North Carolina State University at Raleigh Top Questions

If I had the chance to time travel and talk to myself as a high school senior so I could have a more worthwhile college experience, I would advise myself to avoid procrastination, always plan ahead of time and don’t be afraid to take risks. “Be sure to use your precious college time wisely so you can feel relieved when you graduate and ready to move on into the real world,” I would tell myself. Remember what your dad said, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” “Make sure you have a backup plan because sometimes things won't always happen the way you want them to. Also remember to focus on what is in front of you but also don't forget about what potentially could happen.” In addition, I would advise “to go outside of your comfort zone sometimes and don't be afraid to take risks. No risk means no reward. Do things that when you look back on, will make you feel proud of yourself." “If you choose to follow this advice, you could have an internship for the summer, not be at home and be one step closer to reaching your career goals.”

I have only one thing to say to my high school self: DON'T BE LAZY. You can't always glide by in life. If you want real success, you must work hard for it. No one wil magically come along and fix your mistakes and grades. Your school provides you with the tools and facilities for sucess, but only you can se them to your benefit. Don't put off that homework assignment to hang out with your friend, because the deadline approaches quickly and you may miss it. Do what you can now so you can have fun later without worrying about bad grades. If you procrastonate and gof off, you WILL regret it. Yet again, you are on your own. No one to remind you. Make a plan and stick to it religiously. I can't count how many times I would have done infinitely better had I acknowleged the fact that I needed help and gotten it. You can't do it on your own, or if you could, you are one in a million. I would reassure myself that I can do it, but must always work for my success.

Look past everything that the schools are telling you. Every school is going to look roughly the same and equally amazing if you listen to what they tell you. Its what they don't tell you that makes a difference. Just because there's one or two areas the school really excells at, it doesn't mean the university as a whole is equally amazing. For example, a strong research program actually means that the professors are much more engaged in their reseach and grad students than teaching undergrads and it shows. Second piece of advice is follow your passions. It sounds cliche, but in high school the goal was to do as much as possible to be attractive to colleges. Once you're in college though theres a number of awesome clubs but to really get anything out of them one needs to put in 10x the amount of time they would have in high school. Find one or two really perfect extra curriculars and make it happen. Last little thing is stay active. Don't forget about staying healthly just because mom isn't around anymore. It can really make all the difference.

It is okay to make mistakes. After falling, picking yourself up is the first step towards the most beneficial and substantial growth that you can experience for yourself. Be reasonable, but do not forget to listen to your heart. Do not let anyone steer you wrong or force you to do something you do not want to do. Look ahead and try to predict your future, but do not forget to act in the present; have and develop a plan, but don't forget to carry out the things leading up to it. It is okay to be rooted in the past, but the future is an entire journey waiting to unfold before you. Do things not for the approval of others, but for the benefit and wellness of yourself. Ask for help when you need it, and offer help when you can. College is a period of your life in which you will find out who you are, but don't forget that you have already been someone your entire life. Be brave, be emotional, be studious, be courteous, be holistic, be determined, be clever, but above all, be happy.

First, do not take a year off after high school to have fun and work a meaningless job. Immediately make the transition from high school to college, even if its only a start in a local community college. I wanted to take a year off and it turned into several and it is one of the biggest regrets that I have. Also, develop good study habits. High school never challenged me so I never had felt pressed to study because I was ahead of most of the students and my grades were A's and B's. That practice, however, is not helping me in university. There are a lot of advanced topics that you won't understand on a quick run through a 50 minute lecture. You NEED to study and do practice problems in your free time. Last, apply for every scholarship you hear about. It is no fun having to work a job and go to class fulltime. Jobs mean no free time to participate in student activities on campus.

You’re about to be a freshman in college, it’s crazy, right? First of all, you need to do what makes yourself happy and be done with all the rest. Too much time I spent worrying about what other people thought and doing things I didn’t enjoy just because I was following along with the crowd. Once you get to college you realize none of that stuff matters anyway. What really matters in life is that you are happy with the person you have become. Stay focused, and don’t let anyone dull your sparkle. The transition into college is easy when you just let it happen. Don’t overanalyze everything. You will gravitate towards the people that you get along with, and it will be easy to create friendships that way. Last but not least, you are going to love the university you attend. You will find pride in your university, so much pride you’ll fight for it, knowing now that this is now your second home. You grow up so fast, so I ask that just every once in a while, you stop and consider how truly amazing life is, and appreciate it.

I would tell my high school self to put herself out there. She needs to make an effort to talk to strangers and make new friends. Meeting people is what college is all about. You never know what can happen unless you try, so suck up your anxieties and make an effort. Get involved in intramural soccer, because you'll miss it more than anything. Bust your butt to pass your classes. Studying does actually pay off. Most importantly, have fun and don't worry so much about what others think of you. You have four years to make mistakes and figure out who you are as a person. You should at least have fun while doing it!

As a senior, I believed that EVERY decision I made would have a lifelong impact on my personal and career. This way of thinking helped me to achieve many goals and get to where I am now ,but at the same time it caused many stressful nights of worry and little to no sleep. Therefore, there are six things I would go back in time and tell myself. Number One: Get some sleep. Sleep is a beautiful thing and I wished I would have taken advantage of the time I had to rest. If I was better rested, I would have been less stressed and been able to enjoy my last year before transitioning. Number Two: Getting an A is not critical to my existance. Sometimes classes can be difficult ,but that is okay. Classes are made to challenge you and to make you think. It is more important to learn the content and have a better understanding than to just learn the material in order to make the grade. Knowledge is more important than any amount of short term learning. Number Three: Enjoy the ride and laugh along the way. Life is too short to have days without laughter.

Apply for every scholarship you can find, because you will be broke for a very long time if you don't.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school student, I would tell myself to start college courses while in highschool so that my course loads would be lighter at NCSU, and I could soak up more of what I am being taught. I spent my high school years working around 50 hours a week so that I could pay for college without taking out loans (and after 5 years of college, I have officially taken out my first loan...). Instead, I think it would have been best if I had worked part time and started college extra early. I would have more loans than I do now, but I would be able to take fewer classes each semester and truly learn everything I want to.