University of Alaska Fairbanks Top Questions

Annette, Hear me out. You've got a great game plan. Your applying for scholarships. Preparing for classes. You've got the right idea. But lets focus on the big picture. How many scholarships have you applied for? How many, realistically, do you think your actually going to get? The truth is, you dont have a whole lot of money saved for your college education. And, think about it. You need to be working a lot harder to rake in some scholarship dough! At the rate your going you are only going to have enough financial help to get you through the first semester! Then what? You'll be stuck working full time trying to pay for the remaining 3 and a half years! We both know you are too stuborn to take out loans, which I dont blame you, but we really need to concentrate on saving up and getting some more scholarships! This will be key to your success. You can worry about all those college life changes when they come, right now, we've gotta focus on getting there first!

If i could go back and takl to myself as a high school senior I would have told myself to take day classes rather than morning or night and also get more help when needed espically from an advisor and take classes you need rather than classes that you want because its an easier way to finish your major and not be stuck taking classes you dont want to but have to in order to take calsses that you actually need. so listen to my advisor more

get involved with extracariculars, not just to put on scholarship applications. it helps with the transition.

If I could go back in time to my senior year to give myself advice, I would tell myself to get into the right study habits now while everything is easy, enter into many more scholarships, and keep up contact with your fellow classmates. I would make sure that I knew that no matter how hard or easy high school was college will be harder because ultimately you will be responsible for yourself. You won't be able to lean back on your parents. I would also tell myself to always keep money on my mind. College is expensive and unless you want to be paying most of your life apply for as many scholarships as possible. No matter how many hours each scholarship takes you are still coming out ahead even if you only win a few. The hourly rate from your scholarship winnings will already be five times the amount of your minimum wage just from the few you did do. It would be so much more if you just applied to other scholarships also. Lastly keep up with your classmates. Your be going to go to a new school where you know very few people.

do better in school and dont party

The knowledge gained through education is inevitably more important than the money earned through a career that requires no intellect. You can only go so far in this world without continuing your education beyond high school; taking a year off is a bad start. Your mother was right when she told you that the company you keep says a lot about you. Remember that and do not ever let yourself believe that you have anyone to rely on but yourself. You will only go as far as you push yourself; success is measured by hardwork and nothing in life is free or easy.

As a high school senior I barely knew anything about going to college. Going back in time I would tell myself a few things about college life that I wish I would have known then to make the transitions more easily and to better be prepared for what was to lie ahead. The first piece of information I would have told myself would be to do more research. Research a variety of schools, including the area around them, the cost of attending, and different majors offered at them. Even if a person dreams of going to one college thier whole life, or no college at all there is no loss in just taking a look. I would tell myself to decide what is important to me (or a need) in a school and what are characteristics about the school that I would like it to have but I would be ok without. It is better to look at all the differnet options when making a desicion about a school and a major. It would be better to know ones options and choose wisely what is going to suit one best rather than to choose without that knowledge.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a senior, I would tell myself that grade matter! Middle-of-the-road grades won't get you scholarships. I would also tell myself to save your money! You need to make good money decisions in college because you don't always have a cash flow.

Given the opportunity I would kick myself in the pants and insure that I got the ball rolling sooner then I did. I would also make sure that I improved my math skills prior to my first year, It took me paying an arm and leg for college to realize the blessing highschool (being free education) is. I would also tell me not to fret to much about it. As long as I keep working, I will keep getting results, all I have to do is get up and try.

My biggest piece of advice I would have for myself would be to get into the habit of managing your time. In high school I could go home, relax for long periods of time and put off my homework until late into the evening before thinking about it--and I'd still have time to get everything done. I also put off studying for tests until the last minute but could still get very good grades. That's not the case in college and I've had to work hard to break myself of these really bad habits. I would also tell myself to be more prepared to stand up for myself. In high school my parents took care of any issues I had financially or otherwise and my teachers were easy to get along with. I never had any problems getting by because I was basically taken care of. Now however, it is completely my responsibility to stand up for myself if I'm being dealt with unfairly by any department at the school. In high school it was too easy not to stand up for myself when things went wrong. I can't do that anymore!