South Dakota State University Top Questions

Choose a college of your choice. I went to a school that I thought I would like because my friends go there, but ended up hating it and now I'm transfering. Plus if you want to go out into the world and get out of that "hometown" feeling, then I recommend going to a big school. More people, more fun, more opportunities, and more things to do. Seriously.

I have a lot of advice about college for my high school self. One tip would be to learn good study habits now. Because with all the extracurriculars campus has to offer, one has to be disciplined enough to know when, how much, and for how long they need to study. It is easy to get caught up in the fun of organizations, but you have to remember that academics is the sole purpose of college. My second piece of advice would be to get involved right away. College is a place that I personally came out of my shell, and It happened when I started joining clubs and other organizations. It will benefit you during and after your college experience. A third piece of advice is to find a nice place on campus, other than your residence hall, to study. Get in the habit of being our of the room from 9-5 each day. Beter to get into this habit now then when you enter the work force afte graduation. My last piece of advice, would be to remember to have fun. Studying is important, but college is only a four year experience until the real world hits.

I would have to say that it is something I should have thought more about, and I wish i would have spent more time finding out what I wanted to do after high school. I also would say to not let un needed things distract you from what you are going to do. You need to focus on yourself and start to make decsions on your own. Graduating high school and going in to college is a very important part of your life.

Going to college pushes you to become more independent than you've ever been and that transition can be scary so here is some advice to help prepare you. Just because you can stay up as late as you want with your friends doing shenanigans doesn't mean you should. Sleep is crucial to help you stay focused throughout the day. Classes are not mandatory so it's easy to press the snooze button if you are too tired to wake up in the morning, causing you to miss your class. Don't skip because you never know if your professor will introduce something important that day. Keep your dorm door open and don't be afraid to say hello to a stranger walking by. Make new friends and put yourself out there! Call home at least once a week. This prevents you from becoming homesick and it reassures your parents you are okay. Trust me, they love it. Understand that it's okay to be undecided about your future. You are only 18; you have plenty of time to decide so don't stress yourself out. Enjoy the freedom but trust that you know your limits and study hard!

If I were able to go back in time and write a letter of advice to myself while I was still in high school, my best advice for myself would have been to get more involved. I was involved in one to two things per year throughout my high school experience and it would have been a huge blessing to be able to learn how to make lasting relationships with other peers based on common interests. I find that I did not carry about half of the friendships over once my college career began and I miss the relationships built with my high school friends. Another piece of advice I would have given to myself back in high school was to challenge myself more. I took several Advanced Placement classes that helped prepare me for college, however, if I could have pushed myself to take more, I could have been saving thousands of dollars. Overall, the most two important things I could have improved on in high school are getting more involved, and challenging myself more. These are important for every high school student preparing to obtain a postsecondary education.

Looking back at my high school days, I would tell myself to enjoy the little things. Enjoy the freedoms of being a child. Don't let the other kids make you think you are not as good as they are. You have a great life ahead of you, just get through high school and achieve your goals. Put your values first. Never give in to negative peer pressure- it won't turn out well. If people don't like you for who you truly are, too bad. Remember, if you put your mind to it, you can achieve it. Also, everybody that looks back at their high school years either hates the way they treated others, or just plain hated high school. It's just a milestone that you need to get passed for an awesome future.

Advice is a tricky thing. Until you have experienced a few things in life its even difficult to that the advice of other, wiser individuals. After almost completing my first year of college I would have told myself to take more classes that challenged me in high school and to start the college and scholarship search MUCH earlier. I would tell myself to me bold when moving in. Make the first move with other students and introduce yourself. Making friends is never going to get any easier when you are as shy as I am so I recommend starting early. DO NOT room with a friend unless you know that you can stand one another full time. Even the best of friends can make the worst roommates. And lastly, remove yourself from the high school mentality. While making friends and socializing is important, school and studying ALWAYS comes first. There will always be time for fun after the work has been done. Keep your priorities straight.

As the old adage goes, “Actions speak louder than words.” So if I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, I wouldn’t say anything. I would drag the injudicious version of myself “back to the future” to get a good look at life. There I’d stand; quietly watching as the younger me internalized what was happening. Searching for something meaningful to give myself, I would remember the words of the current Dalai Lama who said, “…[humans are] so anxious about the future that [they do not] live in the present; the result being that [they do not] live in the present or the future; [they live] as if [they are] never going to die, and then [die] having never really lived.” I would turn to my younger self and utter two words… ...,”Go. Live.”

That your parents aren't really abandoning you, and you don't need to bring your entire room + the kitchen sink. Friends are easier to make than you think. Try lots of things, and attend a variety of cultural speakers and music! Be a leader or a researcher, because it will help build your resume. Bring headphones or earplugs. Be ready to compromise with your roomate. Put your dirty laundry and dishes away, your roomate will hate it otherwise. Be open to anything coming your way, because anything can happen.

I would tell myself to go for the soroity life early! Those girls will become your best friends and help you through all the tough classes. If it wasnt for Alpha Omega Epsilon I would have dropped out and not made it to my goal of graduating college. Dont fret about money. That is one thing that will come and go. Financal aid has always been available as well as scholorships. Apply for as many as possible and be serious about them.