Southern Polytechnic State University Top Questions

I myself was a very reclusive person in highschool and kept to myself for most of my school career. The first thing i would tell myself is to join more organizations and groups. They would greatly help me through my classes and just having people to back you up when you need help. Secondly, though no less important, I would tell myself to work on my organization. Learning to work with calendars and using organizers to keep my information together. So that when it comes time for projects or tests it it would not be a surprise everytime and I would be able to prepare myself better.

I would tell myself to that it's going to be a tough road as the I, like many of the students, progress to concentrated classes to complete their degree. I would also tell myself to keep up, if not, try to stay ahead of class by researching outside of class; and do not procrastinate in college, work piles up quick!

High schools students are so immature--I didn't realize that at the time. I thought that I was nearly an adult. Now that I am in college and I see how much mroe of the world there is, I would tell myself not to stress so much about the people bullying me, teasing me. They were, (and probably still are), mean, insensitive kids who didn't know the first thing about real life. I would tell myself that college was going to be a much friendlier environment, believe it or not, and to get my head out of my ass and to earn a better grade in Geometry.

I would tell myself to apply to more schools just to have many options. Also, I would tell myself to research many schools to show the rankings on the best school for mechanical engineering. Another important thing would be to tell myself to plan my high school classes accordingly to what I will be taking in college. Only take the AP courses that you want to get out of the way and not take in college. Don't take the important college courses junio year so once you get into college you have forgotten the material over senior year. The decisions on what you take and when you take classes in high school is extremely important.

If I could go back and tell myself a few things about going to college, I would have a few important things to tell myself. First, I would tell myself that you probably won't stay close with all of your friends in high school like you think you will. Everyone goes to different schools and you'll wear yourself out trying to keep up as well as you currently do. It's ok to move on and make new friends and keep up with a few if possible and those are the friends that matter. Second, I would tell myself not to stress out as much. College is a lot of pressure on high school students and you might not get the same grades as you did in high school and that is completely ok. Finally, I would tell myself to try my hardest, be proud of what I end up doing, and build up a resume as much as possible. Throughout college you should get involved in clubs to build up your resume and do things to further your application. If you do all of these things you'll be fine and ready to graduate from College.

The advice I would give my highschool self is be prepared for college. I didn't take the SAT soon enough to get my scores back in time to apply for scholarships. I should have started thinking about college more my junior year. Also, I should have applied for as many scholarships as possible. By not meeting the registration deadlines, I'm having to pay for college with student loans. Also, I would tell my high school self to be a better time manager. Its very easy in college to put assignments on the back burner and not get work done until the last minute, or not done on time. Some final advice I would tell my high school self would be to be myself and make many friends as soon as possible in college. Having many friends on campus make the whole college experience more enjoyable.

I was not a good student in high school. As a matter of fact I barely showed up my senior year. I would go back and tell myself how important education. It took me many years to finally realize that and it took to be laid off from very secure job to realize that it can happen to anyone. I would say pay attention in class and go to college right after high school to not waste anytime. I am now 32 years old and trying to do something that could have been done a long time ago. Education is a stage in life that we all have to go through and wether we decide to go earlier in life or later we are still going to have to go through it.

Dear Self, Its been a while since I've seen 16, but its good to see you after some 15 odd years. Much has happened since, and I have learned a few things. Right now you're distracted by what most young people are distracted by and that being your social life. A social life is an important part of life, but its only a part of a life. Learn to balance the success equation by scheduling study time into your daily routine. Being a successful high school student can put you ahead of the game in college and incorporate those necessary skills one needs to do well on the college level. You can never practice good study skills too early. Finally, attend class everyday. You can't rely on the note taking skills of others come test day. Just being there lets your professor know that you care about the class and at the very least making an effort to learn. Overall, be responsible. Your work represents your attitude. Do work you can be proud of. Sincerely, Yourself

I'm a non-traditional student who attempted college right out of high school, but stopped going two years in. I wasn't interested and didn't take the academic part seriously. After dropping out of school, I worked for a few years and then joined the Army in 2001 (pre-9/11). Though I was always taught how to conduct myself in an honorable fasihion and was given astounding examples within my family, my experiences in the military gave me the sense of responsibility that I needed to truly grow up and live by the values on which I was raised. After three combat tours and the good fortune to survive, I was finally ready to contribute to society. This time around, I'm an adult/veteran/husband, and I take nothing for granted. That is part of the advice I would give myself as a high school senior - don't take anything for granted and live with a sense of purpose. The other advice would be to surround myslef with positive influences, recognize that I will make mistakes but should strive not to repeat the bad ones, and understand that reputations are built on actions - good or bad.

Don't hesitate to get involved on campus. Make sure that you do the summer program for incoming freshmen, and don't slack off. This place is great, and you should definitely pick it over your other options. Get organized before school starts, cause it will help you more than you could ever imagine. Try to enjoy the summer before you leave for college as much as you can, cause there is no going back to those care-free days. Most importantly, apply for as many scholarships as you can.