University of North Texas Top Questions

Get up and begin to explore the world around you. Life is full of adventure and endless curiosities. Find the people you love and who love you. Overcome your insecurities by attempting everthing atleast once. But always remember no matter how many times you fail or succeed, you are one step closer to reaching the dream you layed awake countless nights hoping you would achieve.

If I could rewind time and give myself advice as a high school senior, I would tell myself a different set of Advanced-Placement classes to take. During registration for my senior year, I had no idea of what kinds of classes I would be taking in college, so I just took a series of random AP classes in an attempt to get as many college credits as possible. I had signed up for AP Biology, AP Statistics, AP government, and AP Macroeconomics. While taking AP Biology has benefitted me in my "Biology for Educators" class, the credit didn't transfer, and it would have been more beneficial to have taken AP Environmental Science in high school to avoid paying for that class in college. As well, I wouldn't have wasted money paying for the Statistics exam, because I had no idea that the classes I would need for college would be "Math for Educators" courses. Sometimes I feel like taking challenging classes in high school was a waste of time, but in reality, it prepared more for the fast-pace of college lectures. However, if I could go back in time, I would have taken more beneficial courses.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would emphasize the importance of financial responsiblity and urge myself to take as many AP tests as possible. At that time, I could not even fathom the actual costs of attending a University and did not realize what an advantage Advanced Placement credits can offer. I would also tell myself to focus less on trying to work during college and more on being academically focused, because if you are a student, academics should be your priority over a job. Finally, I would urge myself to see my family more and to cherish my time with them. Although it's more difficult to stay in touch when you're far from your family in college, it's worth the effort. A student's family situation can dramactically change without warning, as was the case for my family when my father passed away in 2012. I would tell myself to appreciate the opportunities given to me, and to take nothing for granted.

Going to college is not a decision one should make lightly. The cost of college may not seem like a tangible concept when you first go into it, but from the other end of the tunnel, the weight of the financial responsibility is huge. My advice would be to only borrow what you need, squirrel away as much as you can, and pay the interest of any unsubsidized loans as often as you can while in school. Also, weigh the cost of your education against the potential income of any career your degree will afford you. My ultimate advice would be to wait for a while before going into college in the first place. In my experience, I wish I had waited to attend until I was capable of fully realizing the ramifications of both the longterm financial responsibility and the climate of the job market and how a degree may or may not have helped.

College is not a walk in the park. It is a lot different from high school, but it is worth it. Stay focused and on top of your studies at all times because you can easily get distracted by all of the different activities being displayed. Stay motivated because it is so easy to put things aside until the last minute. Keep God first no matter what and remember that the sky is the limit.

Take advantage of scholarships and apply for as many as you can. The financial burden of college is increasing and more and more students graduate with a large amount of debt. You can get scholarships for tons of things, not just things you'll major or minor in.

I would tell myself to take my classes seriously and work hard to get good grades. Make sure to do research about the college or university that you want to attend to be certain that it is the right fit and offers the type of program that you want. Apply for all the scholarships you can, every semester! Most importantly, make the attempt to get to know the professors on a more personal level, they're probably awesome people and they can be very supportive when things get tough.

I would advice myself not to get too involved with the social aspect. It can be fun but don't get too carried away because you are there to make good grades and get an education so you can go on to living your dreams. I would also tell myself to make good friends and always branch out. Don't get stuck with a bad crowd because they can only bring you down.

I would have much to say. Talking to my Senior self at the start of the year, i would have given him much to look forward to. "Things get better", i would have said, "Once you get here, it really is worth it. If you do your work now, and you stop worrying about all the pointless stuff, you will save yourself a lot of Heartache twards the end of the year". But that would not have been enough, i would say, "Invest in yourself now. Start learning something, anything, and dont worry if its not the 'newest' or 'best' thing, just start and learn the new stuff later. You have all the time in the world to learn, but only if you start right now".

Apply for more scholarships. Take classes seriously. Make sure you get on a good degree plan and stick to it. Do not waste your time. College is expensive so you want to get done and get to work as soon as you can.