Western Oregon University Top Questions

The advice I would give myself would include not to be too worried about what everyone else thinks, take your time in figuring out where your passion lies, and what career field is right for you. Additionally, go to community college first all over again because it will save you thousands of dollars, work part-time, and save money when and where you can. Finally, get involved in clubs, organizations, and other activities as it is a fantastic way to meet new people just like you. Relax and enjoy the ride but rememder that excellent grades will pay off so keep up the hard work, scholarships are excellent rewards for your success!

If I had the opportunity to go back and talk to myself before I head off to college, I would tell myself to not worry about anything whatsoever. I was so scared of not fitting in, not finding anyone who would like me, not making friends and my classes be too hard to pass. I now know that everyone is searching to fit in and meet people who will like them for who they are. "Yes, classes are hard, but there are ways to overcome obstacles, like study groups, clubs and tutors. There will be times that you want to quit and give up all hope for a new and promising life, but being in a dorm, living miles and miles away from familiarity, makes you push through the hard times and make the good times the ones that will make a last forever. You will learn things you never knew and find people you never thought of living without. Things will change, but you will be more prepared than ever to continue your life and start over." If I could have told myself that I would believe it over everyone else, making me more ready for the real world.

If I can go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would advise every high school student, not just myself to actually pretty please pay attention in class and actually learn what you are being taught. Pass all your classes and get a good GPA. Study before exams, test, and quizzes and score well becasue its all just a preparation for the big next exam that you will be taking later in the future. Use your time wisely because time is money, and money is time. Most college students like myself wished someone would irritate us to death to do well in high school so we wont mess up, or do better because at the end your previous education can affect your future education plans.

It is ok if ou are still unsure of what career path you want to take. Don't let anyone discourage you. You may try several different fields but, when you find the right one you will know instantly this is a job you will enjoy doing for the rest of your life. So don't stress you will figure it out with the help of a special little man.

If I could go back in time and tell my high school self what I know now, I would tell her not to worry about fitting in when going tp college. Everyone is new and searching for the people who make them confortable. Everyone is struggling to be comfortable with who they are and trying to find people who like them for who they are, and wont change them. I would also tell myself that even if the beginning of the year seems hard and depressing, that I just need to push through, because things will soon turn bright and I will find my future best friend who doesnt judge me at all nd loves me for who I am.

Honestly, I would sit myself down and say, "Stop wasting your time with your boyfriend and put your nose in the books." I sometimes wish I didn't spend most of my time in high school with my boyfriend. He was a great guy, but it didn't last and we weren't really in love, like I thought. I wish I was able to keep a hold of my education and strengthen my knowledge before attending college. Furthermore, I believe I would have made better decisions as a young adult if I didn't waste so much time with my boyfriend. On the other hand, I have learned a lot about myself emotionally because of my situation with him, but with everything I am learning now, it doesn't compare. My education has become priority in my adult life and I wish I would have learned what I'm learning now when I was high school.

I would tell myself to take as many college credit courses in high school as I could, that way they are cheap and you can also focuses on other classes instead of having to get some prerequsites done.

If I could talk to myself as a senior, the one piece of advice I would offer would be to be an active participant in your education. Navigating college can be difficult and daunting, and can seem overwhelming when you first begin. To get the most out of your education, take responsibility and ask questions till you can find the answers. Become acquainted with your teachers and stay involved, since you will be accountable for the grades you earn. Don’t be afraid to speak to professors and discuss grades or assignments. Teachers take great pride in students who take their education seriously and are almost always willing to help a student succeed. Being organized and responsible allows you some control over your education and can teach some of the greatest life lessons. Learning how to communicate with teachers on a peer level, while being respectful, can teach invaluable skills that will no doubt be used in your career. So take control of your education and be responsible and active in the education you receive; it will definitely pay off.

Be aware of Deadlines. Time flies when you are studying hard. School will be over before you know it so do your best, pay, attention, and enjoy everything that college has to offer. Take advantage of school sponsored programs and activites and no matter where any one else wants you to go to school, it is really about where you want to go. Do what will make you happy because you are the one that lives with the decision and is entering into the commitment. Give back to the community and make as many friends as you can. If you get invited to something that sounds boring, go anyway. It might turn out that you enjoy it! Apply for scholarships, even if you think that you wont win the. You are much better than you think you are.

I wish I could go back and tell my younger self about the financial aspects of college. First, I start searching for scholarships a lot earlier. I probably missed many deadlines of scholarshipts that I qualified for. Next, I organize the scholarships that fit my criteria. In doing so, I would not waste time applying for scholarships that did not exactly fit my needs. In conclusion, I would not gain a high amount of student loan debt by the time I graduated. In reality, I gained a large ammount of student loans debt after college. By the time I graduated, I could only get part-time work. So it became harder and harder to pay the loans back with interest. I had to borrow from family to pay the student loans off. Now I owe money to my family. I am going back to college to get my teacher's license so I can hopefully gain full-time employment in where I love working with children.