Kent State University at Kent Top Questions

I would definitely have tried to get further in my classes than I did. I wasn't able to attend college out of high school so it was a speed bump for me. I would make sure I tried a bit harder than I did and get all the help I could. I would have applied for scholarships and gotten more help from the counselors.

My biggest piece of advice to my former self would be to stop worrying about life because everything happens for a reason. You didn't get the full ride to college, but it's okay. Don't beat yourself up because Mom and Dad still love you and are proud of you. You didn't disappoint anyone. You are smart and hardworking, so it's okay that you're not perfect. You have your first year to get that through your head. It's okay that you got a B on your first English paper in Honors Colloquium because that's still a good grade. Also, you will make some wonderful friends through marching band, so it was a good decision to join even if Mom and Dad were unsure of the workload it would cause for you. Those friends will challenge you, be there for you when you need it, and understand you even if you feel like no one does. Overall, you'll be stressed with the challenges college presents sometimes, but you will get through the tough times with perserverance and with the friends from band and church.

The advice I would have given to my high school self would be to find as many scholarships and grants as you can. Exhaust all of your financial options before taking out any amount in loans. It will be beneficial to live on campus; you'll make a lot of friends and be able to have the "independence" you crave. I would also tell myself to change my major to Human Development and Family Studies as soon as possible. You're meant to be a counselor, not the publicist you think you want to be. Try to get out of there in four years; you'll be able to start your graduate program and become what you've always wanted to be sooner. Enjoy it, you never get this time back.

The first thing I would tell myself is to take it all seriously and not slack off. College is nothing like high school. The things you can get away with then won't do you any good in college. Procrastination will become your worst enemy. You have to know your strenghts and play them well. Take advantage of any help that you can get whether it be from a teacher or family. You will need someone's help eventually. Don't try to over work yourself either because that won't do you any good. If you mess around and then at the end try to make up for it you won't have much luck. Keeping your GPA up is important. You may not know what you want to do at the moment but when you figure it out if your GPA isn't what it needs to be you have to wait longer. But I'd just tell myself that Electronic Media Production is the way to go. Things would have been a lot easier for me if I had known that coming out of high school. I could've had a degree by now.

I am almost done with my first year of college, I look back to where I was a year ago as a high school senior and the changes I've made have been incredible. If I had to give myself advice, it would be to learn how to take risks. In high school, I was involved, but I never did more than I had too. I never had the courage to put myself out there and take a risk, unsure if I would be successful or not. The past year in college, I've taken risks and chances, and while some have not worked out, the ones that have worked have been for the better. The best example is when I decided to join Greek Life and go through Sorority Recruitment. I wasn't sure but going through it has given me the greatest rewards of campus involvement, personal growth, and lifelong friends. I've done countless other small things that while most people would've been too self-concious, I've learned to take chances and have fun while I'm here. You never know when a great opportunity is going to pass you by until it's gone.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self about college I would have a lot to say. First I would tell myself to not be so worried, college is not as scary as it seems. I was so worried about fitting in and making friends and deciding what I was going to do with my life that It took me so long to actually feel comfortable here. The classes are no where near as difficult as I assumed they would be and the people are all people i've seen before in high school. I think the most important piece of advice I'd have to give myself would be that it's ok to not know what you want to do for the rest of your life. More importantly it's ok , after 10 years of devotion, to decide that what i've always done in my life is not what I want to MAKE my life. So many people change their majors multiple times and there is absolutely NO SHAME in figuring out what dreams I really want to pursue and which ones to i'm ready to let go of.

My advice to myself would be, don't think that when you get to college everything will fall into place. You'll change your major, transfer schools, quit something you love and honetly you will be alright. I would also tell myself that college isn't like the movies portray it to be, it's hard work not always all fun and games. Grades are so important and you want to make sure you did absolutely everything you possibly could to earn the final grade. Also, time managment is so huge, schoolwork, having a job and having a social life are tough to do so schedule everything and stay on task!! Finall I would tell myself that after only a year of school I wil come out a more independant and reliable person than I was before, you grow up so much in college and it's going to happen whether you like it or not.

I would tell myself to pay more attention and focus in high school. I would also say do not listen to other people and be myself. I knew I could do so much better, but my attention was on other things. My high school years was the first time I have ever been in a public school system. People saw me as a shy quiet girl, which I was, but I did not show my full potential so I would not seem so different. Now that I look back, I should not have been nervous about what others think of me. Most of the people in high school I will never see again. I would tell myself to research more colleges and scholarships. Scholarships did not really catch my attention at the time due to the fact that I thought I would never get one. As I am growing up, my viewpoints have changed dramatically so I am more focused on my education. I now have a dream college and major and I am going for more scholarships. I need to go after my life goals and be the person I know I can be.

Don't get stressed over the little things. There's always going to be people around to help you out whether it be your family, friends, classmates, professors, or counselors. All of these people will always be around to give you advice about how to succeed. Take their advice seriously and put it to good use and your college experience will be one of the best anyone has ever had.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a senior in high school I would have little, but important advice. Academically I was well set; however, I would encourage myself to not forget about building relationships. If I went back I would tell myself about all the wonderful clubs at Kent State and insist that I become active in them early on. I would also mention the helpful facilities such as the Writing Commons. I would assure myself that it is always a good idea to ask for help early on in order to fulfill my potential to the fullest. So even though I do not have a great deal of knowledge to pass to my senior self the small things still count. I do not simply go to school, I live at school and am part of the community. I would want my senior self to understand that the community is a large part of my education.