Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Top Questions

If I could go back and talk to my senior self I would let them know that leaving home and being away from your family is going to be a lot harder than you thought it would be. Yes you will meet people down there that are going to become like family it still won't come close to what you have now. Take in all the time with them as you can. Don't spend all your free time with your friends take some of that time and spend it with your family. When your mom talks about that camping trip you don't want to take becasue you don't like camping but do it becasue it is something you know she loves. Just take it all in on how life is now becasue once you leave for school everything is going to change. Just keep in mind that just becasue it changes doesn't mean its going to be all bad. I promise it will all be ok and remember to spend time with your family becasue they will always be there for you!

I would have told myself to take a year off - and that it was okay to do so. I ended up doing that anyway, but it was a painful (and somewhat expensive) decision made after I had already started attending school. I was heartbroken that I had "failed" at going to college. It wasn't a failure - I needed that time to grow, to work, to figure out what I wanted to do. Spending that first year after high school would have been a waste of time and money, a year spent floundering about, wondering what in the world I was doing. So, I would tell myself that it is fine to take a break, that it would be better in the end, and that I needn't feel bad about it.

I would tell myself to make the most of the time I have left with my family. I thougth I would be fine when I left for school, but it was a lot harder than I thougth. I would tell my high school self that you will spend some time crying in your dorm because your roommate and suitemates drink and you do not. However, you will not feel weird and alone forever. Keep your head up because it will get better, and you are going to make some amazing friends. When you miss mom and feel guilty about the last words you ever said to her, go talk to Baylee because she will be there for you, and assure how much mom loved you. I would stress how important it is to always work hard. If you do not keep high A's, you will have to do very well on your finals to keep A's. When finals come, stay calm because you are going to do fantastic. One of the most importants things I would tell myself is to not let people make you feel bad because you recieved direct entry into the nursing program.

Start off at a community college, or join greek life asap.

Network. Your professors and assisstants are key to making connections. Being so close to a major city, you need to get your name out there. Also, don't get caught up with the wrong people. You will meet all kinds of people while at school, and make sure you friend the ones who are able to boost your self confidence, and respect your decisions. Since you're so far from home, make sure you don't forget about your family. They are always there for help, whether it's financially or emotionally. Most importantly, don't forget to slow down and enjoy this experience. The campus you attend is beautiful, and you need to stop and appreciate it.

Do yourself a favor and take more than just that English 101 class over the summer, in fact, take all the pre-racs required by the majority of colleges. You will save yourself time AND money by doing so. Also apply to scholarships earlier, such as sophmore and junior year, not just senior year. Yes, you did good in the scholarship field but you lucked out on even more opportunities so be aware its all in the prep work chicadee. More importantly, get the heck out of Peotone. Go to manteno or one of the Lincoln Way schools. Peotone will not prepare you for college. Your better off researching other high schools that have college credit and more opportunites for AP courses. It will make a huge differnce in your placement in college. Lastly, find a tutor or take a class to prepare for the ACT. Take practice ACT's before taking the officially ACT and opt to take the ACT with writing (trust me you will save yourself some time and a whole lot of stress). If all else, remember to enjoy your High School experience because once its over, its over. So stop stressing and live.

Dear 17 year old, stressed out, worried, insecure me, Although you are only just a year younger than me, I have some advice for you. Believe it or not, I know what it is like to be you. My first pointer is to love God. I know you say you love God, but really love God. Live for him and never be ashamed to acknowledge him. Second, it is okay to not be friends with every person. Not every person is going to like you. A few true friends are always better than multiple fake friends. Third, wake up before the sunrise. It will change your views on life. Fourth, quit rushing through life. It will amaze you when you slow down and realize how much more you have time for. Fifth, you are beautiful. I know this because God created you, and he does not make ugly things so quit comparing yourself to all the other girls. Speak kindness. Be grateful. And do not forget to smile because life is so so beautiful.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would emphasize the importance of keeping everything you do in perspective of your long term goals. I would also convey the fact that there are things that you can control, and things you cant and that you should only worry and be concerned with the former.

If I could go back in time I would tell myself to embrace everything and get ready for the big change. I would tell myself it is okay to be nervous but it will be fine. There is new friendly people out there just waiting to meet you so go and have fun. The most important thing I would tell myself is to get ready to take full responsibility for yourself. There will be no one to wake you up or hold your hand anymore. Put on your big girl pants and be ready to be liable for every decision you make. You chose the best school to attend. Your still local and Edwardsville have so much to offer you. Do not hold back and give it your all. Time is precious do not waste it, spend your free time looking for scholarships becuase your going to need them. Make sure you study and get to know your professors, advisors and resources as they are there to help you. After the first year you will everything under control, it is not all rainbows however. Do not be afraid, enjoy yourself, and do not look back.

Dear Ally, It's you, from the future! Listen to me, I don't have much time! College isn't easy. I know it's really hard for you to stay focused, but talk to your mom about that! It's gonna be really hard to get medication when you're older and under some crappy insurance. It's going to suck; you're going to get into a lot of fights with your mom over grades. Work on becoming independent and focusing on school so you can get really good scholarships so you won't be such a burden on your mother. You're going to meet a fantastic man whose going to support you going through school, and is an excellent tutor. You're going to make great friends. You're going to suffer a bit, but it'll be worth it in the end. Just focus on getting good grades in what you love. By the way, take art classes. You're going to LOVE art! Just get good grades, find those great scholarships, and do what you love with who you love. Love, Future Ally