Washington State University Top Questions

The advice that I would give to myself would be to keep your head up. In retrospect, it doesn’t matter what happens at all in high school. When high school is in the past, IT IS IN THE PAST. Just being yourself is the best thing that you can do for your life. I would not tell myself to get better grades or to study harder or anything. I got into school with the grades I had and I wouldn’t change my work ethic in high school as it has changed drastically being in college. I would also advise myself to invest in my future, possibly invest in the stock market because the prices were low a couple of years ago. But the main thing is to be yourself and prepare yourself for the ride of your life that will come tomorrow and the day after. Every day is amazing and cherish each day even when times are low.

I’ve been a military child my whole life, and homeschooled the last eight years, including high school. My dad’s last orders (Fort Brag, NC) had our family moving crosscounty two months before my graduation. Looking back on last year I realized that I wasn't very confident even though I was dual enrolled and nearly pulled off straight A's. Even this summer I wasn't confident about starting school in the fall, in a new state, that I didn’t know very well. I would definitely tell myself to just be confident! I'd also give myself advice about being organized, and not to be afraid to ask questions or for help. I was also worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the work or the rest of the class. Therefore, I would remind myself that being home-schooled taught me that I was use to completing and studying my work on my own. Now that I’m almost finished with my second week of full time college, I have realized that homeschooling made me stronger in my learning abilities and in keeping myself motivated. Best advice - it made me an independent student.

Don't be afraid to get involved, once you do you'll never regret it. The more you get into your school and community, the more networking you can branch out, social life is never dull, and you have a great resume for not only jobs. No matter what you do be proud to represent your affiliation, so many people applaud me for being able to speak infront of crowds, all thanks to speach and debate. It may seem that getting involved with clubs and activities just adds onto your work load, yes it does, but you can't predict the amount of grattitude and new opprotunities that will come from your involvement. You'll find a way to manage your life ontop of getting involved, so don't let the work load stop you. You'll certainly be graced with more opprotunities, than sitting on your couch.

I would work more harder than I did. I by no means was a slaker but looking back I see how I could have pushed harder. Working harder in high school would have given me a higher GPA to qualify me for more scholarships. I understand that know and that is why I am so driven to go above my best during college, so I can get a lot of scholarships for medical school.

I believe that mistakes help build my character and alow me to become a better person. Therefore, the only peice of advice I would give my-past-self would be to be confident in who I am and to know that I don't have to change me in order to impress someone else. I now know that I should be who I am and not let others change me, however, I unfortunatley did not grasp this concept untill I ended my high shool career.

Dear high school me, Don't worry about going out of state for college. You will make amazing friends who dont care where you are from. Be prepared to be more open and friendly. Everyone in Pullman is especially nice, you just have to smile and say hi. Money may be an issue, so dont be stupid with the spending. There are many great opportunities to have fun with out spending a lot of money or getting drunk with the rest of the greek socities. Remember to go to all the sporting events. That is where the school really bonds and supports our teams, though we may be horrible. But that dosent matter. Its important to just show you are supportive and have fun, which you will. Dont forget to ask for help when you need it. The sooner the better, for the hardest part of school occurs at the end of the year, when its harder to drastically affect your grade. Just go to class and get toutoring and be open to others imput. That is what college is about - interacting with others to make this world a better place for all. Good luck, Elizabeth

I would first start off by asking why it took him until his senior year to start thinking about a career. It's such a whirlwind of decisions, challenges, adult decisions and life shaping components this high school phase in our life has. To be frank, asking a kid to determine if he/she wants to be a lawyer while entering a phase where ego and the opposite sex dominate, is on the back-burner with the homework. Course, maybe that was just my friends and I. While I have enjoyed where my path took me for 15 years, I wish I had a guide in high school, a mentor, someone that would/could test what my best career fit(s) might be before spending thousands of dollars I don't have. Don't get me wrong. I am all about personal responsibility and accountabilty and that at this point, baby-sitting should be well in the past but before a major life decision like this, any guidance would have made sense to offer students. It's never too early to 'test yourself and get those scholarship's submitted!

If I could go back in time, the best advice that I could give myself was to enjoy being that age. I could tell myself that if I studied harder, I could've been going to a top university 10 years ago, but I wouldn't. I could tell myself that if I raised my GPA, I could get scholarships to pay for a better part of my college education. I could tell myself that if I would've worked harder instead of slacking off, that I would probably be done college, with a stable career, and making decent money by now. However, even if I told myself, all of these things, I'd also tell myself not to change a thing. The bottom line is, if I had gone to college 10 years ago, I would've slacked off then too, I wouldn't have been interested in learning. Because I waited years to start my college journey, I made the Dean's list, and I'm in a local honor society. I could be further ahead right now if I had worked harder but it doesn't mean I'd be happier then with how things turned out.

David, live life to the fullest. I know right now you think you're on top of the world, nothing can get you down and college with be just like high school. You're wrong. The studying involved is tremendous, more than you have ever had to study before. The stress is sometimes unbearable, working into the wee hours of the night and waking up with the rising sun. Time management will be your downfall if you don't learn it quickly. But in the end it is all worth it, my friend. The people you meet here will be some of the greatest friends you could know. Cherish them and let them know how important they are. The experiences you have with be better than anything you could imagine. Watching the football team in the blizzarding snow, as the final seconds tick by on the clock, going for the win - and making it! That excitment is uncomparable. Singing in a choir with a group of engineers and business majors who share your passion for music. College is amazing, but it goes quickly. Cherish every minute and appreciate all you can. Work hard and live full.

I want to enroll in the Dual Enrollment program at my high school in order to obtain free college tuition and books plus I will receive an AA in addition to my high school diploma. I want to apply for all available scholarships. I want to finish college before getting married and starting my family so I can focus on school then focus on family and career. I want to be employed part time by a company in my field so I can understand the industry. I think having a college education will better my chances of getting a well paid position. I want to live at home if my parents let me so I can save on room and board. I would exchange it for household chores.