University of Missouri-Columbia Top Questions

I would tell myself not to be hesitant about going away to school. Moving out of the house and living on your own is a challenging, yet rewarding experience that would help me mature. I would also advise myself to be patient about the transition; change doesn't happen overnight. It definitely takes time finding a good balance between work and play but a happy medium is eventually found. Get involved on campus, but make sure you keep some time for yourself as well; you know your limits so don't overdue yourself. You will meet great people along the way and will have numerous memorable experiences. Stay focused on your education, but enjoy yourself as well!

Andrew, I am about to tell you the three most important things you will need to know next year in college. I know they are the most important three because I am you from the future (long story). First thing: you learn very quickly, and won't need to study as much as you think you will. Because you don't need to spend copious hours pouring over books and notes, you should socialize more. You have always been reclusive and stuck within a fairly small circle of friends. College is a lot more fun when you can talk and get along with anybody and everybody. Second thing: start to learn and embrace some pop culture. This kinda goes along with thing one. The reason you don't talk to people is because you feel like you have nothing in common with them. Well, make something in common. Television won't actually melt your brain (in moderation). Third thing: time management is still your downfall. Quit playing so many video games, and don't take your brother's computer. Trust me, if you do these three things, then college will be easier for the both of us.

I would tell myself not to expect any sort of drastic change. I went into college thinking that my life was going to dramatically change. I know now that my life has changed, but I am still the same fun loving person that I was in high school. I still love my life and hanging out with my friends. I would want to let myself know that I should be content with who I am, and glad for what I have.

If I could tell my-high-school-senior-self what I know now, my life would be so much easier! I would tell myself that taking it easy is not ok even ?just for now.? I would make sure that I did more research on which AP classes counted and how they counted (as electives or as cores). I would tell myself that my father would be laid off from work and that applying for scholarship money would be very important. I would apologize to my parents for being so hostile, they are only trying to help. I would be excited for summer welcome and freshman orientation, because I about to meet my two best friends. I would have bought myself a planner and figured out a study schedule for myself first and a party schedule later. I would have let myself know that three cookies at every meal is a bad idea! There is so much I would have told my-then-self, but if I had given myself all this great advice, where would the fun be. I wouldn?t have made my mistakes and learned from them and that?s what college life is about.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would only tell myself to enjoy the people I meet as I make my transition to Mizzou. I did not let myself get to know the people around me until I was almost a month into school. I spent time trying to hold on to old friendships instead of putting myself out there and meeting new friends. I would be sure to tell myself to really make an effort in the first days of school to get to know my dorm floor because they would become my new set of friends.

If I had to go back to senior year, I would once again follow the advice that I took by attending a university that would open up opportunities in a future career. I would again attend a school that was far away from home because it has allowed me to grow as a student as well as a person and create friendships with people who I truly feel comfortable and compatable with that I will surely stay friends with throughout the rest of my life. One bit of advice that I would add, however, would be not to be afraid to get involved in my major right away. I finally started getting involved as a sophomore, but I feel that I would have a leg up on the competition had I dove head first into it at the beginning of freshman year. Participating in major-based activities can be scary at first, but it will be well worth it once you get farther into your school career.

As a high school senior, I was dead-set on attending the University of Minnesota, ten hours away from my home town. My parents tried to talk me out of going so far away, but I did not listen--I wish I had. At Minnesota, I was ten hours from home and unhappy. I made friends, but did not have the opportunity to get involved in any on-campus activities because the school is so large. It was daunting to even think of how many students attended Minnesota. At Missouri, I am much happier. I am involved in campus activities and working on my undergraduate degree. If I could go back to my senior year, I would change my college choice and attend Missouri right off the bat. However, I believe that going to Minnesota strengthened me as a person and forced me to grow up, but it just was not for me.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself that college life is not much different from high school life. I would advise myself to spend money wisely and try to have as much fun as possible without sacrificing discipline. I would also recommend an easily portable transportation device for campus, and remind myself that if I ever hit rock bottom the only direction to go is up.

If I had the opportunity to go back in time and talk to myself about college, I would tell myself to not worry as much about the unknown because my college expierience has been a positive one. I would tell myself that the transition from high school to college isn't as scary as I'd originally thought. I would tell myself that college is quite an expierience that it is once in a lifetime and to take advantage of whatever opportunities come my way. I would tell myself that I'm going to meet quite a diverse group of people that would later become my friends and to not worry about trying to fit in because it would all come naturally to me. But first and foremost, I would tell myself that I'm pursuing my dream of becoming a professional musician and that my classes will seem like child's play because my assignments would not feel like work to me.

If I was given the opportunity to go back in time and give all the answers to what the next year had in store for that naive, nervous, and terrified high school senior that I was, I would not take it. If I gave this valuable advice to myself a year ago, I would have been cheating myself out of the experience of a lifetime. The transition from high school to college has been messy, frustrating, and difficult at times, but I would not choose to learn any other way. I may have learned some lessons the hard way, but those lessons were then never forgotten. I have learned from my mistakes and likewise, from my accomplishments. I have learned that it is just fine to ask for help, in fact its necessary. When the semester was finished, and I reflected on the changes of my life, I received a sense of pride I had never felt before. My freshman year of college is a memory I will never forget, because I created every inch of it myself.