University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Top Questions

If I went back in time, the first thing I would tell my high-school self is to manage my time well. In college, there is a lot more reading, and although there is less homework, it is worth more in the long run. Time management is essential to a student who wants to do well and not cram everything for the last minute. Another piece of advice that I would give my high-school self is to treat every exam as the most important one of the semester. In some classes, there are only two exams for the whole semester and one bad score can really hurt the overall grade in the class. While in high school, there were exams every few weeks and they were worth less, in college, the exams are much more important and are worth a lot more. My final piece of advice would be to not lose track of your goals. College is a great experience with a lot of opportunities and social events, but it is important to balance school work with social events to make sure that you stay on the right path to your goals.

First of all, money is not everything. There are plenty of opportunities for financial aid and scholarships out there that you probably don't even know exist! Look for them. After you have done this, pick the school that is best for you and your major. Do not go to a school simply because your parents went there, or because you have friends that go there. You will make new friends; your education needs to be your priority. My advice is to visit every school that you have in mind, and make sure you talk to the head of the department you are interested in. Trust me, they will be happy to talk to you and help you in any way possible. Find out everything possible about your perspective schools. Search the websites, ask questions and talk to alumni and faculty of the schools. Most importantly- do not settle because you are afraid of change. It will be fun! You are making a decision that will affect all of your future decisions and outcomes, so do not, under any circumstances, cheat yourself. Choose a school that will allow you to grow into the person that you want to be.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I don't know how much I would alter. Perhaps I would advise to change some little things. For instance, senior year should be a time when you continue to challenge yourself in areas that may seem daunting. To challenge yourself in such a way offers great rewards; some often unkown in their magnitude until afterwards. Ultimately, I was afraid to explore all options which culminated in me taking a gap year to volunteer abroad. Come time to apply to college I was left in the dark. It's easy to become afraid during such an uncertain time in life, but the opportunities that await are without end. Out of highschool there are no "roots"; no responsibilities to anyone or anything which hold you back. Take an attitude of ruthless optomism and see how far you can go. That's what I'd say to myself.

Buy a BlackBerry, planner, scheduler, something to keep track of date, facts and meetings. In college knowing how to effectively manage your time becomes a real art form. I would tell myself start committing to good time management practices, it will help tremendously in organizing, prioritizing, and succeeding in my future studies. I would let myself know that developing good time managing skills is a journey and don?t be discourage if I encounter a few set backs. I would stress to myself that being able to prioritize and execute task in college will not only my college easier but more successful Designate break times and set a long turn plan

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would make myself buckle down even more than I already had. When I was a senior in high school, I took a bunch of AP classes. Unfortunately, I did not do as well as I wanted to on my AP exams. Out of the five AP tests that I took at the end of my senior year, I only received college credit for one of them. If I had studied more and not procrastinated as much as I did, I probably could have received higher scores which would have given me enough credit to reach sophomore standing. Although my GPA was outstanding, my AP scores were not. If I had the chance to go back, I would say, "Hey, Good-Lookin'. Study, study, study! Don't waste any more time chit-chatting on the phone!"

I was Mrs. Know It All in my senior year! Nobody could tell me what to do. Now that I am college experienced I would do two things differently in my senior year of high school. I would learn good study habits and apply to all the scholarships I was eligible for. I never studied for any type of exam. I was attentive, never took notes and aced my exams. If I could go back with the knowledge I have know I would try to adapt to studying and find different methods. When I started college I failed two classes and took six weeks to adapt to studying. Therefore, I could have prepared in high school and never failed. I also would have applied to scholarships. College charges you for everything; it does not only consist of tuition and books. It also comes with a $75 parking fee, $45 windshield sticker, $20 bus pass, library and club fees etc. They have outrageous fees for abnormal things. If I would have received scholarships, then I would not be devastated by the fees I was charged with in college. Save yourself from becoming broke and failing take my college experiences with you.

If I could go back in time to my senior-year self I would tell myself that although you will have a lot of freedom in college do not forget why you are there and that you should not give up on your dreams. Work hard always and forever because the work never ends. I would tell myself to volunteer for more programs and be involved even if it is too late to write it down on my college applications. I would also tell myself not to be afraid to go and find myself because that is what college is all about, plus it would not hurt to find a job to make a little extra money. I wish to tell myself that as long as I work hard and get involved I will be successful no matter what obstacles come my way.

College is not high school and that is the first thing I would tell myself. Prioritizing your time wisely is important because there is a bigger social life in college and it needs to be managed well with academics. Develop good study habits at the beginning of the year rather than when it is too late. Be involved more in the classroom, ask questions, and be more outspoken. Not getting your questions answered or your thoughts processed will only hurt you in the long wrong when it comes to homework and exams. Visit your professor?s office hours. Building a relationship with your professor is important in maintaining a good grade and will help with letters of recommendation, so do not be afraid to interact with the professors. Also be active and social to create friends and networks that will stay with you long into the future. Most importantly take control of the things going on in your life. Making mistakes is natural, but learning from them is what matters the most. This is your time to shine and no one else?s. Make the best of it and you will succeed.

If I could go back in time and give myself advice about college, I would tell myself to be more open to change. College is full of opportunities to meet people and to do frankly ?awesome? things. I would advise myself to keep my dorm door open, to eat with new people in the dining hall, and to find groups of friends in class. I would tell myself that college is a completely different world from high school, full of freedom and the ability to make life-changing decisions. I would tell myself not to be hesitant about making friends, and I would tell myself to relax academically. College is a great time to discover one?s true self, and that can often be done by balancing school work with a social life and not abusing one or the other. I would tell myself that diversity is one of the best things a human can experience. I would tell myself that grades aren?t everything they are made out to be in high school; rather, they are a means to get to the ultimate goal?graduation. Finally, I would tell myself these five simple words: Enjoy every minute of it.

If I were to go back two years and talk to myself as a high school senior the first tip that I would tell myself pertaining to college life would be let chaos be your guide. Going into college I had a set of core friends from high school with me. The entire first semester seemed to be a continuation of all we did during high school. It was not until the second semester that I began to branch out and some amazing doors opened because I changed the way I did things and wake up every day not knowing where it could take me. The other tip I would relay to myself would be to not get overwhelmed. In high school I was in a group at the top of my class. Now I was surrounded by others who were just as bright as me. At first this somewhat intimidated me, causing me to question my intellect. As I progressed I came to realize that I was just as bright as anyone around me and all that I needed to do was trust in my own ability and give my best effort at whatever it was I did.