The University of Texas at Austin Top Questions

There are so many things I would go back and tell myself. First, I would tell myself to not stress so much over the little things. Then I would tell myself to prepare to study more than I ever did in highschool. I would also tell myself to not get too serious in my dating life so quickly. You are only young once, so enjoy being young. Enjoy dating and getting to know people. Have some fun, don't take yourself so seriously. Also, don't second guess yourself. You have good intuition, so go with that. Take your studies seriously and your dating life less seriously. Enjoy being young. Don't spend more than you make, skip the credit card offers! Most importantly, just take time to enjoy your college years.

Ellen, get over yourself, and go up to the HSM building where a gang of kids who call themselves, "Down to Film Productions" will greet you. There, you will find the answer to "How do I make movies?" more than any college class can teach. Go, -- go quick! You'd be surprised how much faster the years go by in college, so don't miss out! Take in each brilliant college day with a seething, undying passion for your study --- for, the moment you step foot in college, you begin life, now live it! Don't wait for those film classes to start, start making films now! Gain experience right away and I assure you, your bright colleages will be waiting for you happily to join them. Don't disappoint them.

First of all, in my own opinion, there are some things that are better left not advising. A lot of the college experience is finding yourself and learning everything yourself--it'd be a shame for the future you to tell you what to do and what not to do, as everything should be your own decision. It seems scary at first; suddenly, you're held responsible for yourself. If you happen to have nice parents that will pay for everything, good. But the vice versa can be the same, and though that's unfortunate, life goes on. But if one thing remains true, the most important thing is that you take from it what you put in. If anything, I would first reassure my high school senior self that life does get much better from here on out. College is a rewarding experience, especially if you put your all into it. My only advice would be to improve my habits in all aspects of life. Be more studious, put yourself out there, and be open minded. Though my past self may have many questions on what to do specifically, my answer would be to figure it out yourself!

Dear Aimee, It's okay to struggle during your first year-- you will. It is going to be a change. You won't be meeting a best friend every day and the work will be much harder. Don't give up and make sure to have some fun as well. It's important not to take life too seriously. Join more clubs! You will eventually join the Liberal Arts Council which will be a fantastic experience for you. I know going to office hours sounds a little terrifying, but it's worth it. Your professors are incredibly nice and are there to help you. Remember that this is college. You don't need to focus on your grades-- you need to focus on what you are learning from each of your classes. Choose classes based on how much you might enjoy them as opposed to which ones might make you have a higher GPA. Figuring out what you want to do right now is not as important as you think. Keep looking for opportunities and you will be successful. -Aimee

Dear younger me,Try not to stress your self so much right now because you will have a lot to deal with once you begin your college nightmare. Enroll in AP and dual enrollment classes throughout your years in high school. If you fail to gain credit for the course you will at least get a sense of what the subject has to offer. Try to learn and pass the AP test so you can have one less class to worry about. This means one less final exam, summer course, time spent studying, or payment for a class that you won't have to do. Talk to your teachers, counselors, or college students about what you want to major in and take advantage of having some one help you make decisions about your education. In college you will become independent and will have to make your own choices. Enjoy spending time with your friends and family because you might not see them a lot if you leave the city for college. If you feel like you don’t know what you want out of life, don’t worry! You have time to figure things out once you experience different things.

The first and most important thing I would tell myself is not to procrastinate and make sure that I made time to fill out scholarships. I believe that by investing a lot of time and effort into filling out scholarships and doing scholarship essays can come a long way. Also the most key thing is not to get distracted by anything. By becoming distracted, you are pushed away from doing that can be actually beneficial for you in the future. Also, I would tell myself to be more determined in school to do better and actually take school seriously.

Getting ready for college during high school years can be a big help once attending college. For example, I would advise myself to try different study methods during high school, so that once I got to college, I can be successful in studying. Effective study methods can be very helpful to being successful in college. Also, I never used a planner during high school, which really affected me in college. I would tell my high school self to get used to having a planner because time management is critical for college, especially in a course intensive college. Having good time management in college can be very beneficial to not getting stressed and feel like you are dying in college with so much homework and projects.

Emily, You are getting ready to open a new, exciting chapter in your life. Be proactive. There are many opportunites offered to high school students that are simply taken for granted. You have a great opportunity already guaranteed to you. Research the junior college that offered you a full ride scholarship to play basketball. That is a great way to get involved in an extracurricular activity, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and balance the monotony of school work. If after researching that college, you decide you do not want to attend college there, find another institution that offers a degree program that will benefit you. Once you have found colleges that you are interested in, look for scholarships to help you pay for tuition. That is an easy way to take the burden of paying for school on your own off your shoulders. Ultimately, you are the only person who can take charge of your life. Don't let ease entice you into settling for a college. Challenge yourself and take pride in the accomplishments that will come from challenging yourself. Lastly, never look back. Always focus on your future and always progress.

First thing is first, the most important advice I would tell my past self would be, "slacking offi s not an option". Back when i was in high school I use to tell myself that college life was full of joy and partying and everything will go my way if I stick to the daily routine of finishing my assignments in the last minute. In my first weeks of college i soon learned that procastinating is absoulte no for a student who wants to succeed. To succeed i must be constantly responsible for assingments that are given to me and nt wait intil the last minute to finish those assignments because an assignment that is hurried and not well thought of over time will not be receiving a good grade. Another very crucial advice would be to be more organized and responsible with school, pay more attention in class and to take more innitiative in applying for scholarships and being more involoved with community service which can highly help in having an advantage to pay for college . To take innitiative in school, be more involved in groups and organizations and be responsible is key for having a succesful school year.

If I was given the opportunity to talk to high school Laney, I would tell her to calm down. College is so much more fun and interesting than I feared it would be! All I remember hearing from my teachers and counselors in high school is how difficult life at a university would be. What they left out is that, at a university, you are given the opportunities to grow and flourish on your own. Joining social groups and clubs really helps to find other students who enjoy the same things that you do and they make great study partners! High school me practically had a panic attack every other day about going off to college. I was absolutely positive that I was going to fail at everything once I got there. I was and still am proven wrong every day!