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Let's say that there was an opportunity for me to travel back in time through a time machine. I would travel back to the school year of 2013-2014 when I was a high school senior. I would probably scare my high school self, but I would try to tell myself the tips of succeding in college. Welcome to How to Survive in College 101. College is a way different lifestyle than high school. There is more freedom, more clubs, and more people to meet. However, do not get caught up with the partying everynight life. There's nothing wrong with taking a break from work when the work is done. Do not be like those college students who pay thousands of dollars and take out loans just to flunk out of college. I would also tell myself that there will be a time when you accidentally lock yourself out of your room. When you lock yourself out of your room, just make sure you have a pair of shoes on. I had to learn the hard way. I had to walk barefoot outside to get a temporary dorm key. College provides crazy experiences. You'll be alright.

I would simply tell myself that everything is going to be great. I learned a lot in school and do not regret any of the experiences I had. I completed my degree in the normal amount of time, made the dean's list, studied something I was interested in and was able to do all of those things while attending a school that cared about the student's first. The only thing I would tell my high school self and any person attending college is to apply for more scholarships. There is a lot of free money available but you have to apply for it. Student loan is a burden in life after college and there are ways to avoid it. I would advise all graduating high school seniors and gradute students to apply for all scholarships they are eligible for.

If I were able to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, without hesitation, I would inform myself of the abundant amount of opportunity that is ahead of me. I would explain that the transition from high school to college is one of the most critical points in our life. It is this time in an individual's life where they can recreate themselves and become everything they have always dreamed of becoming. Along with recreating yourself in this "new chapter of life", as the cliche goes, a sense of greater responsibility will form in you. All of a sudden you will feel that it is your job to discover the cure for cancer or invent a teleportation device; and it is so crucial that you allow that feeling to resonate within you because this is your moment and this is your time to make an impact.

There are plenty of things I know now that I wish I knew when I was a senior in high school. Get enough sleep, spend more time with your family, exercise more. However, the single most important thing I would tell my eighteen year old self is to forgive myself more easily when things go wrong and to embrace the things I cannot change. A central part to growing up is realizing what you are good at but that also means you have to realize what you are not so good at. Failing a test is not the end of the world, not getting elected to student council the first time does not mean you should not run again, and not getting chosen by the sorority you want does not mean that you are not valuable. If I could have understood that as a senior in high school and been a little easier on myself, maybe I would have garnered the confidence I have now a little sooner. Transitioning into college is not the easiest but it is definitely more fun if you allow yourself to have it.

I would tell my high school self to branch out and don't ever let go of your hard-working ethic. College will be hard but you are going to make it. There will be times when you feel like you don't want to be a music major anymore and people will tell you that you aren't good enough. Work harder than you ever have in your life and never give up. Call your family more and know that you don't have to go through hardtimes alone. In addition, I wish I could tell you how much your friends will mean to you. I didn't realize it until a few years in. Branch out, don't be afraid to take risks, and don't forget to have a social life! Your friends and family are behind you 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} and you will go on to do great things.

I would tell myself as study hard and take more advance placement classes. It is a huge advantage to go into college with some general credits out of the way. It would allow me to begin working towards my major right away by taking classes relevant to my major. Maintaining a social life is also really important too. Having good friends from high school helps ease the transition into college, regardless of whether they go to the same college or not. Quality friends give great advice and some even know people on my campus that they set me up with. Lastly, I would stress that it is very important to save my money. The one problem i encountered when making the transition to college is that the money goes quickly. Food, clothing, gas, and other expenses can really add up, and it is very difficult to get a job as a freshman. Also, as far as money saving goes make sure to apply to as many scholarships as possible! Any penny you can save on tuition can help go towards that food or gas you probably need.

When I was in high school, I dropped out of math. My high school principal tried to talk me out of dropping out of math. He said if you decide to go to college you are going to see math again. I responded I was going to the military and do need math to graduate high school. I did graduate high school. I did join the military. I learned in the military that in order to gain rank, I would have to go back to college at some point. In order for me to go back to college, I had to make up all the math that I did not take in high school. I would tell high school seniors to take all your course work seriously including math. You may not need it to graduate but you will need it later on in your life. Learn as much as you can while your in high school. If you don't take time to learn as much as you can in high school, like me you will have to take a lot of time playing catch up or get left behind in life.

Take these first couple of semester seriously to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life. It may seem far away but the real world is just around the corner. Now is the time to explore different possibilites so don't just blindly follow what your parents expect you to do. You'll make friends through frisbee and other activites so as far as the social aspect of college goes there is no need to worry. The biggest thing is setting enough time aside to really find a passion for a subject and follow through with it. Good luck and don't slack

If I could go back in time and talk to myself when I was a senior in high school, there are so many thing that I would enlighten myself with. College has taught me so many lessons in life so far. The first thing would be to focus on school; and not solely on sports. Even though I was a two-sport college athete, I focused more on sports than my classes. A major knee injury ended my college playing career and I was forced to return home. Secondly would be dont procrastinate! In high school, it was so easy to procrastinate and still get by turning in a paper at the last minute. When you get to college the quality and quantity of work increases tremendously. Waiting to do things at the last minute can sometimes cause you to fall behind in college and you may not be able to recover from it. The most important advice I would give is be disciplined when it comes to social media. Many people dont believe it but social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter can be very addicting, even so much that they can cause your grades to fall considerably.

Me, I’m forty-one years old, I’m in my second marriage, and I’m in debt. This is you. This is the future you face. Right now you’re wondering what to do, how to change this fate, and maybe you assume that somewhere in the contents of this letter lies the answer. But it is not here. Because there is no answer. There is nothing for you to do. Don’t change. Don’t change a thing. Every decision—right or wrong—led you here. The knowledge you will have at this age is the product of every joy, every fear, every hope, and every angst in that unfathomable gulf of time and experience that lies between you and me. You may be a little late in finding your purpose, but the experience you have along the way lays the foundation for my small, but significant successes. You love, you lose, you teach, you travel, and you become a better person, even when you think you have sunk to your depths. Don’t change. Don’t change a thing. Just follow the path that’s been always in your heart. You PS – your second wife is HOT.