Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis Top Questions

I would tell myself to continue to do my best. I would push good study habits and listening skills as well as good note taking skills. I would encourage myself to be more open to new experiences and new people; to enjoy the world as it comes every day. I would also encourage myself to have fun but maintain my integrity - to plan for and strive for my long term goals. Always remembering where I am going but remembering to have some fun and take the less traveled route to get there. Don't always take the same classes but experiment a little. Find new things to experience and enjoy.

Dear high school Macey, College will be where you meet your true friends and build your future. Don't worry about where your friends are going or why just worry about yourself. Don't pay attention to those who call you a nerd or make fun of you for your study habits. Just remember that your the one who will be ahead in the long run. IUPUI is a great school and you did a great job listening to yourself on attending their school. You're a studious girl and always have been, don't let anyone change the way you are. Study hard, avoid the parties, and focus on your schoolwork and what matters most. You're gonna do great kid! Love, Future You

Speaking to myself as a high school senior and knowing about college life and making the transition, I would give myself the advice to do plenty of financial planning. I would explain that while seeking out college scholarships may seem tedious, it is a great investment in yourself to be able to afford your studies without a loan. At minimum, a goal should be set to find enough funding to cover the cost of attendance. I would encourage myself to apply for ten to twenty scholarships per week, using a number sources ranging from the Financial Aid office to privately owned agencies. I would talk to my high school senior-self about alternatives to buying books like renting them online or from the school library. I would recommend living a low-cost lifestyle, cutting out frivolous items like fast-food and long drives, so that money could be saved for future educational costs. I would remind myself to maintain balance between studies and potentially expensive social life events. Finally, I would encourage working often with study groups and taking advantage of a professor's office hours for personal consultations, boosting my grade point average and gaining eligiblity for grant funding.

I would tell my senior-self to get rid of my bad study habits as soon as possible. It would have been so much easier to get out of these habits (example - only studying the night before exams) when the schoolwork was simple versus now when the work is much more difficult. I was definitely not prepared for how much harder the work would be trying to learn it in one night than in high school. The amount of information was just too much to absorb and memorize, and I therefore received a rude awakening on the first exam. Now I know much better and start studying for exams a week in advance, but the transition from my high school ways to studying in this manner was very difficult. This is why I should have started doing this in high school and why I would tell myself to slowly work up to studying a week in advance. First two days beforehand, then three and so on until it was routine.

What should high school Macey know? For starters, don't worry about what people say or think. Once you start college popularity, nerds, average, jocks, and hicks all disappear and it just becomes life. Never turn down the opportunities you get; join clubs, put yourself out there, and most importantly have fun. High school is just a stepping stone to college so absorb as much information as you can and take the time to appreciate the free things high school has to offer. If you have a bad day just shake it off and remember one day, these people will all be going on their own seperate ways. Appreciate what you have Macey, because you never know when you could lose it.

If I could tell the 18 year old version of myself anything, it would be to take more time off between high school and college. More importantly, do not feel inadequate for not going to a traditional univeristy right out of high school. I wasted a lot time because I was so focused on trying to live up to society's expectations. Travel, work, support yourself, live out in the real world, and expereince as much as you can while you are young. You do not have to have your world figured out at 19, so don't try to force it. Really, that is advice I would give anyone graduating from high school. That time between high school and college is so crucial, that now looking back I wish I would have embraced that opprotunity for exploration more than what I did. Taking time off will give you perspective and allowed for growth and maturity before entering into a college setting. College is not a place to find yourself. Once you know what you want out of life, then you are ready for college. Finally, do something you feel passionately about, everything else will work itself out.

High school is a very important time. I would tell myself to focus on school and get involved in as much as you can. Stand out, don't be afraid to be yourself and take chances. High school is the toughest time socially, not academically for most, so live out loud! Make lasting relationships and be confident with yourself and that will take you far! Love the Lord and share it with others!

Get ahead of the game and study your butt off. This is a new life and completly different from high school. Take it serious cause once your in the hole, it is almost impossible to get out.

If I could go back in time and give myself advice, it would be to never doubt myself. I would tell myself to never think that there's something I can't do. I would tell myself to go and do what I always dreamed of doing, to follow my childhood dreams, to not wait, to not settle. I would have told myself to get the loans and go to medical school. I would have told myself to not worry about the money I would owe later on down the road, but to go on to get the degree I want and worry about paying them back later. I would have told myself that life is too short to second guess. Life is here and now.

I would tell my self to stufy a whole lot more. I would have also advised myself to not take BC calculus and stay in AB. It brought my GPA down a lot, and I'm having trouble raising it up. I would have also told myself to not goof off and study in front of the TV. It's a really hard habit to break. Over all, I would just tell myself to focus a lot more on school work and less on the drama and social aspect of high school.