Northern Illinois University Top Questions

Don't be nervous! As a freshmen coming to a new University, of course it will seem a little scary, but don't worry. All of the other freshman are in the same boat as you. Don't be afraid to introduce yourself! Get involved right away. There are more clubs, programs, groups, and events to get yourself into than you can even think of. There is something out there for everyone, so go find your match! Be prepared for classes and always introduce yourself to your professors. Professors want to help their students, so why not take advantage of that! There is always something to learn on a college campus. Keep your eyes open to new ideas, opportunities, and relationships! Ask questions, form study groups, make friends, explore your campus! You never know what doors might open up for you when you keep a smile on your face in everything you do. Reach out and help others! There are always volunteer programs or opportunities for you to do your share and give back to the community and school. Everyone can make a difference. Don't be afraid to let your voice be heard! Good Luck!

I would tell myself not to be scared. College should be a fun experience, not a scary one. I would say "I know that you are doubting yourself because you think your not intelligent, but guess what? you will do just fine." I would explain to my pass self that I put off college for a while for several reasons; First, I had no money. Second, I wasn't ready. The third and biggest reason was, I was terrified. I would express my reason why I should have gone to college right out of high school be. I felt out of place from all my other friends. I wouls work for many hours at a time but I just couldnt save money. I knew that I could do more with my life. I felt like something in my life was missing until one day I realized that my lack of education was the reason why I felt sad. Now that I am attending college, I feel soo much joy in my life; I have friends, opportunity, and self-confidence. Education is the golden key to life. Never be afraid of college, it will only help you.

I would tell myself to really think about what I want to do. I orignially followed my sister to her school and took the same major that she had. Eventually, I found my way to my current school and major, which I love! I would want to tell myself to enjoy college and work hard. I would want myself to take my time in decision making about my future. A lot of time could have been saved if I had taken time to evaluate what I wanted to do and I would want myself to know that it's okay to take my time in looking around for schools and majors. I would tell myself that it is important to really find something that I am going to want to do and not something that I could just "see myself doing, but not really loving."

Tae the aprentinceship at the tatoo parlor and take up firedancing now while you are young and skinny. School can wait, so can the debt you will accumulate. Save your money and skip out of the country for a while. Return with the wind in your hair and go back to school when you are 24, so you can get more aid from the government.

As I travel back in time an array of thoughts come to mind to remind myself of things to make sure I do better. We are in the 1985 and I know that I don't have enough money to go to college, so I am going to make sure I give my self all the up and coming stock tips for 1985-1986. Now that we funded college I can attend. I would also like to remind myself of all the turns I choose were due to financial contraints and pay more attention to the possibility that if you stay in school instead of getting your GED, perhaps the right information on how to pay for college will cross your path. I would also like to pat myself of the back for coming down the road that I did, and still having the heart to keep on trying.

There are people in the world who have come from worse places than you. You may think that you came from such a unique history given your adoption, your lack of memory from the age of four, the death of your adoptive mother, the transition from the kind people who found you at the construction site to an orphanage and to the lonliness you felt since the age of ten. There are people in the world who are more damaged than you, and sometimes understanding them is not what you need to do, but to help them by allowing them to release their emotions even if it seems redundant to you. They are self-destructive in the most appalling ways, but the worst possible reaction you can have is apathy. When they spiral down into themselves, you need to uncoil them. Do not let your friends help each other because they will only increase their own momentum. You must also let them have pieces of yourself even if it hurts them because if you don't, they won't allow you help them. They stop letting you in, and you'll end up joing them in their dispair. Good luck.

Going back to my senior year in high school, I think I would tell myself I could do it. I really didn't have positive role models to tell me that I could still accomplish things that I want with a child. I had my daughter the beginning of my senior year in high school. I was very athletic and I stopped playing some of my sports so I could focus more on my daughter. I really didn't have positive people around me to let me know that I could do anything that I put my mind to even with having a child so young. If I was a strong minded as I am today, I would have been an RN at this point in my life. Don’t ever give up your dreams; you will all ways regret that decision as I have. By me not believing in myself I’ve pushed my career back 10 yrs and I’m now starting my schooling as an adult, instead of me working at my dream job as an adult. Focus, believe in yourself. Again, having a child at such an early age just made me a wiser, stronger adult.

Well I thought I wanted to be a construction engineer. I finally figured out that I didn't want to do that every day of my life, so I'd tell myself that I don't want to do that. But, I'd also tell myself I need to make sure I stay ahead of my course work and study hard.

Make sure that you work hard all the way to the very end. Also, fill out scholarship applications as soon as possible. It is not easy or cheap to go to school. The more effort you put in early the better chances you have at getting help to pay for college. College is a fun and educational experience, there is nothing to be nervous about. Just be sure to stay focused and not get caught up in other aspects other than classes and the work that needs to be done for them. You are a smart, strong girl, when you set your mind to something only you stand in your way from completing it. Don't hold back, give it all you've got.

If I could go back in time I would tell myself that procrastinating on researching college information, financial aide, scholarships and deciding on a college and a career is NOT a wise decision, that it would cause nothing but headache, heartache, and hardship for many years to come. Deciding to put college off for a few years and to "take a break from school and get some life experience" is one of the stupidest things that I could do. That even though I felt like college could wait, that it would be difficult and scary; it's not. That it would take us 18 years to finally begin a career and that we would spend those 18 years "kicking" ourselves in the rear end for not making something of ourselves right out of high school, that we will struggle, always feeling like we were no good and missing something important in our life; never feeling happy with our life until we actually did something about finding a career and completing an actual field of study in college. That embracing and developing our self will give us all that we dream of at night, putting college off wont.