University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Top Questions

Push yourself in high school to take the harder classes. Doing so will allow you to jump right into classes required for your specific minor or major. In the long run, this will also help save money and time spent in college because AP classes count for college credit. Knowing what AP class, and which scores on the AP tests, will count at your particular college is important because many of them overlap on certain requirements. To amplify the effort put into high school, be sure to take as many classes as possible to fulfill the liberal education requirements, and work closely with and advisor at the college to make sure you are making the most of your time in high school. Keep in mind, high school teachers can be extremely helpful as well. They have gone through the college process and have, generally, worked at the high school for years and know things that can help. Take their suggestions seriously and explore the options they tell you about. Overall, focus on working hard in high school and doing your best, because it will help you in your future college career.

Don't panic

You should take the PSAT and apply to more places. You completely botched applying to school and it almost cost you the academic career that has been going superbly well so far. Also try a bit harder in school, even if the courses are a tad easy there it's not good to slack in them for only that reason.

Hey you there, yes you (to myself). Don't dawdle around like that. Make the most of what you can now. Look for scholarships now, visit the school you want to attend more often, and most of all don't lose heart. You will make friends, find your classes (except on the first day), join groups and have fun all the while you are also learning. Remember, never give up. Things in the future may make look bleak, dishearting, and most of all terrifying. However, you keep on moving forward, and never regret your choice. I know that you won't, even if you have to say good bye to your friends and family. Just don't give up on your dreams, and remember that many people believe in you too. So, walk in to that dark and vague future, embrace what you have choosen because it's not so scary once you take that first step.

Okay, the lanyard they give you is NOT going to go around your neck- the keys go in the pocket and the lanyard hangs out. Ratemyprofessors.com is where you're going to go WHILE

You will grow greatly as a person in the next 4 years, let me give you a jump start. Start reading literally 5 minutes a day in a book that challenges you to become the best version of yourself. Believe in yourself; because you have healthy priorities, a passionate heart for service, and an encouraging conscience that will take you far. Ask her on a date, and find closure; your friendship will grow over the next 4 years, but no more than that. Believe in making good friends and in taking action, and you will find the perfect woman for you; and it will be great fun down the road. You are made up of your habits and your choices. Start now in building good habits and breaking down bad ones; the sooner you do this, the sooner you will begin experiencing a richer, more abundant life. Read one chapter a day in the gospels; and remember that the most influential people in history spent their lives pondering what is in the gospels. Make love your first reason for taking action and make everything else secondary. Ponder the difference between a nice guy, and a good, dangerous man. Take care.

When I see him, I'll begin by complimenting him on his good looks and his future sense of fashion, then I'll slap him and tell him to take studying seriously in college, then I'll tell him to slap me, for having to say that to him. After the look of confusion from his face and the stinging sensation from our faces subside, I'll tell him to sit down and begin to tell him a summary of my/his freshman year of college, which will begin by telling him that it's not going to be like anything he expected. He's going to waste money on a shirt he thought would look good on him, he's going to get lost for 5 hours trying to find a thrift shop 30 minutes away, and he's not going to make any friends. He's going to be too shy to join a club and too scared of social interaction to find a job, but then as I say this, I'll tell him he could change, then, knowing myself he'll ask if I'm different now. Then, silently, I'll say you'll find out.

The most important piece of advice I could give myself would be to invest more time in actually planning out my college career. I would tell myself to focus less on stressful interest surveys and put more focus inward--on finding what would truly make me happy. The second piece of advice would have to be to really work for scholarships. I formed a number of strong relationships with my high school teachers and advisors and letters of recommendation can go a long way. A small amount of time and effort dedicated to earning money now is better than taking out a loan--especially if you're not 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} sure you'll stick with your first major and school choice. Spending money you have is better than paying back money you don't--with interest. Living a life that's as close to "debt-free" as possible is ideal. Lastly, I'd tell myself to be okay with making mistakes. Tired stories about truly growing and learning during your college years exist for a reason--because those lessons you learn are inevitable. Take a breath, be kind to yourself, grow, and learn to let things go.

I would be more open minded and less fearful - procrastinate less, try new things, and be proud of who I am. I think that there were a lot of unknowns in my life at that time, and I allowed myself to become very consumed by the uncertainties. I would tell myself that I am valuable and that difficult situations are temporary and sculpt us into deeper individuals. I think it is important to embrace the transient nature of that time in life and accept one's self in those moments. There really is nothing wrong with being in an ephemeral stage in life as long as you know it, embrace it. There are going to be uncertainties. There will always be questions and options and little bits of character in every piece of life. The important thing is to allow one's self to be surrounded by life and experience it fully - to keep moving forward and enjoy the process as such. I would limit myself much less. I would learn about subjects that scared me and not set parameters in which to define myself. I would grasp life as it is, real.

To my high school self I would advise two things: first, involve yourself more in your community, and second, to apply to essay scholarships rather than simple chance drawings. Had I involved myself more in my community, I'd have discovered many more passions; my knowledge of which would have greatly simplified my choice in major and potential career choice. In addition, this involvement would have created a stronger resumé and provided me with many valuable experiences in communications, community organization, and potentially public speaking. On the subject of scholarships: throughout my senior year, I convinced myself that I simply did not have the time, nor the energy to commit to essay scholarships. Instead, I poured those hours into my many AP courses and our drama department's productions. However, I now believe that that time could have been managed more effectively-had I split my hours between extra curriculars, schoolwork, and scholarship searching, my financial transition to college would have set sail more smoothly.