North Carolina State University at Raleigh Top Questions

Now that I am in college, I have had a chance to look at my high school years and decisions in a different light. If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, the advice I would give myself would be to stay on top of things. It is very important to always do your best in all that you do. Looking for scholarships ahead of time is a great time saver and shows responsibility, taking AP courses instead of easier courses is a great use of time and also allows you to go into college with an extra boost in regard to required courses, and planning is a must. It's very important to make and stick to a schedule as it helps relieve stress and allows you to accomplish tasks much more smoothly. Although I would do things differently if I had a second chance, things happen for a reason, and I enjoy learning from my mistakes.

If I could go back in time as a high school senior I would give myself some very valuable insight. I wouldn't tell myself to try really hard on my AP Bio test in May, or to make one last attempt at the SAT. After spending five short months here at college I know exactly what I would tell myself. "Be confident," this is what I would tell that worried, scared, stressed senior at Topsail High School about to leave home, leave her comfort zone, and step out to embark on the next chapter in her life. I would tell myself that instead of wasting time being worried, or uncomfortable with leaving-instead be excited and thrilled at the thought of a new chapter, a fresh start, a clean horizon. College is about growing up; it?s about making yourself and making your mark. As I have grown so much in the past few months away at college I have learned that confidence is key, I now know that I am important, valuable and I have the power to make my life into something great, whatever I want. So "be confident, be you," is what I would tell myself.

Be prepared! That is exactly what I would tell myself. Be prepared for the fact that your meals will consist of easy mac and ramen noodles. Be prepared for the independence, it becomes more daunting than the freedom you always dreamed of. Be prepared to work hard and struggle a lot. But most of all, be prepared to have the time of your life! So far, college has been the greatest experience of my life. Although there are different struggles everyday, I would not trade this life for anything. I am living my dream one day at a time and have complete control of my future. I have the opportunity to do what I love everyday, and I would do anything to hold onto it and reach my goals!

Making the transition to college life an easy and enjoyable one requires being open and inviting to new people and environment. You have to prepare yourself to not bring your entire closet from home, and get used to not spending an hour in the shower. You'll have to get used to running into someone new every day, so make sure you're friendly because they may turn out to be your lab partner or new roommate! However, the most important thing to keep in mind is what you may take for granted now, while you still live at home. First, home-cooked meals. Enough said. Secondly, do not take your quarters for granted. You will have to do your own laundry and pay for it quarter-style, and trust me, the dryers rely on multiple rounds of these coins. You'll use quarters to print term papers in the library and for snacks in between classes across campus. Also, I easily lost track of the number of meals I used per week and my campus cash. So overall, be ready to be warm, welcoming and money-conscious; the time to buy your own groceries starts now!

There are many things that I would tell myself now If I could travel back in time. I would encourage myself to enroll into more difficult classes in order to help place myself in a better position when I go of to college. I feel that I didn't challenge myself enough. I would tell myself to put my personal relationship aside, so that I could of accomplish more in school. I regret not doing so because the relationship ended and it affected my education and family life. One of the biggest difference that I would make would be by making myself become a part of the student government. For now I know that being in these organizations, they prepare you and also provide you with resources to help you suceed not only in high school, but also provide opening for you in college. Also, I would tell myself is that I should develop better relationships with all my teachers. I was intimidated by alot of my teachers, but now I know that they were only there to help me become a better person. Overall there's a list of things I would of changed, but these are most significant!

If I could go back, I would have told myself to look at the curriculum more closely. If I had, maybe I wouldn't have chosen something that was so far off from what I think I want to do with my life. I wish I had talked to more people about what college would really be like, and how hard some of the courses would be. I would explain how crucial good time management can be. I would have told myself to be more socially active and more involved with things going on around campus. If I had been able to do that I wouldn't just now be discovering how many great activities and resources there are available, now that I am only a year or more away from graduation. There is so much I feel I haven't taken advantage of. I would tell myself not to be so profligate with my money, and I would tell myself that long distance relationships are much harder than I expect, and to not let that effect my schoolwork.

I would tell myself not to pass up the opportunity to take AP and other college level courses, it would save me alot of money.

Don't you dare quit school. You better stay focus, I don't care how long it takes, but get it done. I know your grades don't look that good, but you can turn that around. You are not even putting forth a good effort. Take pride in going to school it's a blessing. One day you will thank me because you can do so much with a degree and nothing without one. Do this for yourself, it's your time USE IT WISLEY.

Believe in yourself. If you put your mind to it, anything can be accomplish. Don't settle because you feel you aren't fortunate enough like your fellow peers. They may have material things and may be financially stable but you have something they dont have...determination. Go into college witih more faith and confidence in yourself than you left high school with. That belief in yourself will subconsciously lighten the dred of all the homework and the fear of talking to new people.

Making the college transition was much easier than I thought it would be. However, there were still many challenges that I faced that I did not think I would in college. First of all, I was a straight A student in high school and I did not need to study in order to make A's on all of my assignments. Coming to college, I used the same attitude for my first semester, and it did not turn out the way I wanted. If I were to go back and talk to myself, I would definitely discuss how the challenging cirruculum of college is much more challenging than high school. I would tell myself to not give up on studying in any class, no matter how boring the material. I would also let myself know that I would be able to make friends without any difficulty and that everything would be fine once I moved into the dorm. There is no more important advice to an entering freshman than to study and work hard right from the beginning. That way, in telling myself to study from the beginning, I would not have to make up for unsatisfactory grades last semester.