Texas State University Top Questions

If I could go back a year and offer myself some advice, it would be to invest time is searching for scholarships and financial aid all of my senior year. I realize now that you can not ever have too much money to help you pay for school. Expenses stack up far more quickly than one expects, and student loans come with high interest rates. As a senior, I spent very little time applying for scholarships or researching the expenses of college. Come the time of my registration, I found myself staring at a $6583 expense with nothing to rely on but student loans. Scholarships are absolutely essential to keeping the cost of school reasonable, especially in the current economy. It is not something you can do last minute. Weekly effort should be made to find financial aid for anyone preparing to leave for college.

When I was in high school, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I didn't really want to go to college because I thought I could find myself better by traveling or doing other things I was interested in. Little did I know that college was the ideal place to discover who I was and that as I discovered, I would make truly meaningful, lifelong friendships which make all the difference in the long run. If I could go back to my senior year, I'd tell myself to fully embrace all the opportunities that college presented to me my freshman year, to connect with those people who I knew were going to be partners in my life's purpose. I wish I would have realized that school isn't supposed to be just jumping through hoops. It's a process and a journey, where the more you learn about the world, the more you learn about yourself. And the more you deeply connect with others, the more clearly you can see your purpose and make strides towards improving yourself so you can help the world.

I would tell myself that high school is so much easier than college and be happy that you get homework. In college, all there is are lectures, notes, and tests. For my trasition into college, I would remind myself to be open and optimistic. Everyone goes into college knowing only a few people, if any, and this is where you will meet the most people in your life. Do not be afraid to talk to the person who sits next to you and ask them to study for the big test next week with you. Most likely, they wanted to ask too, but they felt shy. As for dorm like my freshman year, I would tell myself you got through it and it was just fine. Not everyone can say they can live in a 10x12 room with another person for a whole year (especially someone they've never met). Join clubs, volunteer, and look into a sorority that doesn't base their life on parties and drinking. Have fun and meet people. And most of all, get good grades.

If I could go back in time, I would probably do a few things different. My senior year was a very stressful year for me, and a time that my life started changing dramatically. I recieved a scholarship to a school in New York City, and my parents urged me to go there, so I did. I had never visited, and never really aspired to move up north, I just decided to go with the flow. Once I got up there, depression hit with the major changes, not only with school, but with being so far from home. I didnt fully think about everything when I made my decision to move far away. My advice would to carefuly consider everything that you are doing. Going to school so far away from home is very difficult in many ways, and also expensive! I would also advise to visit the college campus to get a feel of the atmosphere, because that is the most important aspect to me.

Knowing what I know now about college, I would begin my freshman year differently. In my high school years, I would have taken the time to go through scholarships and put more effort into the essays and researching more schools. Instead, I just applied for loans that I would have years and years to repay. I also switched my major a lot in college college. I began with Music Business as my major, because I had a passion for music. Shortly after I realized the classes were challenging and a future in Music isn?t as promising as the other careers, so I decided to just concentrate on the classes I would need to graduate. I decided to make Liberal Arts my major. After taking a Psychology class I figured I could possibly become a Psychiatrist. Then working at a hospital I was fascinated with a career in nursing. I began to realize that should I pursue a degree in nursing I can use it in many different areas in the Medical Industry. I have learned a lot since my high school years and experience is the best teacher.

I would have taken the time to complete more scholarships; you aren't aware at the time of how much a couple of hundred dollars can do for you in college. I would have also told myself to learn to study more. I didn't have to study in high school, so when I came to college, it was difficult to get into a sudying routine. My lack of studying showed in my GPA that year.

Your first few weeks as a college student you will be awkwardly quiet, constantly lost, and always walking up hills! You?ll be wrapped up in what people think about you, too proud to ask for directions and not prepared for the number of hills on Texas State?s Campus. In the end you?ll come to realize that Dr. Seuss is always right, ?Those who mind don?t matter, and those who matter don?t mind.? Be yourself, have fun, and make memories that you will enjoy looking back on. While there are some things that you will wish you would have done differently in your first semester, learning all those small things along the way gave you the opportunity to meet new people and be a part of the full college experience.

I would tell myself not to go to a private university. Not to listen to my parents about how it is just getting my "feet wet", by going to a private university. I would say to just go straight to a State school, and not waste my time and money. Going to a small state school like Texas state is also a great way of getting my "feet wet". I would also tell myself not to worry about classes or the social life. Just pay attention in my studies and dont worry about not fitting in. College life is fun, when you have the time. I would say not to get too stressed out about not doing good, just do my best and try to make up for the slack. Just have fun, do well in classes and try to be more social without having to put off my studies.

Make and effort to put myself out there and make friends. Coming in as a college freshman, you know no one and everyone else knows no one also. The only way to make friends and get out there is to become involved in your school and all of the organizations it offers. If you do not you end up sitting in your dorm room alone and with no friends. So if I could go back and tell myself one thing, it is get involved from the start, make an effort to make friends. Because I am not the only one who is alone and knows no one.

Now that I am in college, I wish that I would have learned how to spend my money and save it. Being a college student means that you are on your own and have to buy all the necessities that your parents bought when you lived at home such as food and cleaning supplies. I was used to helping my mom out with the bills and other things but, I never imagined how expensive college is even with financial aid and scholarships. Also, in high school, we got by not reading the textbooks. Boy, do I wish I would have learned to study. I struggled in my college History class because I never really learned how to study. I always just took the test and did fine. Now, I have to learn all these things in college and it is a hassle, if I could go back I would have learned these things in high school.