Ohio State University-Main Campus Top Questions

Embrace every moment. Such a cliché, but isn't it also the key to life? If I counted up every moment I let pass by me, every moment I wasted in high school, I would have enough regrets to last me a lifetime. Not taking a date to senior homecoming, not joining the band when I had the chance, waiting until my senior year to run cross-country. Granted, I have my share of amazing memories from high school whether it be hiding from my gym teacher to avoid a physical, running across the football field in a nun's habit, or floating down the river on a giant inflatable lily pad. So many good times but, how many more could I have had? It doesn't take a special person to successfully make the transition to college, it just takes someone who can enjoy each fleeting and ephemeral moment. It is through those experiences that friends are made, lessons are learned, stress is relieved. Have fun, laugh, love, and by all means live. Those memories and those occurrences will see you through, the friends you made through them. Just remember three short words, embrace every moment. Just live.

If I could go back in time to whenever I was a senior in high school, I would advice myself to take more college credit classes. This would be beneficial to someone who is looking to graduate from college early and proceed on with their career. Another thing I would advice, is to make sure you make good grades and apply for all the scholarships you are eligible for! Making good grades and applying for all the scholarships you can will help you tremendously with all the bills that come with college!

“Don’t be discouraged if you start to struggle and, most importantly, know that you are not the only one struggling.” For me personally, this short sentence would have saved me hours of torment. In a large campus setting, it is so very easy to feel as if you are alone and drowning in your own personal sea of troubles, but know this: there are others out there who are in the exact same boat as you and who feel just as helpless. The girl sitting next to you on the bus, bobbing her head to an unheard tune on her IPod and looking as cool as a cucumber, could be locked in just as much turmoil as you over passing that dreaded exam coming up. The guy sitting next to you in class, who always seems to have the right answer, may breathe a sigh of relief each time he guesses correctly (while hoping he can do so again on the midterm). These individuals exist, and in far more places than you can imagine, but you won’t know that until you talk to them. Your best sources of help are all the potential friends around you.

If I was to go back in time and give myself advice, I would tell myself to relax about the transition to college life. I would tell myself that it is one of the most life changing and incredible experiences. I would encourage myself to be outgoing and friendly to everyone that I meet because they may become your best friend. In addition, I would encourage me to stay true to myself and make your own decisions, and not let anyone pressure you into doing things. At the same time, I would encourage myself to enjoy myself because it is an amazing four years that you will never get back and the experiences and memories you make will last a lifetime.

If I was given the opportunity to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would say that grades and doing your best is far more important than anything else in high school. Although my grades my senior year were great, I wish I would have strived a little bir harder to get straight A's. I also wish that I would have saved more money from my job for school. I needed to know just how much studying is required in college and I would have studied more every week and I would have also had a part time job my first year in college. If given this opportunity to talk to myself, I would stress the importance of saving money for school and that I really would have worked as hard during high school and my first year of college as I do now. Now I know what kind of grades and achievements I am capable of and I just wish that I would have given myself more credit. If I had done that, who knows what I could have already achieved. I would have gotten a head start for college.

If I could give advice to myself as a senior I would say do not worry so much. I was really affected by the transition and I was scared that I would be making all the wrong choices. I was afraid to fail and to choose the wrong goal for myself. My advice would to be to let all of that go. The correct decisions and path come into play when you let them take the natural course. I would have never figured out that I wanted to be a Speech-Language Pathologist if I did not just try to live life. It was all coincidence that I found out what I was passionate about. For months I had been searching and searching different majors and trying to pick the right one for me. If I knew that I did not have to waste all that time searching for something I could not change I would have had more time to do more infulential things like I am trying to do now.

The first year of college is exciting and important in your career, but the social aspect is the same as high school. Make sure to stay focused on why you are there and if any, only get involved in a couple activities. What will you take out of those in your future? Get involved in activities that will offer experience for you career. Visit the career center, if you don't know what you are going to do with your major or if you don't know what your major will be. If you have a difficult time getting a hold of you academic advisor, get a new one that will be there for you adn follow their directions. Stay punctual and reliable; people notice and that could make or break an opportunity or a grade. Finish your homework early and worry about your own homework before someone else's. Call and Skype your friends and family often; they will encourage you and keep you from getting sucked into social drama in the dorm. Go ahead and stay in a dorm for your first year, but if your year doesn't end the way you wanted, go home and commute.

I would tell myself to not try to attend the University of South Alabama right out of high school. I spent one day there and was lost for three hours (when I was really only fifteen minutes away from my dorm). Stay close to home at least for a year to transition yourself into college life. Community College, though you may think it seems inadequate compared to a university, is really more focused on helping students make the transition from high school to college. Keep all your options open. Never turn down any scholarship from any school, wait until the very last minute to make your decision and weigh all your options first. Professors do not care if you come to class, if you do the work, or if you fail. They get paid regardless. You must be self-motivated or you will fail. Pick class times that you can attend, and will attend. If you plan to work, pick class times that are either all on two days or can be really flexible. If you plan to miss class due to illness or injury, inform your professors beforehand. They are more likely to be more flexible.

Take math every semester.

If I could go back to 2010 and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to learn how to study. College is a lot different from high school and I did not need to study very much but when I got to college I needed to study but lacked the skills. My first quarter was rough but I learned what was expected of me in each course and I developed study skills. College takes a great deal of self-discipline because there are many distractions from school work. This would be the most important thing I could give to my high school self for advice.