Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Top Questions

If I could go back to my senior year in highschool and tell give myself advice based on my current knowledge about college and the transition, I would tell myself that a GED is not really equivelent to a highscool diploma. I would also inform myself of the hardships of getting into a university after taking a "break" from school. I would tell myself to interview the most successful people I know and find out how long they stayed and school and how long they would have to work before retirement. Most importantly I would tell myself that I am more than worth all of the extra effort.

First of all...relax and enjoy your senior year! You'll never get to go back! Secondly, be realistic about how far away you want to be. I moved over 1200 miles from home, and to be honest - at first it was too far. I've adjusted, but in retrospect, I wish I would have considered how difficult it is to be so far away from home. I miss out on getting to see my littlest sister grow up. Thirdly, I would suggest not putting off getting prepared until the last minute. I didn't pack for my by move until the night before I left. I forgot many things, which I truly needed upon arriving, and getting things mailed was difficult. Lastly, keep yourself open - right away - to meeting new people, and staying on campus as much as possible. Several friends I have met live nearby, and tend to go home alot...they miss out on so much fun because they don't stick around. Don't let yourself stay in your dorm for extended periods...get out and socialize! Once you meet a few people, it feels much better!

Although high school was an amazing experience in which I developed an innumerable number of undying friendships, it was during that time that I should have taken advantage of the academic resources available through the school. I attended a magnet high school, and it was easy, especially toward the end of my high school career, to take for granted the preparation for higher education that my teachers and counselors provided. As I began my trek through college, I quickly realized the mistake that I made in not thoroughly utilizing the resources available, seeing that I would not be very successful in college if I were not to take advantage of the on-campus tutoring and counseling provided. It is sometimes difficult to willingly set aside time and go speak with a counselor about academic issues that I am having or ask the math tutor for help on a calculus assignment since I had never done it before, but it is essential to my success and is therefore something that I have to get used to.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior and knowing what i know now about college life and making the transition I would tell myself to train on how to study alot better. I also would tell myself to play more sprots and interact in more clubs in high school. By going back in time to talk to myself as a high school student I would convince myself to take a class on how to manage money. Lastly, I would tell myself that when I enter college I should meet more people and stay focus.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, the biggest piece of advice I would give to myself would be to learn how to study. High school was a breeze for me and I did not need to study for any of my classes, and that would be an issue for me in college. Though high school does prepare you for college, you never know what it is like until you get there. You have to take a different approach to studying when in college because there is so much more material. I feel if I knew this now, my grades would be better because I would know how to study.

Get involved. Exposing yourself to all kinds of people will help you figure out who you are and what you want out of life. Your high school world is so incredibly small in comparison to the world you are about to discover. College life has so much to offer; take advantage of it. Don't be seduced by the fun and excitement that results from living on your own for the first time. Your irresponsibility will catch up with you. Learn everything you can. Remember that, in college, it is not all about the grade. You will need to know the material well enough to be able to use it in your chosen field. Mediocre knowledge will not be sufficient. Most importantly of all, remember that this is your college experience. You are not going to college to impress your family, friends, or even a significant other. Do not worry about what other people think of your college career. It does not affect them; it only affects you. If it is something you really want to do for yourself, then you will succeed.

If I could talk to myself as a senior in high school, I would tell myself not to take advantage of the freedom I received by being away from most of the authority figures in my life. In my first semester I felt that I abused this by going out with friends and playing video games during free time. I wish I could have told myself to study more and to keep up or get ahead in my classes. I would have loved to hear this before I had to play catch up in a few of my classes. I would have told myself to read the chapter that we were going to talk about in class the night before and to do homework in the afternoon instead of sacrificing sleep in order to get it done. I wish that I could retake my first semester in order to provide a better background for my future classes. I know that if I heard this message from myself I would have taken it to heart and not just brush it off as something that everyone says just to scare you.

It is hard to believe that this time last year I was entering the final semester of my high school career. As I enter my second semester at LSU, I realize that there is a lot more I could have done to improve my scholarship and financial aid options. I never filled out a FAFSA or applied for any scholarships because I thought I could work throughout college to pay off the remainder of my tuition. Of course, as a senior in high school I didn?t take into account the simple costs of living such as food, clothing, and rent. Also, college books turned out to be a lot more expensive than I ever expected. In retrospect, even if I had held a minimum wage part time job during my last year of high school, the money I earned could have helped a lot this year. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20 and all I can do now is work my butt off and apply for generous scholarships such as this one.

The advice i would give my self would be dont be afraid of the real world. All you have to do is payattention, work hard, and study. Make friends later your education is the most important and at the end when you are succesful pat your self on the back be happy and proud that you made a great person of your self.

Knowing what I know now with 2.5 years of college behind me I would tell myself not to worry. You will make great friends in college. In college there are more people to get to know and alot of these people will have the same dreams and interests as you for future careers. It is these people that you will become friends with and some will remain life long friends. It is these people that you will go through all the trials and tribulation of college and classes. These people will help you study and do well in your classes. It is with these friends you will colaborate with and not only will you learn from them but they will learn from you. You can help these people through their problems and when anything ever gets you down whether it be school related or personal, it is these people that you can lean on. College is not this big scary expirience but rather a fun, educational life changing one. Just follow your heart and do what you love. Never lose sight of whats important to you! With your knowledege, perservirence, college education, and friends, you can do anything!