Purdue University-Calumet Campus Top Questions

Do not procrastinate and plan, plan, plan. If you plan your educational career while you are a freshman there will be no surprises down the road.

I would begin off saying you should have done a little better in high school instead of slacked off. That who you are now, is not the person you turn out to be. That further down the road your life will change and you will make a change in other people's life. Don't give up just yet and keep pushing!

Reflecting back to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to keep pushing forward and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I would also tell myself that college is very different from high school and my studying tactics need to be improved. College is not that bad once you get used to it and see how well your hard work pays off. There will be new friends to be made and the past experiences will no longer matter. The harder you work in class the more rewarding the outcome will be. I would also tell myself to follow your dreams and do not listen to what others tell you about which major to choose. The decision ultimately comes down to you, even if you change your mind half way through the semester. It will take some time and hard work but you will get there. Participate in as many volunteering opportunities as possible and take advantage of all the resources on campus. Do not be afraid to ask for help when needed because chances are someone else is having a similiar problem. Lastly, I would tell myself to stock up on coffee.

The advice I would give to my younger self would be to complete all my desired education when I am young. I have been working as a nurse for the last 17 years, and have recently decided to return to pursue my DNP for midwifery. "Hindsight is 20/20" is the most appropriate phrase for my situation now. Looking back at myself then, I would definitely encourage myself (or any young person) to go all the way with their education before they have all of the other "life obligations" to tie them down, like family, marriage, and a full time job.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to not worry so much. My last year of high school was not very fun, mostly because I was so stressed out over petty, high school things, like dumb boys and drama in my friend group. I would tell myself to just take it easy and to start loving myself more. I can tell how much I've grown since I have come to college, and it amazes me how immature I was, even as a high school senior. I would also tell my younger self to budget better and to learn how to cook more. I am a good baker, but a mediocre chef, so I have to subsist on Mac N' Cheese on my busy days. Learning how to cook when I still had my mother as a guide would have made somethings much easier now, where I am stuck in my dorm (which has a kitchen - score!).

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself this: Rachel, you need to focus only on you. You have the grades and the brains to get where you want. Don't give up on your dreams, they have gotten you this far, right? Money is going to be tight regardless of where you choose to go to school. You should go away, get out of town and see what it is like to be independent, for the most part. You are a strong-willed girl and you can do it. I am not saying it is going to be the easiest thing, but you can and will succeed. You know that mom and dad believe in you and so does the rest of your family. You need to believe in yourself and that will be the hardest thing for you to do. Stay strong and keep your head high. Whatever you choose to do will be the best because you know how to get through everything. It will get rough and rocky, but stay steady. Your steadiness will keep you sane. Don't forget to believe in yourself.

Dear 17 year old LaJenné, You need to take the time to weigh out your school options. If you haven't started applying for scholarships, which you probably haven't, you need to start right now. Don't miss out on your dream college experience because your parents can't afford it. Also, you know that African-American history is your passion, so do everything you can to read as much scholarship on the field starting now. If you begin your reading now, you'll be ahead of your peers by a long-shot. You are smart, don't let the complex language steer you away. The more you read, the more you'll understand the terms. Lastly, write and read ferociously, but read more than you write. There are so many conferences available for young undergraduates with a passion for knowledge, the only thing that seperates those who succeed in those endeavors and those who fail, is the simple fact that many just aren't well read and rely too much on assumption. Be better and your academic life and CV will look that much better. Oh, yea! Heads up. You're going to graduate school. Sincerely, You.

I do not live with any regrets. I graduated with a 3.5 G.P.A and a 27 on my ACT, so I knew for the most part that college was going to be a lot more challenging. I was going in knowing that you have to be more independent. I wish I would've came to this school right after graduating high school, instead of transferring in because of stability reasons. I would tell myself to strive for greatness, never let personal situations break you down, but inspire you to achieve greatness and success. Let nothing or no one stand in the way of what is important to you, school. Stick to one thing and do not run when things get tough because a great career stems from hard work and dedication. Set higher goals for yourself and be confident, inside and out. Success is not achieved overnight, so work hard and do the best you can do. Also, challenge yourself to new things and ideas, broaden your horizons, be more engaged with everyone as much as possible, because everyone teaches you something.

I would tell myself to join more campus activities and study harder.

Some advice I woudl give to myself is take high school more serious and appreciate all the extentions and extra time you have on your work because as soon as its time for college, all that is over. Growing up and being responsible at all times is a must. Because you dont want to sabatoge your grades because you have gotten so comfortable with taking your time on things that you have became lazy. But dont stress yourself out just enjoy it as your moving along.