Middle Tennessee State University Top Questions

The msot valuable thing I've gottne out of college so far is simply the experience of it all. Knowing that you can't procrastinate and take your classes lightly, even the easy ones. The growth that I've made because of said experience is why my grades are good and geting even better.

I would tell myself to check out and take tours of every school that I was interested in. I would also tell myself to apply to several schools so I would have plenty of options to choose from when it came time to make a decision. Another piece of advice I'd have is to really think about what you want instead of what everyone else wants for you. College is a big deal, and choosing the right one for yourself is the most important thing.

College is a time to learn, but don't limit this to the classroom. Embrace being on your own as a time to grow in all areas of life. Finances, friendship, time management, traveling, living with others, and social skills are just a few areas of study. Treat them all with the same respect as your classes. As equally important, respect yourself. Don't cheat yourself out of opportunities of growth. Instead, have confidence in yourself and your potential. Use this confidence to be bold and adventurous while staying away from pride, knowing that you will make mistakes and fail at times, only to get back up and continue on. Lastly, seek council and advice from people older than you are. Learn from their past mistakes, so you don't have to learn the same mistakes the hard way. Respect everyone including yourself, and humbly learn everything you can in all aspects of life.

If I could go back in time, the first word of advice I would have to give to myself would not to be lazy or procrastinate, to work hard on any scholarships and to be more efficient and make all deadlines. I would focus on the fact that college is not possible without scholarships coming from a single parent home and to take it more serious. I would force myself to work harder for what I wanted and make more of an effort to finish my college and scholarship application to my fullest potential and ability. I would explain how hard it is to get into college once you graduate and advise myself not to take a break off of school and explain how you don?t have the same desire and aspiration to return once you get comfortable in your life. I would make sure that I pursue my determination, and to take my future and education more serious and to help make it a success, so that I can make something of my life and better myself.

I would have told myself to trust your gut on where you want to go to college. Don't let parents, friends, or significant others make the decision for you. You will be the one who has to get up and go to class every week so make it somewhere you enjoy and feel comfortable. Also, everyone is a little nervous the first semester of college so just remember to relax and have fun. Try to get to know at least a couple of people in every class. It makes going to class more enjoyable and if you have to miss class for some reason you have a source to help you out with notes and missed assignments. Lastly, don't be afraid to talk to your professors even if you are in a large class. Most of the time they are happy to help you with whatever they can and are glad that you are taking the initiative and showing them you care about your learning experience. Never forget college can be a lot of work but it's also about growing as a person and bettering yourself. It's the pathway to the rest of your life.

If I could return to give advice to my high school senior self, provided that I would not ruin the time-space continuum, I would offer one word: "Relax." Throughout my high school career, attending college loomed over me as a disaster waiting to happen, rivaled only by the coming of armageddon. After being told how important college is, how difficult college is, and how scary college is, I nearly had a panic attack. Even the smallest things seemed to affect my future. If I prefered vanilla ice-cream to strawberry, would that lower my chances? If I jaywalked, would I loose the HOPE scholoarship? Will being late cause me to miss some vital clue as to how I can survive freshman year? I would ask myself, "What if I choose the wrong college for my goals?" I would lie awake wondering, "Am I prepared?" I would wake up from nightmares of finals and essays thinking, "Can I do this?" The 2010 version of myself could easily anwser, "You make whichever college you are in your own by being there, and you can always transfer if you find somewhere else. You are ready. You can do this. Really, just relax."

I think the main thing I would tell myself is to get more involved and to make more friends. MTSU is large school, and it is easy to get lost in the sea of people if you don't find a club or group, and I think that I'm currently struggling with that. I would definitely tell myself to get more involved. I think it's really important to get involved with things in your school, because it makes it feel more like your school, and makes your sense of school spirit stronger. I plan on following this advice through the rest of this semester and the rest of my time at MTSU. I am going to join the Psychology Club, and try to attend meetings for some other clubs I'm interested in such as Women In Action.

As a high school senior, I slacked with scholarships, and figured my parents would provide the money I needed to attend the college of my choice. However, because of this thinking, I was not able to attend that school due to the lack of proper funds. Fortunately, I was able to attend another school that was much cheaper. However, it was not the place I wanted to further my education. If I had a chance to talk to myself as a senior, I would say that attending college is not something that should be taken for granted. College is a whole new world full of expenses. Make sure you apply for every scholarship possible, and communicate properly with the school. Know exactly how much money is needed to attend this school and cover all the bases. I would also tell myself to be responsible and grow up. College is an entire new step and life, and is not a place for irresponsible people. Make sure every decision will benefit your college career because you could lose it all. Your parents are not going to hold your hand. Making the right decisions is the most important thing you can do.

Obviously I would tell myself to,"take my time". When I first graduted high school, I was in such a hurry to grow up, and get out of my parents house. I actually went to the University of Tennessee Chattanooga before I came to MTSU. I was there for a very short time, and it nearly devastated me when I had to move back home and go to community college. Then I enrolled at another local university back in my home town, Austin Peay State University. After I was home for two years longer that I expected to be after high school, I realized that it was not my time to leave home yet. I was rushing, and if I had of stayed in Chattanooga when I first left home, I am sure that I would not be as successful as I am now in school. Not only am I more established now than I ever would have been then, but I am majoring in the job choice of my dreams, which is the recording industry. So if I could go back and tell myself anything, it would be "take your time", I have grown so much just knowing that.

Going into college expect to be organized, study hard, work hard, try to get the best teachers, don't let anyone stop you from getting your education and become your own person.