentally. Going along with thoughts, I would explain that being at a large campus such as Indiana University there are many personal views and cultural settings all around that I am not accustomed to. This is not something that should be thought of as intimidating or ignored. Much can be learned from those around me just as from the lectures I will be listening to during school. College is more than just books and homework and I should appreciate all I learn.

If I could go back and talk to myself in high school I would tell myself to not worry so much what other people think about me. If there is one thing I've learned being here at Indiana University it's to be yourself. Unlike high school, there is no need to try and fit into a particular group; you don't need to act a certain way to be liked because no matter what you can find people with similar interests, beliefs, or views on anything. Sure I could tell myself to be prepared to work hard and study all the time but I don't feel that is the most important thing to learn in college. The hard work comes naturally for those who want to try their best and succeed. But unless you learn to accept yourself and love who you are regardless of what others think, that success will mean nothing. You must first be happy with yourself before anything else can bring you happiness.

Find a way to spend less time on school and more time doing music and also, although your roomate is nice, you will end up finding that you like the space you live in to be really clean and that is hard to do when you have to clean up after two people. After freshman year, get a studio apartment and live alone. It might not be as fun at times but it will save you work and a little bit of bitterness.

There is no way in which we as students could ever really prepare ourselves for our first year as college students. Hopefully your parents, older siblings, or older friends tried to talk to you and give you advice about college, but the only way to really know what to do is to experience college yourself. This is because the college experience is different for everyone, so the advice you get may not be that helpful to you. Knowing what I know now about college would have helped me immensely if I would have known it all at the end of my senior year of high school. If I could go back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior, the main piece of advice I would give myself is never fall behind on homework, and get help if you need it. Even if you feel like you know the material, you should still at least study with someone to make sure you are not making mistakes that could be detrimental to you on an exam. Always ask questions, and never be afraid that your question will be ?stupid? because someone else might have the exact same question.

The advice that I would give to myself as a high school senior is not to worry about the future because everything has a way of working itself out. I would also tell myself to use my gut feeling to make decisions about life. I originally did not want to go to Indiana University, but once I stepped onto campus, I got a feeling in my stomach that told me that this was a good choice of a school for me. Last year, I was so worried about getting into a "top-tier" school, that I missed out on a lot of fun that I could have had. Indiana University is not known as a "top-tier" school but I am getting a great education here and I would not be any happier at any other school.

Oh, the advice I would give myself would be, take as many college bound classes as I could. The faster you get all of your basic classes in the faster you can get into your field of study. Learn how to manage your time, college is alot different than high school, we think that we can do it all and we know what we are doing but in reallity we don't. Learn good study habits and time management.

If I were to give advice to the high school senior that I was, I would tell myself to not be discouraged, that I shouldn't worry or freak out when things don't go as expected. It's an incredibly different time of life, and such great changes require great adjustments. In high school I was an A student, but during the first months of college I quickly realized that what I did last year wasn't enough anymore. I found that I would have to work hard to get what I want and make every effort my absolute best. Having a drive to succeed is good, but often times sheer will-power isn't enough. I would also tell myself the importance of investing in others. Building meaningful relationships is essential to success in college and life in general. Since we're away from our families, friendships become a crucial support system that, with proper balance of give and take, can be an enormous encouragement. I could give myself many warnings, but the experience of gaining this wisdom on my own has shown me that this tough transition was worth it after all.