University of Northern Colorado Top Questions

I wish I could jump in a time machine and go back in time to let my naive high school self be prepared for college. It would have been nice for someone to tell me how many scholarships were out there and how I could keep applying. My senior year in high school I was able to apply to various scholarships that my counselor gave me and recommended. After missing some deadlines and also not winning, I was disappointed. I had only won enough scholarships to pay for about a year and a half in college. If I had searched for some scholarships myself early enough I would have found so many more. As a college student now, there are a bit less scholarships to find and stressful to apply for with future debt in your mind!

I would tell myself to be true and focus on school and make time to have fun when necessary and really focus on studing for tests, exams and that the transition from high school to college is hard but with the right support services anyone can make it and achieve thier dreams in a career or degree in helping people. The students everyone is friendly and helping and is willing to help in whatever class make time for study groups and have fun as well.

I would tell myself to take college classes in my senior year so I could be ahead of the game. I would tell myself to save my money better and don't move around so much. Nursing is the career that you will love and start now instead of waiting until I'm 26 and have a beautiful son in your life. I would tell myself to get along better with your parents I know it's hard but as you get older you want them on your side. They will be there for you more then anyone in your life. My parents will be great grandparents and love your son more then anything, they will also make great babysitters. Being a single mom will be hard but you can do it. You will have the support of your friends and family. They love you and will do everything they can to help you in life. Life will be a hard ride and you will meet people that will bring you down. Just do your best and hang on to your friends they will be your rocks that you will lean on the most. Other then that have fun.

If I were to go back and time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would give my self only four pieces of advice. The first would be to not stress so much about admittance to colleges and focus on my grades. By stressing so much about being admitted to the colleges of your choice, you run the danger of falling behind on your grades and not being admitted to any college at all. Secondly, enjoy this last year and do all the activities you enjoy the most. Once you begin your college career you may not have the time to do all the activities you enjoy, being that university, club and Greek activities can be highly time consuming. Third, do not worry about having friends in college, as you will make many of them. As you begin to attend classes and converse with your classmates you will begin to meet new people and potentially make great friends. Even more importantly remember that, “one great struggle results as an even greater accomplishment”.

The cheerleading captain, the soccer captain, homecoming royalty, and student body were the only things people in my high school saw about me. I was extremely involved in my high school, whether I was playing a sport or planning an upcoming event. I hid behind being so busy. Being so busy all the time stressed me out and I spent more time being stressed than having fun. I didn't want anyone to get to know the real me. I had my three best friends and we have known eachother scince we were seven so I didn't think I needed to be friends with anyone else. I was nice to everyone, but at the same time I was always worried about impressing people. If I could go back in time to my senior year, I would tell myself to quit tyring to be perfect and have more fun. I would tell myself to try to make other people happy and try to make everyone in the school feel comfortable. College life has showed me that what people think of you is not the most imprtant thing in the world and I wish I knew then what I know now.

The advice I would give myself would definitely be to manage my time. Considering I work at 3 different places and take 17 credits for this semester, I am very busy. Therefore, I have to manage my time well. I didn't realize that I procrastinate as much as I did but this is the real world and your teachers aren't going to babysit me anymore. So I would definitely tell myself to get the important things done first before I go "play".

Jill, I hope your living up your senior year and partaking in all the events that are offered to you. I know that coming up is the big transition of moving to college and how excited you are. Looking back in the past i wish i would have known a couple things before i started on this new journey. First, don't rush the time you have at home and with your family. There are many times where I wish I was having a family dinner or talking about my day with my parents. Next, don't expect college to be easy. I have never studied this hard in my life and i wish i would have known that. Some nights i will be studying for six hours while never moving from where i have sat down. Most of all, remember to keep in contact with the people that mean the most to you. It's hard to leave your friends and watch them gain new ones, but remember that they will always keep in people that matter the most. Yours truly, Your future self

Knowing what I know now about college life, I would tell my high school senior self to get involved, get out of my comfort zone, and to have a plan. I have learned how important it is to get involved with the campus, otherwise I wouldn't be enjoying college life and I wouldn't be making friends. I also have to remember that eventhough I have made a couple new friends, I still need to get out of my comfort zone and continue to make more. The road to being a clinical psychologist is a very competitive one and I didn't know that until I talked with a few of my professors at the University of Northern Colorado. I would go back and inform myself how competitive it is and make sure I give school all that I have and have a plan of the courses I plan on taking. Also, I would let myself know that I need to be a part of research as soon as possible and in order to do so, I need to get to know all of my professors and be involved in my class work.

I tell myself constantly, as a sophomore in college that I should have tried harder in high school and taken it more seriously. High school is not just a mandatory punishment, it's preparation for the rest of one's life. While I was a senior, the other students were applying for scholarships to major universities or researching fields of study they found interesting and working to make the grades. I on the other hand did not realize this is what I should have been doing. I come from a family of few college goers, let alone graduates. I am in no way saying that my family isn't well off, its just that in their day it wasn't neccesary to graduate from college. Although, for me this is the case. One must attend at least four years of school and receive a bachelors degree to become anything in life. What I'm getting at is that I did not have someone to show me the ropes and tell me how to get into universities or receive scholarships. Therefore if I could go back I would inform myself that these are the things to be doing.

I would say follow my heart, and don't let anyone convince you otherwise. To believe in myself and not question my abilities. To stay strong in my faith and to surround myself with strong faithful friends. I would also tell myself to get involved in activities offered at the school earlier than I did, because it is a great way to meet people. And to make friends with the library early because I need to spend a lot of time there studying to make sure I keep my grades up.