Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus Top Questions

Academically, college is very different than high school, so I would tell myself to reflect on the best ways that I learn. In college, it is your responsibility to take your education into your own hands, which goes beyond attending classes and studying. Be wholly committed to your education both inside and outside of the classroom and embrace opportunites with fervency! You need to actively seek your interests and learn through your experiences as well. Take the opportunity to study abroad, get a job off campus, learn a foreign language, work in a hospital, take a class unrelated to your major out of sheer interest, or involve yourself in community service. Chase after anything that you're interests you, because there is so much room for growth here, and you have only four short years to take advantage of it.

The advice i would give myself back in highschool would be to get more involved. In highschool, i pretty much went to school, came home and did my homework, and did the same thing over again everyday. I wish that i got involved in way more clubs and organizations in highschool because i think extracurricular activities in high school can help you transition into extracurricular activies in college. I know for me I can be very shy. So joining clubs in college was a little hard because it hard for me to meet knew people. Also I would tell myself to begin looking for scholarships well before you even attend college. Everyone says go to college, but college is not cheap. I for one really wanted to go to college and im glad i do, but its also hard to make sure you have enough money to pay for it. I wish I started looking for scholarships earlier because they do help. I just want to be able to go to college, get my degree, and start my career. In order to fullfill my dreams I have to make sure that i can pay for college.

If i was able to go into the past to tell myself what college is going to be like then i would tell myself that I should pay atytention to everthing the Professor is saying and every ounce of homework should be done before the due date. I would tell myself to be early for classes and go to classes I weightlisted into because someone might not show up and I can take there spot. The advice i would give to myself for transitioning into college life style is to stay the same no matter what. Also that if you are you, you are going to make plenty of friends. Taking every oprotunity that is handed or found. The things the college has to help you should use it to all of you advantages. All in all I would tell myself not to worry that everything will go fine as long as I work hard. The outcome is decided on how much you want you outcome goal to look like.

Honestly I would tell myself to worry a little less, in high school I was so worried about getting into a good college, moving away from home, financial issues, grades, what major to pick, what life would be like living on a dorm, if my classes would be hard, basically everything I could think of. After moving in and beginning the fall semester, however, I really noticed that there wasn't a whole lot to worry about, and especially given all the resources offered to the students, whether it be tutoring or office hours, I realized now that I was worrying a little too much, with the only real concern now being financial issues. Most other issues though, I realize now aren't as bad as I thought they were going to be, and that's something I wish I had known earlier so I could have put my mind at ease.

Assuming I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would give myself a lot of important advice but there are 2 main points I would tell myself. The first thing I would tell my younger self to get involved in more extracurricular activities and sports. I was never into sports as a kid and I believe a lot of my physical shortcomings are because of that. If I was in sports I would have been to interact with different people and become a lot stronger physically as a person. Another important thing I would tell myself is to try to be better at math from a younger age. I have always struggled in Mathematics and this has made it tough for me to do well in all my math classes throughout school. If I was better at Mathematics I would most likely have a way easier time through college. I feel as a Computer Science major I have a vast disadvantage to many other students taking the class as I am not good at Mathematics. I always pull through in my classes, but it is a constant struggle for me during school.

If i could talk to 17 year old me as a senior in high school, firstly i would be amazed. I would tell myself some things involving positivity, to keep his head up and dont get easiy discouraged just because something is a little more difficult than things im used to. I would also tell myself to go to school open-minded and open up some more. Also the very most important thing i would have told myself is to focus and work hard, apply what you learn and be dedicated.

I know that I would tell myself how different my life would be once I got to college. I’d tell myself that dating someone 2 years younger then I wasn't the right decision going into college. Now going into my senior year of college, I know I would tell myself to try harder and get better grades in high school so I could maybe get more help paying for college. I think the most important thing I would tell myself in high school is how important it is to enjoy the time that you spent away at school instead of being lonely and going home every-other weekend. My 21 year old self looks back at the 18 year old me and I see someone who was completely unprepared for what life has to offer when you get older. I think I would tell myself that it's ok to be scared about life and that if you don't know what you want to do it’s o.k. to take a little time to figure it out. I know I’ve learned a lot sense I left high school and grown into myself.

Even in my young age of 22, I sometimes find myself thinking, "Wow. If only I knew that then..." College, being one of those topics. I would tell myself that though high school may have prepared you academically, the social norm of "trying to fit in" doesn't apply in college. College is this great new world were popularity contests are few and far between. If you have a story, people will listen. Differences are more celebrated than looked down upon. This is your time to explore. Jump in! Have fun, learn something new everyday, meet all kinds of people, try new things, find out who you truly are and the impact you want to leave in this world. Yes, you are starting something new. It can be scary, and you still will encounter those seemingly impossible people who will try to bring you down at times. But you'll be able to handle that too, because you'll start to feel confident in this great person you're discovering: yourself. Whatever dispositions or insecurities you feel or have felt, you can start to let go. Know that being yourself, is equivalent to being great.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself, I would tell my self to work harder to find scholarships. Sometimes it can be hard to take on student loans with the rising rate of student loan interests.

If I was able to talk to my high school self, I would tell myself that college isn't as easy as I think it is going to be. It is very tough and requires a lot of work in order to succeed. I would tell myself to prepare myself for saying goodbye to my family, but to embrace the independence I am given. You can't just have fun all the time. You have to study a lot to pass your classes with good grades and make the Dean's List. I would just want to prepare myself for what is to come and how to cope with living on my own.