University of South Carolina-Columbia Top Questions

in all reality i would not say anything and let myself fail. thanks to my past mistakes and my future goals i really believe that i am now mature enough to take on my plans in life. i've always been a smart guy but always have learned from experience. my past experience in college was bad, my state of mind wasnt mature enough to realize the risks and benefits i had power of. i am now enrolled in a two year college just finished a maintenance mechanic program majoring in welding and currently enrolled in eng. 125 and eng 262. i am passing all my classes and on my way towards getting my A.S. in welding. once accomplishing this goal, i plan to give myself and family a better life.they deserve it as much as i do. my parents have always stuck with me and im truelly greatful. i know that i cant give them a gift greater then life like they have gave me but i plan to get pretty close. i know that it takes time and patients to accomplish dreams and believe me i been waitting forever.

As a high school senior, I was overtly concerned about the future, and what would lie ahead for me. Since I have been in college, I have learned to remain focused on the future by having academic goals while still enjoying the present and being flexible. That has been key in helping me to achieve a mind, body, and spiritual balance during my education thus far. For example, in addition to my academic courseload, I am now able to participate in outside leadership and artistic activities in order to become a more well-rounded person. As a university peer leader, I also enjoy helping other students to achieve an academic, social, and physical balance on campus. Reflecting back on my senior year in high school, I would advise my younger self to accept my own shortcomings and to use them as motivation for success. I would also advise myself to enjoy the present moment of life, and to not be afraid to be myself. Thus, while academics are the main reason for attending a university, many life lessons that I have acquired at college have been learned outside of the classroom.

Transfering from a high school student to a college student is a very stressful yet exiting part of life. It's a time in life where it's time to grow up and start becoming independent. Parents are not there to hold your hand or change your dipers anymore. Its a time to take over and follow your own dreams by making decisions on your own and not let others decide for you. For example look for the right college or university that will offer you the most successful opportunity for your dream career. Have your priorties in order such as grades, jobs, and after school activities. Also, know your deadlines, submit your application on time, look for scholarships and know those deadlines as well. most importantly submit your FASFA application on time so you know exactly how you will pay for school. Work hard and dedicate a lot of time into this process. Always keep your head up no matter how hard it is, fight hard and don't let other people destroy your dreams or bring your dreams and hopes down. Make sure you never give up on what you love and the goals you have for yourself.

The most important piece of advice I would give myself is to push yourself. There are things that you can do your senior year that will determine how easy or hard your college career will be. Push yourself to study hard for standardized tests. Apply for lots of scholarships. Don't get senioritis because senior year actually does matter, contrary to popular belief. When I was in high school I wanted to GO GO GO and get out of there. I would advise my senior self to enjoy the time that you have with your high school friends and enjoy the experiences that you will only have once in your life. Don't attempt to rush through the year, but rather work hard and play hard. Set up opportunities for yourself by doing the best that you possibly can.

If I could go back to high school and tell myself anything it would be to study more and take the SAT and ACT seriously. I would tell myself to research for scholarships and try to apply for scholarships at my school so I would have money coming to college. I would also tell myself to make better grades and listen to the teachers and guidance counselors. The advice I would gave myself would to be more assertive and confident in my abilites and action. That I can do anything if I put my mind to it. I would also tell myself to not let opportunities pass me by and let little things bother me. College is so expensive and I really wish I had scholarships going towards my tutition rather than student loans. College life taught me that you have to push and motivate yourself in order to suceed.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to remember the phrase "be yourself." College is about discovering who you, what you believe, and what kind of person you want to grow up to be. People may sway you this way or that way into doing something that goes against your instincts. You must always be yourself and never stray from who you really are deep down. You do this by listening to and trusting your intuition. This philosophy makes much of the anxiety that many people experience in college to be non-existent. People struggle to be someone they are not, follow a trend that goes against their beliefs, and follow into the footsteps of people they wouldn't think twice about associating with in high school. I would tell myself to remember who I really am on the inside, to remember to do the right thing for myself and others when given the choice, and to not put myself in situations that could compromise my integrity and reputation. This would make my transition into college, and subsequently, adulthood, much easier as well as less stressful.

Dear high school senior me, I know it's hard right now with everything going on in your life, but it gets better. Save money, ignore the people who are trying to bully you, and just get through everything. Nothing will change their attitudes, but you can make yourself better than them by planning ahead. Don't be so impulsive with your money, because by the time you get to college it's going to be all gone. Especially when mom just "doesn't feel like" getting all the documents you need for financial aid. You've gotta support yourself at this point, because no one is going to help you better yourself. Money isn't everything, but having a little extra would help. Love, Stressed out college you.

Keep learning. Education should be continuous and not limited to the class room. If you are interested in something, learn about it! You have a diverse college that is full of resources for you to use. Go after what you think is interesting! Also, apathy and ignorance do not look good on anybody.

Give yourself plenty of time to study and get a perfect gpa while taking core classes. Try to be more outgoing at college and make study buddies. Spend more time applying for scholarships and less time at your job. It is important to spend time working but more important to spend your time learning. Going off to college is scary. Do everything possible when you first get there to make your new city feel cozy like home.

If I was given the opportunity to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would begin by convincing myself to not try and only slide by in everything I did. That means I would study and apply myself more in high school. I would talk to myself about how much different and more difficult the course workloads are and how much time I need to set aside for studying. I would teach my high school self how to budget my money, because without a job, money quickly runs out. One of the things that I would extensively talk to myself about would be the importance of keeping in touch with my family. It is hard to deal with the stress of living and functioning by myself in college without the help of my parents. One last thing that I would talk to myself about would be the importance of openmindedness. Being part of a huge university requires me to be open to new people and new things. College is an overall new experience and a new life.