Alabama State University Top Questions

My senior year in high school was displaced by my lack of understanding the magnitude of what was to come afterwards. I had no more direction than a blind man walking into a crosswalk, and it took me nearly 8 years to figure out what to do. As a result of not knowing what direction to go, I have amassed a large amount of student loan debt and lost time through transferring from school to school. This is a paradigm that my peers and I can identify with due largely in part to being pressured into pursuing post-secondary education before having an endgame in mind; though they may be successful in their academic endeavors, they do not understand how to effectively transition out of the "in-school" frame of mind. So, to myself, I would pass along the abstinence mantra: WAIT. While you wait, work, or go to the military just so you can actually gain some experience doing something until you meticulously figure out the particulars and, most importantly, develop an exit strategy. Post secondary education can be a money, time, and resource trap if you do not plan accordingly to take care of those things before hand.

GO TO CLASS! Do the best you can and dont slack off, it will catch up to you. Take advantage of the teachers and their experiencce. Participate in as many things as you can.

First off I would I say to buckle down and stop worrying about everyone and worry about myself. I would tell myself focus on school and not on girls. Most of all I would tell myself to look at college and jobs early and be about the business of getting to goal. Looking towards college life it won't but with a good mind and god you can get through. To my past self I would tell him to pray, trust in god, and focus in school because the other things will come later. A gpa and trying to find the right school is now.

If I could go back in time and give my high school self some college advice, I would tell myself to pay attention. I would say “Shameka, read all of the chapters in the textbook and spend two hours outside of the classroom studying your notes.” Also, bring your textbook to every class and take good notes; also, start getting your professional business attire together. And don’t be afraid of what you don’t understand and connect the dots. Think about your day before bed and analyze how to be better tomorrow. Your first year is going to be rocky but hang in there you will make it out on top.”

If I could go back in time and give myself advice about college I would first start off by telling myself to pick a school close to home so that I will have my family there when I need them. I would also tell myself to learn a good study habit and better my oral and communcation skills. I would also encourage myself to join as many organizations as possible and finish high school strong with a high GPA. But most importantly cherish your senior moments because it is gone in the twinkling of an eye.

I would advise myself to stay focused and prepared for a tough transition. Going from a varsity high school soccer team to a divison 1 athlete was the hardest transition for me. Going into my freshman year I lost focus on my academics and on soccer due to being caught in the social life. I would tell my senior self that grades are extremely important and no matter how easy the class is I cannot slack. Also that I should never lose my passion and confidence for soccer. Soccer has alway been a get away for me and during my time in college I seem to have lost that passion. I would also remind myself that it is all about the quality of friends not the quantity. All I will ever need is few close friends and a strong education.

Congratulations! You are a senior and you think that you know everything. The truth is, you are wrong. college life isn't quite what you thought it was going to be. You no longer ride the bus to school and you don't get your books for free. Apply early for the college you want to attend. Get your priorities in order and don't mess around. You carry the reputation of yourself and those who raised you, so your decisions should be honorable. Don't skip a class because you are bored or just don't feel like going. Make plenty of friends who are willing to study with you. Sign up early for your classes, because if you don't, you will regret it later. You also have to take on the responsibility of finding yourself work, appling for scholarships, and getting moved into an appartment. The daily routine is a little easier for college students who attend a four year college with the right scholarships. At a tech university, you have to drive yourself to school and can't enjoy the luxuary of living so close to your classes. Under no circumstances do you fail a course.

The advice I would give myself would be be in more student activiey that is how you get to leran who your peers are. The reason for that students organizations get alot of attention even if you were in a student organization in high school you should keep it under your belt when you get to college. The next thing I would say are to keep up with the money you have coming in from your FAFSA many times the school can loose your information or either the computer system can shut down. Make copies of everthing you recieve becasue the school will be quick to say that they do not have that information on file. If schools had someone to file paper work and also keep it on the computer I think the world would be better becasue you know that they have two copies of everything and you would also have one. If i could go back and rewind my life I would becasue the things I have learned , if I just got the chance to do that I would and I will tell people be careful about the decision that you make .

While in high school, learn how to use your time wisely. There may be times where you are overwhelmed with work and want to do other things. The most important thing is to have your priorities in order. Your school work comes first before anything. Set a time aside everyday or every other day just for school related things, but also give yourself the time to do things that you enjoy. This may restrain from depressing or stress. If you stress things will only get worse. So, the best thing is to use your times wisely. Also, learn everything and listen to what your paarents say. They know best. Expect nothing from no one. You are going to college for a degree nothing more. After that, everything will fall into place. Dont worry about anything that doesnt help you in your future. College are the best days and times of your life. Have fun but dont forget the purpose. Do work and party and celebrate later. In the meantime, have fun but also learn and work hard.

Life has a way of showing one the truth of themselve when the truth is the solution to all problems. I would explain to myself the importance of a "game plan." Organization is not only the key to successful semesters but it is also the key to graduating in my projective time. I would explain the value of a dollar and the importance of understanding financial aid. Then I would advise myself that home sickness is real and the further I am from home the more I will miss Rochester. Perhaps we would have a discussion about the importance of health so my early 20's would not be spent in doctors and hospitals. Most importantly I would tell myself to choose an institution that best suited my needs and dreams. A school that is beneficial to the advancement of my intelligence. Finally, I would remind myself that education is first priority. Sure, I should enjoy life and have fun but nothing should detour my dreams from coming true. Then I would remind myself that those goals I set for myself, both short and long term are reachable and to keep faith in myself.

My greatest piece of advice for my high school self would be, "Don't lose yourself". "There are so many things going on in college that it is easy to stray away from who you are and what you are there for. Don't forget your plans DIamond, don't forget what you are working so hard to accomplish. You will meet so many new people, some temporary, some long-term, but in the end the person who matters the most is you. When you mess up you you will disappoint yourself more than anyone else, so don't mess up. Take advantage of every opportunity placed in front of you and don't be afraid to reach a little further beyond your original goals, because the peak of greatness is always growing. The parties, the socializing, these things will always be there in every stage of life with different groups of people but this is your chance to make this experience everything you want it to be and to come out on top. No matter how close to the bottom you are you haven't touched it yet." Because figuring out college is hard to do, especially alone.

If I could speak to myself prior to my college career, I would teach myself one word; discipline. I would show myself a vision containing a woman with discipline and a woman without it. The female that lacks discipline will seems successful, however the majority of the goals she declared as her own will not have been attained. The woman, who dreamed to become a doctor, has settled for life as a nursing assistant. Living a productive live, however it is not the one she dreamed of. Then, I would portray a woman with discipline. This woman is consistently working towards something. She is active in her community, physically admirable, and progressing well in her desired field. She has the blueprint to success in the palm of her hand and she is building a legacy. This vision would allow my younger self to establish lifestyle changes that would develop and create a better woman. If the life lessons I learned could be applied before the hardships that taught me, I would be unstoppable. This would help my transition to college by improving the mental focus that I lacked. I would understand the importance of time and the failure in procrastination.

My advice to high school senior me: Dream bigger. I know that you think your dream is fairly big now, or you think that is all you are capable of. You are wrong. Don't worry though, your college years will be great so don't regret any of it. However, the dreams you have going in, will grow bigger than you can ever imagine coming out. The people you meet at Ivy Tech will know what your true dream is before you do. You will meet an amazing, incredibly inspiring mentor and a wacky, super talented instructor that will change your life forever. Listen to them. Don't be afraid to take a few chances. If something seems impossible, make it possible. Remember: "can't" has never been in your dictionary, so let's keep it that way.

I would tell myself to stay focus because when you ar in college it is very easy to lose focus because of all the things that are going on around you. Professors in college are nothing like teachers in highschool. Although their main concern is deliever the information to ensure you recieve the best education as possible , college professors are not on you all the time about turning in assignments and completeing work and their is almost never a second chance. Studying and staying ahead is a very important key point in colleges because once you are behind its hard to catch back up. I wil also tell myself to keep my grades up freshman year because alot of freshman do horrible their first year of college simply because they have trouble with the transiton . This affects your GPA and your ability to qualify for scholarships. It is very easy to pull your GPA down but very difficult to pull it up.

If i had an opportunity to talk to my old highschool self i would tell myself to stop messing around in school and really focus on my 4 years of highschool knowing now that i need a higher education than to just have a highschool diploma. I would definitely say to my self that the choices I make in life now will affect my future to have a great career and job. Don't wait 5 years just to go back to college and to stop procrastinating on the things that are really important to me in LIFE. Knowing now that life is rough outside of highschool and very difficult to handle, but if I was to make a difference and behave in school, get good grades, listen to my teachers I know that college would have been a breeze if I just focused on my GOALS. Life itself is like a roller coaster its our decision if we want to go for the ride to even take a chance on something that is very important to ME. I would also say to wait on having a child because it is very difficult to go school and have a child.

If I could go back, I would tell myself to study and prepare more. I would tell myself to remember that it is not always about the partying and finding new friends. Academics is most important. You will fit in when it is time, but until then, focus on making good grades and being the best academically. Know that it is ok to have some fun, but do not go overboard. Class in the morning is more important than staying up late. It is not about having all this freedom, it is what you do with it is what counts. DO not be influenced by slackers and keep your head high when people try to knock you down. Do not denounce your values and beliefs for anyone. Respect and get respect. Lastly, just be yourself. You stand out more when you are different and let your inner light shine bright! Good luck, with college comes great responsibility. Have integrity, and see graduation day in your future!

The first advice I would give myself is start saving up ever bit of money you make. The struggle is real in college. Undoubtely, the education process is totally different from high school. So start preparing your mind and setting it to stay focus on the education, not the parties. Please do not let the boys get to your head and betweeen your legs. Your education is more important than the parties and boys. They are there to only distract you, more like the devil putting obstacles in your life. Stay focus and pray everyday, keep in mind "I can do all things through christ, whom strengthens me" -Philippians 4:13

If I could go back to my senior year, I would have told myself not to procrastinate and be sure to do everything pertaining to college on time. Make sure that the college that you plan on going to is the school for you and to make sure that you tour the campus. Another thing I would have told myself was to make sure that you kept your GPA high and to keep up your grades. Be sure to practice time management skills before you get to college, because once you’re in college you have teachers that really don’t if your paper is late or if you didn’t do your homework. I would have told myself to study for the college entrance exams. Without these it’s nearly impossible to get into a good school or the school of your choice. Another reason why these college entrance exams are in important is because you can qualify for so many scholarships and you will be able to have more options under your belt. I think that you should get used to not being home and being away from your parents and prepare to meet a lot of people.

If I could go back in time coming out of high school as a senior, I would attend college in another state, no children and I would be out of school at a young person. I am happy because when I started at Alabama State Univeristy, after the first semester my GPA was 4.0 and now it is 3.0, I am a 61 years old female very very proud to be in school, I have 46 hour before I am finish I give God all the Praises.

I want you to get prepared now for college. Learn about different schools and learn what your options are.