Ohio State University-Main Campus Top Questions

My advice to myself would be stay true to who you are. College life is full of opportunities some of which are not the best options to take. You need to be careful of the choices you make because they will affect the rest of your education and life. An example of this would be drinking alcohol and attending the parties. If you choose to go out and drink versus spending time doing your school work, then you will suffer the consequences. I have seen so many kids end up with bad grades and then drop out because they couldn't resist being a part of socializing, even though it interfered with studying and their classes. If they would have made the right choice, it would not have cost their education. You need to be organized and schedule time to do school work, as well as time off to go do something you love. If you balance your time well, you will succeed in college and be very proud that you could accomplish the feat of surviving the temptations of college life.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to really try and learn some effective study skills. In high school, I always got good grades, but I just studied for what I had to know that week and I did not care if I forgot something a couple days later. By the time midterms and finals came around, I had to re-teach myself everything! It would have taken more time initially, but in the long run I would have saved time. This year, as a freshman in college, I have already taken classes I took in high school. So many concepts and terms look familiar, but that just about it. Had I spent the time really trying to learn and remember material as a senior, I would be able to really focus on other courses. Also, I would not have to try to establish good study habits, as I am currently doing, while learning new material. I am not in an impossible situation, but everything would just be easier. Senior year would have been easier, along with this year, and years to come.

My advice to myself would be, "look into scholarships". Since I do not have the money to stay at Ohio State University, I would tell myself to look into any last scholarships that could help me out with the money for this school. I know that I can handle the workload, but do not have the money to do so. Thus, knowing what I know now, I would go back and find a way to stay in this school.

Knowing what I know now about college and making the transition, the advice that I would give myself is to apply for more scholarships. At The Ohio State University, the tuition has went up $2,000 since my freshman year and they're planning to raise tuition an additional $2,000 for the 2010-2011 academic school year. In january (when tax season comes), it's the same time that students have to fill out their federal student aid which can be the most stressful for most students and when you have multiple scholarships its just less stress when financial aid season comes around. In high school I didn't like subjects that covered English and Writing because that's where I struggled the most. So, when it was time to write essays and compete for scholarships I kept myself from doing them because I didn't want to put in the time or the effort to write and that hindered me. Now I am trying to apply for scholarships and it's hard to find scholarships now because most of them are for high school seniors. So, I wish I wasn't afraid to write.

First thing, relax! Don't be so uptight. Don't worry so much about doing well and achieving. Enjoy the ride. Also, procrastination is a sin! It'll really jack you up in college.

"Relax. Stop thinking of only the future; it will come far too soon. Enjoy what you are doing now. Make the most out of this last year of high school, for it is one you will never forget. So go spend time with your friends. Have fun! Go to every sporting event you can and join every club that seems interesting. Of course, don't forget about school, but don't be overly stressed out. This is your last chance to really be a kid--next year, it's off to the real world. Look around you and take in all the places you go and the people you are with. These are your best friends, your favorite hang out spots, and next year, you'll miss them. But don't be afraid of the future, it will bring only good things. You'll miss what you have now, but you'll love where you end up. There are so many opportunities and experiences, and college will be one of the best ones you'll ever have. Relax. Enjoy today and look forward to tomorrow. Trust me, college is tough, but you're ready."

Don't assumme things will work out, make sure you have everything ready for when you leave. Do not leave money to the last minute, no one is just going to give it to you because you are a good student. You have to go look for it and earn it. Be prepared and don't procrastinate and wait until the last minute!

Brittany, you need to fill out as many scholarships as you can. Don't underestimate yourself. You are very smart and deserve all the money that you can get. Do not let the pressure that your parents put on your success overwhelm you. They are not applying to college, you are. In the end, you are in charge of your future. Believe in yourself and that you can be successful. Do not try to have all of your fun in the first week of college. You have all four years and actually the rest of your life to enjoy life.

I would have done so many things differently to prepare myself for college. One thing I would have done is learn to study and do homework efficiently. Although many people told me that we would have to study in college, I never took them seriously. Now, I realize that it was an important thing to learn to do. I have had to learn to study, and how to study thoroughly and efficiently. I would also tell myself to learn time management. College is all about time management. I think that if you do not learn time management first, you will have a hard time succeeding in college. Visitors and speakers would tell us to do everything we could to be prepared for college, but the truth is that we will never be totally prepared. Anyone can tell you what college is like and what to do to prepare but until you are a college student yourself, you will never actually know what to expect. Just do what you can do to prepare and do not assume you know everything.

Going back in time is always a tricky subject. I like the person that I am today. Would I really want to risk everything I have become to change a few minor scenarios or give a smattering of advice? I really don't know. Perhaps, this dillema in itself shows that the best advice I could give myself as a high school senior would be that the only thing I can know for sure is that I will not always know all the answers. Whether it is struggling with a question on an exam, trying to find off-campu housing, or wondering how I can find money to continue my education past my four years of undergraduate, uncertainty will always be a part of my life. Luckily, an answer can always be found with enough perseverance and patience.