Palm Beach Atlantic University Top Questions

The transition from high school to college is extremely intimidating and overwhelming. However, this transition is also very exciting! If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, there are some things I would advise myself about! First and foremost, I would remind myself how blessed I am to have family and friends who love me and support me. I would tell myself to show appreciation to all of these people and enjoy every single moment with them. Transitioning to college requires moving to a new place with new people. I would tell myself to remember all of my loved ones while working on forming new relationships. The second thing I would tell myself is to take everything one step at a time. The transition can become overwhelming and confusing. It is so important to not let yourself get overwhelmed. I would tell myself to take baby steps, set goals, and do everything in my power to accomplish those goals. In conclusion, there are some wonderful terms of advice I would give myself if I could go back in time and advise myself as a high school senior about to transition to college.

High school is a time of angst, stress, and desperation. Throughout my high school education I put so much pressure on myself to succeed and I aspired to develop my scholastic skills exceeding those of my peers. Now that I am a college student, the only advice I would give myself is not to change a single thing. Within the hard times it may have seemed impossible, but this only strengthened me intellectually. I do not believe in living with regrets and I strongly believe in the concept of gaining wisdom from past experience. Everything I have done in my past, including my senior year of high school, has only aggrandized my perspective on life. In retrospect, I believe that everything I have accomplished aptitudinally molded me into the person I am today and that without my past, I couldn't glorify my present prosperity.

First, complete the FAFSA as soon as possible. Procrastinating will just lead to a lot more effort later. Second, Don't become a part-time student. Ever! The Federal Grant just doesn't cover everything and you will end up owing the school money we just don't have. If you are late at registering, it's better to wait for the next semester and becoming full-time. Third, for Senior onward you should be completing every free scholarship and grant that you can find. Don't think that it isn't necessary yet, because you aren't in college. As soon as you hit Senior, even the summer before you become senior you should start completing applications like there is no tomorrow. Fourth, and most importantly, do your work. I didn't and had to do another year, and I still procrastinated and had to get a GED wasting 2 years, that I could have been in college for already. Stop procrastinating, I know we are good at it, but it isn't good for us. We have a lot of work in the future and we should start working on our procrastination right away.

After one year of college, there are a few things that I wish I knew during my senior year that I know now. If I could go back in time to my senior year and give myself advice, I would tell myself the obvious things like always putting school ahead of sports and sleep, and I'd tell myself to put more effort into saving money and not spending so much on food or other temporary things. But more importantly, I'd tell myself to be prepared to grow up and take on more personal responsibilities. College life can throw a lot of new, unexpected responsibilities into your life, and it is very difficult at times to remember what you came to college to accomplish. Mistakes are easily made but sometimes not so easily fixed. I would tell myself to have a great time, meet new people, explore new interests, but,, I would remind myself that I am now an adult and have to make smart, adult decisions. These tips, had I understood them better during my senior year of high school, would have pointed me in the right direction of success.

If I could go back in time I would remind myself to enjoy the moment because it only gets harder in college. Enjoy your friends because once you graduate you really won't see them as much. That whole idea of "yeah we'll keep in touch!" can be a difficult to make a reality. There are going to be a lot of barriers to you getting an education. When I mean a lot I mean a ton! There will be financial barriers, plenty of test and assignments, time conflicts, and sometimes your own personal drive can run low. YOU HAVE TO STAY POSITIVE AND KEEP GOING! I know that you will need to spend plenty of time on your studies but trust me and spend a great deal of time on the art of staying positive! Even the smartest people can be brought down because of their own negativity but an average joe with determination and a positive attitude can be a someone who can change their life and even the world for the better.

Dear High Senior Me, You are going to LOVE college. It is a blast, this is the time in you life when you'll have the most amout of freedom with the least amount of responsibilties. However, it's not easy. You are going to need to work hard in order to suceed. Time management is key to getting the most out of your college years. Get enough sleep at night so you don't need a nap during the day. That way you can get your homework done between classes and have all the time in the world to hang out in the evenings. Also, college is EXPENSIVE!!! Right now, you don't have a full grasp on the reality of how much it will cost you. There will come a point when it hits you hard and terrifies you. My suggestion, save more now! It's not the most fun or easiest thing to do, but do it. Have conversations with your friends rather than sitting in front of a movie screen and spending $10, etc. Lastly, HAVE FUN! Don't let worries keep you from fully experiencing your life right now. Your Future Self, Me

The advice I would give myself would be to make more of an effort in obtaining the financial assistance needed to attend college after high school. A college education is very important to move up in the corporate world. Wiothout a college degree many companies will only allow you to move up so far. Earning that college degree will give you more opportunities to move forward, and earn a good salary. It will also provide a means of understanding, and figuring out what it is that you want to do in life. Many people already know at a young age what it is that want to do, but there are also many that need time to figure it out. College life is definitely a good place to start.

I would tell myself to apply for as many scholarships as possible because you never know how much money you'll need. I would also state to join more activities and to start saving money for a car because you will need one to get to your classes.

1. Have an understanding of what field of study you want to get into 2. Stay focused and motivated so that you can recieve good grades 3. Work hard in whatever you do, no matter the circumstances. 4. Never make excuses

It's a dangerous road, this life, and if you don't keep up, suffering is at the door.