Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself I would definitely have few words of advice I would give myself. My first piece of advice would be, understand how financial aid works. My mother did not go to college and did not understand the process of financial aid. I didn’t understand what “refund” meant or advice on what to spend it on. I received $5000 dollars at the age of 18 and didn’t know what to do with it. Looking back I would have pulled less loans out if I didn’t need it or use the money more appropriately. I would tell myself not to work as much while in college. Allow myself the opportunity to devote time to my studies, participate in extracurricular activities and be less fatigued in class. I would have also focused more on my studies looking back on it because GPA means a lot and I regret not dedicating the time to improve my work.

Looking back on my high school self, I was a mess. Depending on the person, if you ask them about their high school experience they either loved it or hated it. I hated it. High school is cruel. High school age students are still trying to discover who they really are and the hard part is being judged while you do so. I struggled to find myself in high school. I tended to go with the flow of what was popular and not truley show my personality. Looking back I would definitely tell my high school self that it isn't worth popularity to have to act like a person you aren't. The people that really matter and really care about you will be there to support you when you are your real self. Popularity wasn't worth not sticking up for the kid being bullied. Popularity is not worth anthing in the real world. I would tell my high school self to not conform to others views and to stand up for what I believe in.

Dear Me: When you leave for college next year, remember to remain strong. Don't feel like you have to conform in order to fit in. Lots of people will suggest to you that smoking dope is fun and won't hurt anything. Don't believe them. Marijuana will get you sidetracked. It will distort your priorities and change your attitudes. It will become the primary focus in your life and make you forget why you came to college in the first place. Please don't go there. You will transform from a promising young man with a bright future into an unmotivated slacker who thinks only about getting high today. Your grades will bottom out, you will leave school, and you will spend ten years of your life wallowing in the sludge at the bottom of the barrel. You will experiment with LSD and become addicted to cocaine. Eventually, you will recognize the tragedy of your wasted youth, but they will be years you can't reclaim. Although you will pick yourself up, return to school, and earn a Bachelor's degree, you will always wonder how your life would have turned out if you had only remained strong.

Life is about to smack you in the face! Wake up! No, really, you need to wake yourself up; do your own laundry; step away from the video games, and learn better techniques on how to study. Write one two page paper a day, so by the time you actually have to write one you’ll be decent at it. This will save you at least two English classes and one history class worth of hardship, trust me. Additionally, college girls are not like you think. Shrug off all of your so-called high school swag and repeat after me: I am an idiot. Shut up. Listen. They’re actually a whole lot smarter than you, and will have very little to do with you if you do not learn how to listen. And lastly, don’t ask for stupid graduation presents. You will lose them, break them, or leave in your old bedroom closet, which will be turned into a workout room that your mom and dad will never use. Instead, ask for gift cards to restaurants. That’s right, you heard me. You’ll get tired of Ramen noodles, grilled cheese sandwiches, and the dollar menu. Thanks.

Dear Self, As your you begin your senior year keep these things in mind. First if you fail that math class, even though you don't need it to graduate, you will forever be forced to take the same math class with a myriad of different names even though you keep passing it. Y=mx+b I get it. You have to apply for scholarships because once you are out of high school you become instantly ineligible for about 50 precent of all scholarships. Save all the money you made working on the weekends and holidays, because maybe then the amount of debt you incur won't be quite so crippling. Sincerely, Self

Do whatever literally scares you to do. Approach those jocks and make friends even if you don't have an athletic bone in your body. Join the drama club, even though you have no idea how to act. Whatever you do, don't sit in the shadows because you are scared. You will regret every choice you didn't make rather than the ones that were bad. Your high school years will be the best years of you life, but only if you reach out and make yourself the life of the party.

Stephanie, you need to seize life and find more balance. You focus too much on your studies and need to take more time to have fun. Remember all of those Friday and Saturday nights you spent studying in high school? I want to make sure that you do not make that same mistake in college. You may eventually by your junior or senior year realize this. However, in college, it takes effort to form relationships with others since you will have classes with hundreds of people, and your classes will not have all the same students. You also need to get to know the women on your floor and be sure to go out and do things with them when they ask especially if it is on a Friday or Saturday night. Take advantage of studying during the day on Saturday and in between classes so that you do not feel guility going out and having some fun. You should also take advantage of all of the speakers and social opportunities on campus. This will make you a well-rounded indvidual, and the social aspect of life will allow you to succeed and perform at a higher level in school.

I would tell myself not to worry about making friends or about not being accepted on campus. There's no need to worry about signing up for classes because all of the guidance councelors are knowledgeable and are more than willing to answer any questions that I'll have. There are plenty of class options so that I would still have time to work and save up money and still have time for a social life. The only thing that I would change is to be even more involved with campus activities and to get to know professors outside of my major of study. I would tell myself to volunteer more and to go out of my comfort zone and try and get involved in things I wouldn't normally consider fun. I would tell myself to take advantage of the writing lab and free online tutorials more and to do more independent studies. I have one more year left and there's nothing stopping me from doing more of these things, but I wish I had an earlier start on them. I'd tell myself to enjoy life at IUPUI now, becasue I'm really going to miss it.

First of all, I would allow myself to breathe. There are so many pressures from other people about where to go from high school, and it can be really overwhelming. I think it is easy to forget how much it is about your life, not the people around you. I think if you know what you want to do with your life, that is wonderful and you should chase your dreams. I also think that it is important to explore the world and try to get some experience in different areas if you aren't sure where you want to end up. My advice would be to check yourself and see if college is really the best next step for you. If you are going, you want to be going with an eagerness to learn, not with an obligation hanging heavy on your heart. The experience will be way more enjoyable and successful if you know what interests you and what you are passionate about. But once you know that, go for it. College is full of learning experiences, and it isn't just about academics. You learn about life.

I'd slap myself and tell myself to get in shape, don't be lazy. College isn't the joke I used to think it is, that it was easy. I'd make sure the past me got the message clearly, even if it involves more slaps. I'd make myself go do homework, apply for scholarships, and getmy head out of my behind. Being a senior in high school is no time to mess around and potential mess my life up. I'd also probably tell myself to get a part time job, save up money that way. Basically not be such a bum.