Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Top Questions

Take the time to study. Build good study habits while your in grade school and high school. All through high school, I floated by, making good grades because I was a quick learner and I have a great memory and ability to absorb information. Although those abilities still help me, they in no way prepared me for the type of education I would recieve in a university. College education is a totally different realm of knowledge that requires studying and time to really learn properly. It is very important to build proper habits intended to help you during the course of your education career.

Dear Meily, Study,Study Study and College life will be easier. Everything you learn will help you as you take higher level courses in college. In your free time apply for scholarships you have no idea how much it really helps. Many sleepless nights will come but the feeling of learning and passing it's well worth it. Stay focus and try your best, the future needs you.

The most important advice that I would provide myself is to not be afraid of the challenge of collegiate coursework. During my high school years, my mother struggled with an addiction to crack-coaine. The young man of those times was afraid of life's possibilities due to the abandonment and instability that he had experienced up to that point. The current me would simply assure my high school self that everything will be okay and encourage myself not be nervous about the future. I would tell me that college is not nearly as difficult as the teachers portray it; they are simply trying to prepare you for the most daunting challenges that may arise throughout your collegiate career. On the whole, the curriculum is not much more difficult than that of the Advanced Placement high school courses in which you are currently enrolled. I would also tell me that Mom loves me very much, even though it may not seem that way. I would say this in an effort to remedy the anger and insecurity that I had developed in hopes of preventing some of the poor choices that I ended up making shortly after high school.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would advise myself to be more concious of time and to not procrastionate. Time management and procrastionation were the most challenging habits I struggled with. I believe that if I had worked on getting rid of these habits I would have been able to transition to my college life more smoothly. Towards the beginning of the first semester I thought the work was a breeze. However, I was brought into reality when I did not turn in a assignment the day it was due which was worth a huge portion of my grade. I did not not turn it in becasue I had not completed it yet; a week went by and I had avoided going to the class because I had yet to finished the assignment. When I finally did go to class my instuctor told me I could not turnin the work. Therefore after that ordeal I was playing catch up the rest of the semester, becasue I underestimated the time the assignment would take, and the strictness of my instructor. Consqenectuly I learned the tradeoffs of time mangement and procrastination.

There are many sterotypes and rumors that high school seniors hear about college, that makes some not want to even atten college, but all the rumors aren't true. It is something definately worth experiencing. My only regret is that I didn't go to clooege right after high school. That is the one thing I would have changed and done differently!

Start on the core classes. If possible see if there is a less expensive college that can transfer credits to a more desireble college, and start attending at the lesser expensive.

I would tell myself that applying for college and getting everything ready isn't as hard as you thought it would be. To be less stressed out about the whole process because it's pretty simple and it'll all work out in the end. I would say I need to apply for more scholarships because I know I could have earned more money for school.

If I could turn back time, and tell myself what I know now, I would probably give myself some winning lottery ticket numbers first off. I would remind myself not to drink to much on a few occasions, and not to drive to tricities every weekend in may with Ashley. Not think I'm in love with Zach because he turns out to be the biggest waste of time immaginable. Tell myself to cut my step dad a break, he turns out to be the good guy after all. Not borrow all that money from my dad, and warn him not to give it to me, because it ends up being a heart breaking experience for him, and myself because I have to watch him slowly lose his mind. Remind myself to invest some money as I was going to have a kid at twenty years old with the love of my life. To respect my body while I can, because in three years, it will never look the same again. If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would warn myself of what the real world is truely like.

I would tell myself as a high school senior that you should go on to a university right away. Community college is not as fun as it could be. It actually gets quite boring. I woulld also tell him to not get sucked into the freedom of being able to skip class, it's not worth it. Also, I would tell him to remember his passion for music and don't get lost in thinking about what he wants to do when it's right in front of you. I would let him know not to get caught up in the wild scene or the many unknown people. Take advantage of it, and make yourself known. Stay focused and keep your eye on the prize, school is important, never forget that.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would say, research more. As a high school senior I felt like I knew what I wanted to do and going to auniversity that had the major would be the easiest way to get to that career. What in actualality happened was that I truely did not know what went in to achieving that degree and getting that career. When I actually did the program, it was more challenging than I ever thought, and it was not for me. I would tell my high school self to go to the community college and get the general education classes out of the way and really figure out what I was good at and how that would truly encourage, and show what the best career could ever be for me. I have changed my major three times since being in college, and I wish I could tell my high school self to learn more about myself and any desired careers, before deciding on a major and university.