The University of Texas at El Paso Top Questions

If I had the ability to return to when I was a high school senior I would tell myself that eventhough at the time advanced classes seemed to be exaggerated they would help me transition better into college. I would also tell myself to enroll in dual-credit courses so that my college debt would be less than it currently will be. Advanced placement courses are offered for a reason, it is too bad that many students disregard these courses and opt for the easier, traditional classes. I would have greatly benefitted from enrolling in more advanced placement courses and dual-credit courses than the ones I did take, even though those have helped me in my college courses I just wish I would have continued challenging myself instead of focusing in having a high GPA. I would also liked to have developed better studying skills so that they could be put to good use in the upcoming years.

If I were to be able to go back in time to my high school senior year, and give myself advice about college. The advice I would give myself would be. To study really hard and pass all my classes with better grades so my GPA goes up. To study hard for the Accuplacer, and pass it so I wouldn?t be stuck with remedial classes, and spend money and time on them. To save all the money I could to be able to pay for my expenses. This is the advice I would give myself if I were able to go back in time to my high school senior year.

College is a difficult time and it is something you should take very seriously. I know you think you can take anything but you gotta stop that attitude and be more humble and expect the worse things so that you can be ready. Expect to be studying most of the time and expect a lot of sacrifice from your part. Sacrifice energy and time to your studies and keep in mind that you will have to stop your normal life routine, at least while you get settled in because these will be some hard times. Always think ahead and stay on top of things because it can be really easy to fall behind and hard to catch up. It can be as fun as you want but your priority will be school for the next year. I know its redundant because everybody says college is difficult, but it is true and can't be expressed enough because you don't realize how hard it is until you experience it. No matter how intelligent and responsible you think you are to take on college, take my word that you'll have a hard time proving that. Be serious about it.

There comes a time in your life when you sit down and think back on your life. Although I can think of what I would tell myself if I could go back in time I have always preferred to give that advise to my brother. The most important thing I tell him is that no matter what the end result is, what counts is that you can look back and know you did your best, that you really tried. Another advise I give him is that in order to succeed in college all it takes is to know how to manage time, to learn when to study and when to take some time for yourself. It is important to enter college with a "tabula rosa" mind ready to learn whatever comes your way. Finally, I tell him that it is good to have friends and mentors that could guide him in whatever he decides he wants to be. After all college is where he will make begin to make it happen.

College is a big deal in life and it can never, at any point be under estimated. I will tell my past presence that he must take school very seriously. Yes there are going to be party's and the women but "I" have to remember that school is on the top of my priority list. I would literally beg on my knees for "myself" to attend class everyday and complete all assignments on time. To study for those big test when it really counts instead of going out to strip club because it's your friends birthday. To listen to your older brother (who's already been in college for three years) when he tells you advice, like not to join his fraternity until your sophomore because you'll already be stable and ready to go. Then the last final thing I would tell myself before I depart to the future is to please look for scholarships and grants. "I" wouldn't know how much it would help me in the future. It will keep "me" from scampering around like a chicken with no head; looking for money because "I" didn't look for FREE MONEY. Finally, GOOD LUCK.

One of my biggest regrets in high school is not taking the class that focuses on applying for scholarships. Being in college the majority of the students are on a low budget, besides the people that received full rides in scholarships. If I could go back to my senior year I would tell myself to sign up for the class and if not admitted then to apply for as many scholarships as possible. Having money allows students to not worry about finding a job that would eventually conflict with their studies. When a full time student in college time is not money but money is time.

I would remember to myself the customs and traditions of my family, and the values that my parents taught me. I would ask myself to never change or let anybody change me. To never fall into the belief that the new friends I meet in college would replace the old ones. To never forget all the sacrifices my parents do to give me the education I want.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school senior self I would say, take the volleyball scholarship to Francis Marion. Even though Francis Marion does not have a college of engineer, you can go to college for free and take your basics, play volleyball and in the spring semester or even in the next fall semester transfer to a college that does provide a degree in engineer and continue to play volleyball. Not being able to play college volleyball is the only situation I would change if I could go back in time. The transition into college itself, was actually really good.

Going back to my senior year of high school, I would encourage myself to receive tutoring for writing essays, especially learning the correct APA and MLA format when writing a research paper and using other researcher's/author's information. These writing formats were not quite taught in my high school english class which almost landed me in a position of getting kicked out of school. In my first college english class, I was too nervous to ask the teacher for help so I turned in my paper not quite knowing if I had done it correct, and sure enough I did it wrong and was almost sent to the dean's office. This was a point in my life where I realized that I was an adult and not a teenager anymore and that if I needed help with something, I better ask or my shot at a college education could go down the drain that quickly. This incident made me realize how unprepared I was for college.

Prepare your self mentally for the different atmosphere of college. Take your classes serioulsy and be in constant communication with the counselor. The counselor can assist you in making the right decisions on finacial aid, admissions process, and many other things. Take the advance placement classes, so you can ear college credit, also try to find a job and being to save money, so you don't have to take out and student loans. Apply early for admissions at the disired University and plan on whether you're going to live on campus, in an apartment, or with your parents, because that will affect how much money is awarded to you through finicial aid. Be prepared to have large classes filled with 200 people. Get to know the professor as best as you can, and begin to become organized in keeping your homework and reading assignments in a planner, so you don't forget. Also, try to wirte down and remember any specif or important dates. So you don't miss any deadlines or get charged or penalised for being late or incomplete.