Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Top Questions

Visit every school before you apply and get to know as many people as you can while you are there

Go with the mindset to spend extra time on easy classes so large tests don't drop your GPA.

I would encourage people to start out slowly, and not rush into things. Life is so fast and is gone before you know it. Be open to new opportunities and to taking risks.

Take advantage of all the oppurtunities that come your way. Get out of your comfort zone. Accept new experiences and find out who your true self is.

I have always been a good student but college, especially at Penn State, was a complete blast! I met my amazing close group of friends and enjoyed football and beer just as much as the next guy (or girl). However, I did choose a pretty tough major and found myself struggling sometimes to keep up. If I were to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I'd adamently stress that in order to play hard, you must first work hard. Having the balance is ideal but sometimes the "play hard" aspect can take over. Knowing that you are in college to get a great education and put yourself in a position to get a great job in the future is what students should remember everyday. If you work hard, you deserve to play hard - but remembering there is a give and take is key.

I would tell myself to take high school more seriously. Even though it doesn't seem important as a teenager, a good education will take you much further in life. A career that you enjoy and really want will be much more fulfilling than living paycheck-to-paycheck working a job straight out of high school with no education beyond that. Life experiences may seem to be all you need to succeed when your young, but once you get older you start to realize that it takes more than that to get where you want to be.

I wish i would have gotten a job at a place that was similar to my major. In high school all i wanted to do was make money so i was a waitress and now all im trying to do is get experience for my major.

Don't be so hard on yourself. That's what I wish I would have believed. Other people gave me that advice and I just figured they were being nice. They weren't. Transitioning to college is hard. Sometimes you may cry or may feel like giving up and going home and THAT IS OK! Everyone goes through that, and don't let your friends tell you otherwise. We all get scared and start to doubt our ability to make it through. We all want to go crying home to mom and dad and get a big hug sometimes. Just get involved in something that makes you happy and you will find friends and you will learn how to handle those feelings and you will adjust to college life, I promise. In fact, eventually those feelings will go away (and only come back during finals :) ). And if those feelings don't go away, don't give up. There are plenty of people, both professional and more casual, that are willing and happy to listen. Take advantage of that. Basically know that whatever you are going through, a bunch of other people are going through it too. You are never alone.

If I could go back in time, I think that I would have taken my senior year alot more seriously. Senior year, I did pretty well but I could have done much better. I think that because my teachers were so lenient with us Seniors that we could just slack-off, but now I see that they were just preparing us for college.

I would definitely prepare myself by working on my time management skills. In college, you have more freedom, which makes it very easy to get off track. In my case, having a challenging major, being in a sorority, holding positions in other organizations, having a boyfriend and friends, and trying to stay in contact as much as possible with family can sometimes be overwhelming. However, learning how to time manage can save you from being stressed in the future. I learned the hard way and learned how to time manage while I was in college. Now, college does not seem that bad.