Oregon State University Top Questions

The most important thing I would tell myself is to not only do my homework, learn the material. It is remarkably important to know how to retain the information teachers and the homework are trying to get through to you. As a high schooler, that was something I didn't understand; I thought I could slide by doing it at the last second, or not at all. While in high school you can get by on not studying or not doing the homework, that does not fly in college. You have to really engage in what you're learning. And because you're paying thousands of dollars to attend college, you might as well get your money's worth. I would also tell myself to stop caring what other people think. It's cliche, but I didn't realize how little other people's opinions matter until I got to college. In high school people will judge you no matter what you do, so why not have fun and do well academically? College is a place where you can be whoever you want to be, and who you were in high school doesn't matter anymore.

If I was able to go back in time to my senior year, I would tell myself to let loose and enjoy the last year of free education. I would tell myself to learn how to read textbooks efficiently, learn how to study without study guides, and to not stress to much over every assignment or test because that would become a constant state of stress in college. I would, also, tell myself when you get to college to have fun, meet new people, and enjoy the new found freedom away from your parents, but to not forget the reason you are in college in the first place, which is education. College is a time to learn, widen your horizons, and have fun, but also to learn responsibility and to use your freedom and time judiciously.

I would go back and tell my highschool self to not join to the military until after I completed my degree. I would have told him to take his studies more seriously, and to not take education for granted. Since being in the military, I've really gained a newfound appreciation for the importance of a quality education.

I would tell myself to embrace fear. There are so many people who make decisions based in fear and I would never want to live my life that way. Once you overcome the discomfort of doing things you fear the most you will be truly free. There is nothing in your life that you cannot accomplish if you stare your fears in the face and challenge them. If you fail, great. It will show you that you can fail and still live to learn and grow from it. In short, high school self, do what you fear.

I would say don't stress on big projects, but get a head start on the work and chip away at it. That will minimize the stress and let you spread your work out so that you can take on more responsibilities and activities. Make sure that you put all of the due dates for assignment and dates for midterms and finals on your calendar and never skip class. EVER. Get involved on campus as soon as possible, be nice to your RAs, and have fun. Just not too much that your grades start to suffer.

Don't be afraid of new experiences in college. Be involved in the community, make new friends and get involved in clubs. Your best friends will be through marching band and don't be afraid to join Kappa Kappa Psi. Be proactive in your learning and stay on top of your studies. However, don't miss out on the social aspects of college. Take the time to figure who you are and what you love. Don't feel bad about giving up on something that you've burnt out on and pursue your passions with no shame. Allow yourself to cry and stress out, and be kind to yourself and give yourself a break once in a while. Don't let your depression hinder your academic performance and allow yourself to be vulnerable towards your friends. Call your mom often and let her know how much you love her. And lastly, keep perusing your dream of studying abroad; it will happen and it will be amazing.

College is a time of learning in and outside the classroom. As talking to my high school senior self, I would highlight three key points. The first and most important advice would be to meet with your professors during the first week of every term. In the long run they will be able to help you with academics and teach you professionalism. In addition, it will be the beginning of networking with successful men and women. Secondly, sit in front of every class because this will keep you focused and reinforce a relationship with the professor. As you become more recognized by the professor, they will learn your name and be more interested in who you are. The third key point I would tell my high school senior self would be to expect college to be difficult. By expecting college to be difficult and to be ready to spend long hours in the library. This will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed by the large amount of homework given that is much different than high school. These three things are not everything a student needs to know going into college as a freshman but it is vital to being successful.

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If I could go back to high school I would tell myself to prepare and be diligent in my studies, and how college really is a whole new ball game! There is now no one to neither expect anything of you nor really care how much effort you exonerate. In college you waist your own time and money or you make the most of it! I would make sure I stressed the kind of college student I want to be and how important it is to be the kind of student that elaborates on the material stretching the knowledge and gain from each class. I would emphasis to myself that not only is it your own responsibility to make useful the resources I supplement such as my time and money but that it is also my responsibility to get the most out of every classes. I would make this the largest theme of the conversation, because being a year into school I realize not only how relatable the information I am learning is to my everyday life, but by knowing this information inside and out I can excel in the related classes and build on my previous knowledge.

When I was in high school, I was a high acheiving student and my self image was based on this. I entered Oregon State as a member of the University Honors College. Early in my college career, I was often stressed as I compared myself to other honors students rather than average students. This stress was especially acute during times when challenges outside of school (my own health and my father's battle with cancer and death). It took me until the end of college to realize how much I had acheived (multiple internships and undergraduate research in Food Science as well as Industrial Engineering) compared to many of my classmates. I would tell myself that there is no value in comparing myself to others. Worrying is a distraction and will not help you suceed. Focus on getting good grades but the most important thing you can do is to build relationships. Every opportunity I have had in college has resulted not from competing with others but from asking a professor for help. Opportunities will come to you through hard work and asking for help in pursuing your interests. You will be fine.