Winona State University Top Questions

Whatever you do after high school, you will be doing for yourself and your future career and life. In high school you might do certain things or belong to certain things because of your parents expectations. They will not be watching you or taking care of you while you are at college. You will have to make responsible decisions about education, social life, safety and money on your own. In the first few months spend some time setting goals and deciding what you want your life to be like. Write your goals down and follow them but allow some flexibility as the college years are the best years of your life. It is a time to study hard but also a time to enjoy adulthood without the responsibilities that life will bring later. Don't procrastinate. Everything will seem easier if you don't wait until the last minute. There are no second chances to turn things in late and still get credit for them. Enjoy the new people you meet and the exposure to new ideas. Approach both of them with an open mind.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself, "Rachel, deciding to do the PSEO option (post secondary enrollment option) at a community college during your senior year is the smartest decision you will ever make. It will open your eyes to the college community and what it is like to be a college student before you even arrive at Winona State. You will save yourself a lot of time and money. When you get to Winona State you will be prepared for what they have to throw at you. Finally, don't worry about moving away from home. You will meet a lot of fun and interesting people when you get there even though your roommate is a sophomore. These friends you will meet will be there for a lifetime. Good luck kid!"

Stay focused on why you are in school- to learn. The social aspect is important, but don't let it get in the way of your education. Stay out of trouble, you don't have to be a 'goody-goody' all the time, but know where the line is, and not to cross it. Sleep and rest, schedule some down time. Keep in touch with your family. Learn each teacher's 'style' and don't fight it. You will have great teachers, good teachers, and not so good teachers. Learn early what the teacher expects, and don't argue with them. Select some school activity you can get excited about like chorus or band. There might be days when you dont want to go to school, but you will because of your chosen activity. Students get in trouble when their chosen activity is not about school-they just want to hang out with their friends. If my activity is 'hanging-out"-then, heck, I can just skip school and hang out even more! Find something at SCHOOL that you like.

RELAX. Don't worry so much about people who will judge you. If they don't like you then they're not worth your time to try and hang out with them. Also, don't be afraid to go see a professor- they LIKE it when you come to talk to them. It shows them that you're really trying in the course and WANT to learn about it. It may in fact, even boost your grade at the end of the semester. As for the roommate situation, you just have to sleep in the same room- and sometimes, not even that. If you don't get along, you can request to move out second semester, or look for a subleaser. Don't take psychology in your first semester, it will NOT be pretty. But in the end...just RELAX. You'll have a better time if you do and your stress levels will go WAY down, which can only help you.

I would advise not to room with a friend from high school. I chose to have a random roommate, and am very glad that I made this decision! It helps you to branch out more, and allows you to meet a lot more people because you aren't in your comfort zone from the beginning. You still have to opportunity to hang out with high school friends if you choose to, but you are given many more opportunities to branch out and meet new people by rooming with someone random. Another piece of advice I would give myself is to take a lighter credit load your first semester in college. It is very hard to guess how adjusting to college life will go for you, and trying to take a full load of credits would just make it harder on yourself than needed. Also, sit in the front of the class so you become friends with the smarter people in your class and can get into a study group with them to help keep your grades up as well! Other than that, enjoy college and get involved early so that you can meet a lot of new and wonderful friends!

If I could give advice to high school me, it would be to not worry so much about Freshman year, you'll make plenty of friends, you'll get along with your roommate, and you made the right decision to not go to Bemiji. But you do need to do our homework a bit more. You need a higher college GPA to keep your scholarship! And you don't need to take Germ 201 or 202, because those are the classes your U of M credits count for, but you should take them anyway. You need the grammar review. Just make sure next year, you keep your options open, and be willing to accept things that might seem a little strange to you, it might just work out in your favor. Remember to keep your old friends close, but to broaden your circle of friends. You never know who will cross the line from friend, to family, and in college, your family is what you'll need with you at all times! They will make sure that you are safe, and they will always try to make yur gloomy days a little bit brighter!

do not let anyone else influence your choice in schools based on how close it is to home.

I would tell them to support their children no matter what. Let them go where they want to go and don't influence them to go where the parents want them to go. Take them on a lot of tours of different colleges. Encourage them to go out and make friends, and dont call them all the time and check up, it ruins the experience.

Visit them, go on campus tours. It makes or breaks the college.

Be sure to go to where you feel most at home; do not go where your parents want you to go or where your friends tell you to go, make the decision yourself after thinking on it. Do not, however, stress too badly about which school you want to attend that you lose the excitement of selecting your next step in life. College is a great experience no matter where you go so long as you enjoy your surroundings and go where your heart tells you. Give it your all no matter what it is you are doing so you will never regret your time in colllege and make sure to enjoy the time you have there as well.