Kent State University at Kent Top Questions

No matter what obstacle stands in your way, you can over come it. You may have a child on the way but you will be just fine and succeed in everything you put mind to. College is just the first step to the rest of your successful life. You can do this and anyone who tells you differently has no idea the kind of person you are, and will become.

Make sure to hold yourself accountable, as you are in charge of yourself now. Don't blow off ANY of your classes, even the 'easy A' ones that you don't have to try in. If anything, those are the most important. They cushion your GPA when, further down the road, you don't do as well as planned; as classes get tougher as majors narrow. People don't realize that EVERY class is a notch in your GPA, which determines the path of your entire life. You are paying for every single credit hour you take now. As far as I'm concerned, any class you miss is a waste of money. You are paying for this education; don't blow it off. Temporary problems might get in the way like, you're too tired, too hungover, you hate the class, or it doesn't have anything to do with your major. Don't let a temporary problem have a permanent affect on this one shot you have to attain this degree. A degree that, in my case, I've been dreaming of my whole life. Missing out on a party is better than missing out on your future.

As high school slowly came to a close, I had never been so excited and hopeful in my entire life. I was finally going to be out on my own at college, paving a road to a brighter future than my parents were ever granted. But once they left me there on move-in day, I began to panic about all the ways things could go wrong. Would I make any friends? What if I hated my major? I let my optimism fade. I let my fears hold me back from making an effort. Instead of socializing or joining student groups, I retreated into myself where I could never fail if I never tried. I would love to go back in time to my high school senior self and tell her never to lose hope or let her fears get the best of her. I want her to know that all her excitement was justified because college is truly an amazing experience. All those clichés about “finding yourself” in college are right; she needs to remain hopeful that it will happen with time. I want to tell her to keep smiling because great things will eventually come to her.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to fill out as many scholarships as I possibly could. The most difficult thing to cope with in college is knowing that I'm going to come out in debt. Thinking about this situation makes my anxiety go through the roof. I would tell my high school senior-self to sit down at a computer for two hours a night and fill out whatever I could find. I have five sisters and it would take a lot of stress of my parents if I could pay for a few years of college just solely on scholarships.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to try to be more outgoing and more open about my opinions and feelings. Transitioning into college was not too hard for me in the academic aspect, but going from a group of about four hundred people i was with for years to a huge university full of strangers was a little more difficult for me. Throughout high school I was shy and outspoken, so going into college where students are encouraged to be an individual was a big change. My first year of college did help me become much more outgoing and unique, but it would have been a much more smooth and less nerve wrecking, if I had begun to make these changes as a high school senior.

I would tell myself: 1) Go to community school for the first 2years, not private school. You are going to end up taking out student loans to pay for basic classes, English, Math, Psych, etc,… that you could have taken at a community school for without all of the debt. No matter what anyone tells, you these classes are just as good as the ones at the fancy school, so start there and then move on. 2) Study harder and enjoy the time spent learning more, because someday you will find that you would give anything to be able to go back and do it right the first time. 3) Learn how to balance school with the first-time freedoms. Have fun but stay focus on the true goal, getting an education that will let you get the job you want so you can afford other freedoms. 4) Learn to forgive yourself for the mistakes you will make, do not let them eat you up and make you waste time thinking about regrets. Learn to forgive, let go and move on knowing you will not make those same mistakes again. 5) Try to love life and really learn to live.

If I could back in time, I honestly wouldn’t change anything about my past two years of college. I was fortunate enough to be welcomed into the College of Arts and Sciences Learning Community which was designed to help incoming freshman students adapt to college life. Groups of freshman were assigned to a mentor leader. This mentor was there to teach you the ins and outs, to give you tips and anything else you needed. My mentor was a graduating senior in the same major as me, pharmacy, so she was all the help I could ask for. If I had to give some advice to future college students it would be to balance and prioritize your school work and your social activities. College is a very fun and exciting time but is also very costly. I have had friends that had too much fun and failed but I have also had friends that don’t do anything but study. Then there is myself, I had blast both years of college and still achieved a solid GPA of 3.7. This just goes to show that with a healthy balance college will be both fun and rewarding.

There are some things I would tell my senior self if i could go back. First, I would tell myself to slow down; take it all in, because high school is much different than college. I would tell myself to enjoy the moments with your best friends and the ones you love because you won't ever be together like you were in highschool. I would also tell myself to create better study habits. I learned very quickly that any kind of slacking will simply not get the job done in highschool. Do your homework and study for tests, I would tell myself. Lastly, I would tell myself to quit worrying about going to college, Kent State will be the right choice!

If I could go back in time and give myself advie as a high school senior i would tell myself a few things. I would tell myself to come in to college with an open mind and do not limit yourself based on your past. Coming into college with an open mind allows you to try more things and make new friends right away. Try stuff that you normally would not try especially if you go to a big school. Going to a big school can make you just feel like a number and can be overwhelming at times, so to make the transition easier getting involved can make you feel apart of something and an open mind can allow you to see the various options college has to offer. Your interests in high school might change when you go to college so just keep an open mind and take advantage of various social groups, clubs and events on campus to get involved and establish a comfortable environment for the next four years of your life.

Eli, You need to ditch the idea of succeding as a programmer without a degree. It's not gonna happen. Skip going to that two year technical school and go for your BS at a state school. Also, start making a strict schedule for yourself. I know you like to day dream and go off on tangents, but that won't complete homework or pay the bills. Schedule yourself enough time to complete your work, but also schedule some for fun with the new friends your sure to make at college. Don't be afriad to try new activites or attend meetings at new clubs. Step up and lead them when the time comes. That looks great on a resume, not to mention all the connections you make through them. Finally, don't bite off more than you can chew. It's super easy to get tied up with actual work, but don't let that put you off course from graduating. A degree means a lot and it paves the way for better work in the future.