Utah State University Top Questions

Above all, I would tell that idiot, past-self of mine to stop procrastinating and plan better for which colleges to attend. I would advise him to spend several months thinking and writing the essays that most colleges require for admissions, rather than trying to do it all in a weekend. The essays are what set most students apart, and the excellent ones often receive scholarships--who doesn't want free money? Furthermore, I would tell him to set his sights high for colleges, but to apply to a wide variety, as it were, rather than gambling on putting out a plethora of applications. Choose several high tier schools that your chances of getting into are slim (because of their highly selective admission processes); then choose several lower tier schools where you are sure you will be admitted, but also have a high chance of receiving scholarships or academic aid of any kind; lastly, apply to several even lower tier schools, where you absolutely certain you will gain monetary aid and admission. In this way, you increase the chances of not only getting into a good school, but getting lots of money as well.

Knowing what I know now, I would tell myself from the past that life just gets better. People always say this and I never really believed it until I got to college, but they are right! Yes classes get harder and you are treated as an adult, but it is so much better than high school ever was. In college you are surrounded by like-minded people that have ambitions and actually have a direction of where they want to go. This is so refreshing compared to high school where everyone just has the mindset of "I just want to get out". You have the freedom to choose exactly what classes you want to take, when to take them, and "what you want to be when you grow up". I would give myself three pieces of advice. First to breathe, everything is going to be fine. Second, I would say play hooky every now and then, honestly. In college you actually pay for those classes so you don't want to skip. And third, have fun. You work so hard that you don't have time to enjoy life, so slow down and enjoy the ride!

If I could go back and give myself advice about college I would say, "Calm down!". It is not as stressful as you think it needs to be. Go to school and have the best time you can. Don't be nervous to go out and try something new and meet new people. Take classes that you are interested in. Go to each class with a determination to learn something new every single day. Try and become a better learner each day and change your way of thinking and learning. DONT GO HOME! Even though you only live an hour away from your family, don't go home. The best way to have the college experience is to stay there, live there, and get involved there. The only way for that to happen is to stay up there, stay with your friends, and make new friends.

Knowing what I know now, I'd tell Past Aaron to break up with his fake high-school girlfriend, and that he doesn't need to take Japanese for an engineering degree. I'd tell him to set aside more money than he already has set aside, because Present Aaron is hanging on by the skin of his teeth. Past Aaron had a tendency to worry to much, and he should know not to worry, as all the new people are just as nervous as he is. But most importantly, I'd make sure he knew to get ready to do actual schoolwork instead of coasting by on charm and never studying.

The one advice i would insist, would be more involved in school and local events. I would encourage myself to join a sport, or an extracurricular activity. Just so that i can be more open with people and more comfortable with new experiences. With being more involve it would help me sharpen my strengths and also overcome my weakness. In the educational side, i would have more resources than i do now, and even if I'm not a student there anymore i would have the schools teacher's advice on how to handle difficult situations. Being involved in school can help be discover my passion in life, because i bearly know what i want to do now.

If I could go back to my high school self, I would share the importance of paying attention to detail. In college you have to be able to pay attention to the little things, that's what makes you stand out. I would also share how to make friends when you know nobody on campus. This would have helped hugely with the transition from High School until now. The reason my first year was not as successful as I wanted it to be, was because I didn't know anyone and I didn't know how important it was to pay attention to the little things. This caused me to not meet my goals I had set for myself. I would also tell myself to stop worrying. Yes college is the real deal, and it needs your full attention, but make sure you are enjoying yourself too. It's too short to rush through.

I would say that you should look for all the scholarships that you can so you can avoid getting into debt. Also read and remember the information on important school documents. Lastly I would say to work hard in school even if the class isn't that interesting. Getting good grades is important to get into a program and also when applying for grad school. Think about all your options and don't rule out grad school.

The college curriculum is not what I expected it to be. I envisioned the structure I had known in grade school, only with increased rigor and intensity. I came to find out that college is more flexible than high school was, and what I took from a college class was essentially just what I sought to get out of it. If I were to talk to Kyle Saunders during that transition period between high school and college, I would give one prescription for getting the most out of the college experience: ask more questions. Asking questions to your professors, counselors, and classmates among others makes a person an active learner. An active learner that asks open-ended, thought-provoking questions is not content sitting back, memorizing facts from Powerpoint presentations that they will only dispose of seconds after the final. They are not seeking answers alone, but also understanding. Passive learners can get good grades, but active learners prepare themselves to be successful in whatever scenario they find themselves, because when one ask questions, one begins to think about subject matter not only in a deeper way, but in different ways that they would never have supposed without starting discussions.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to apply for as many scholarships as possible and save more money. School is a lot more expensive than I had origanally thought.

Jump right in! College in an amazing time and some many opportunites are available to you. Be true to your friends that you made in high school, but make some new ones too. There are lots of groups and clubs that cover every interest, its ok to dabble in a few and experience the diversity of the world around you. Life is so much bigger than high school, and it only gets bigger and more exciting as you go along and get involved. College is one of those sitautions where what you put into it is what you will get out of it!