Indiana University-Bloomington Top Questions

I can't say that I would give myself any advice. I worked hard throughout high school, and the choices I made throughout my time there ultimately put me in a school and community that I love. My college experience to date has been surprising, intriguing, exciting, and eye-opening, and the greatest thrill was making these discoveries without knowing what to expect next. Even if I went back and told myself what to anticipate I never would have understood until actually experiencing it. As a college student, I have learned much about myself, the people around me, and the workings of the "real" world. A significant portion of this learning was derived from making mistakes and taking risks. To advise myself against making such mistakes would put me in a completely different place than I am now, and I can't imagine that I'd be as happy.

Knowing what I know now, and that all that I am and all that I have come to realizeis because of previous actions and thoughts, I would not disturb the natural flow of how things have come to pass.

I would tell myself to figure out who I know that is going to the same school and the get to know them so you already know people on campus.

I often think about this very question, and would love to go back and be able to transfer the knowledge I have gained to my 17 year old self. At the time, I did not know anything about college and majors or anything like that. All I knew was that I was expected to go because that what people do after high school. The first thing I would tell myself to figure out what I wanted and not what everybody else expected of me. I followed a path chosen for me, and I would say to follow my own way instead. It keeps you motivated in the hard times if you actually enjoy what you are doing. The second thing I would tell myself is that realize the decisions you are making at a young age are so important to where you end up later in life. I assumed those decisions were not very important because I would have so many years to change things and figure out where I would go. The truth is that time goes by so fast, and so getting on the right path as soon as possible gives you a significant advantage. Live for yourself!

I did everything right in my high school. Wouldnt change a thing.

I would look myself in the eyes and say "kid, you have an iron backbone and you need to use it damnit. don't worry so much what other's think, you just go forth and conquer."

Budget your money!

I would tell myself to hav tried a little bit harder in high school. My overall high school GPA was a 3.45. Since I did not receive a 3.5 I was not a direct admit to the business program at Indiana University. This has added so much extra pressure on me that I should not have. There is a high possibility that I will need to transfer since there is a chance I will not be getting into the business next semester. The extra .5 GPA could have been achieved by just doing better in one class.

When preparing for school, it's best to not have to many expectations about what college life will be like since the media portrays it much differently than it is in reality. The transition from an every day 8-3 class schedule, where you attend the same classes five days a week, to going when you schedule class and having mainly Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday classes is something to get used to and helps to make an individual more responsible and "on top of things" in a short period of time. It is very important to get out and meet new people right away, whether you have come to school with friends from high School or not. People tend to change very rapidly when they get to college and sometimes good friends grow apart, which is just another part of life. Lastly, take advantage of the many courses offered and try out a few different areas of study to make sure that when you graduate you are fully confident in your career direction. Try everything the campus has to offer! College is a wonderful opportunity to grow in yourself and you don't want to regret anything!

As a student attending college at Indiana University, I would tell myself to take a big breathe and relax. Yes, college is a stressful transition and can be extrememly scary at times, but there is so many great things that come with the college life. I can honestly say that I have thoroughly enjoyed every second that I have been at Indiana University. Not only have I been able to experience having an excellent education, but I have made friends that will be with me forever. I would tell myself to definitley do some shadowing and figure out the area of education that I would like to study in. I came into college as an exploratory major, and wish that I kind of knew which field that I would have wanted to start off in. This would have only lessened my work load, because I would have already started to take classes that would directly count towards my major. I would also tell myself to take every day at a time and to not rush the college experience. Do not get discouraged, because there will always be a friend to help (especially at a school with over 40,000 people).