Arizona State University-Downtown Phoenix Top Questions

I would definitely tell myself not to procrastinate! Some of these teachers don't mess around when it comes to due dates and turning that paper in an hour after it is due is not acceptable. Waiting until the last minute doesn't help you out any when you're already under enough stress. I would make sure to tell myself to get stuff done as soon as possible and not leave it until the night before to worry about.

Don't worry, Josh. Things won't always go the way you plan them, but rest assured in knowing they will always work out in the end. That's how they have so far, at least. You may not have the slightest clue what you want to do with yourself for the rest of your life, but you've still got time. You WILL figure it out, even if you change your mind a few times throughout life. One of your strongest points is your ability to adapt to situations. You'll be doing plenty of that in college, and I have little doubt the skill will grow as time passes. I know you, Josh, and I know the biggest adversary you face is your own fear of inadequacy. That somehow you won't make the grade. You know what? That's okay. Everybody's afraid. Use it for something good. Turn that fear around and use it as something to drive and motivate you. Eventually, the fear will disappear altogether, replaced by confidence and pride in what you've accomplished, all in the face of adversity. Just keep doing what you love old friend. You'll do just fine.

I would advise myself to avoid declaring a major until after my first semester. I started out as a business major, however, I became incredibly passionate about the poor, and ended up going into Social Work. By only taking general classes, you can begin to acquire general requirements and sample classes on topics you might be interested in. Something I also would have told myself as a high school senior is to get outside of myself and serve others while in college. Because I do not have classes everyday, I have more time on my hands. I like to volunteer my extra time at an afterschool program. It is so fulfilling and so worth it to impact the lives of those kids.

One of the major things I struggled with my senior year of high school was finally determining my major. Of course I had many things I wanted to do for a living; however, none of them seemed perfect. Since graduating I have changed my major about two times; going from pre-med to nursing. I was so determined to become a doctor that all my other options just were not as important to me. If I could go back and give myself advice, I would tell myself to have an open mind and experience what my school has to offer. Nothing is set in stone and it is perfectly normal to change your mind and adjust as necessary. People go to college to get a degree to do what they love. If you choose too fast, it could be a big mistake. All you need to do is contemplate your options, take advantage of what your university has to offer, and breathe because life takes time but is certainly manageable.

All college alumni's and faculties talk to students about how they need to learn time management, or study skills, and while these are good points, my most important advice is to wait until you have attended a class before purchasing the books. All classes have a reading list when you sign up for the class, but surprisingly, not all of these books will be used. Textbooks range anywhere from $50-$250, and although most schools offer a buy-back program, the money received back is less than spectacular. There was an English book required for my freshman English class, and I just procrastinated on buying the book at the beginning of the semester. We were never assigned any assignments requiring the book. I lucked out by having never bought the book, and saved some of my valuable money.

If I could go back in time and tell myself about college I would say be prepared to have the time of your life, but also to study like you never have before. I would also say you have your entire life to be crazy and do dumb things so try and get through school and get a good steady job so that you can have a great life. It all starts now, this is the rest of your life sitting right before your face so make it well worth your time and your money. If anyone can do it, it is you. Be very driven and motivated, don't let anyone put you down. It is a long road but it will be worth it in four years when you are an amazing nurse!

If I could go back in time I would give myself to visit the campus I was trying to go to more than once. It allows more time to interact with teachers and get a better feel of how the school is run. I would tell myself college work is harder in that their is alot of information to retain and there are not always study guides to help narrow it down. I would tell myself to keep up the good work becuase once I get through the core requirements I get to take fun classes like forensic psychology. I would tell myself to just relax and take it one day at a time. As long as I keep focused on the work that needs to be done I will be fine and be able to succeed in everything I do. And last but not least I would say dont doubt or second guess yourself because you ultimately decide your life so do everything full out, without regret, and with family and laughter becuase small things should never be taken for granted.

I would try and tell myself about the responsibility of the independence that comes with graduating from high school. You can hang out with your friends until 3 AM, but that is not going to get your paper written for Cultural Anthropology, and it is surely not going to help you stay awake for a 2 hour lecture on the sport of Cricket playing in Papua New Guinea. I know that I probably would not have listened. I would have told myself to be more proactive in looking for scholarships during high school. The potential return from of writing a 500 word essay completely eclipses the minimum wage job you take every summer to try and weather the torrent of constant tuition and fee increases. I would tell myself not to worry about getting overwhelmed, get involved, meet new people, take an interesting course and stay busy. Staying busy helps a person stay on top of their responsibilities, you can always cut down when things get too crazy, but it's easy to fill unoccupied hours with Facebook and Netflix. I would tell myself it is all worth it!

The greatest advice I could give to my past self would be to try something new every day. During high school, there were many opportunities to get involved with the school through extracurricular activities and sports. There were times when I was conflicted about whether to try something new- join the volleyball team or see what speech and debate was really like. However, I chose not to pursue these interests and instead focused on the sports and things I was already good at. Now that I am in college I can see that if I had just chosen to try something new, I may not have been the greatest at it, but it could be very fun. College offers many new opportunites to experience different things, but I feel as though I missed something in high school. Now that I have learned from this error, my perspective on life has changed. Just because you aren't the best at something does not mean that you cannot try something new. Life is all about experience. You may fail at some things or exceed in others. The only way to learn about yourself is to try.

Every grade counts! You are going to be making the biggest change of your life, you're moving across the country to start over enjoy your classes and make good friends, its so easy to get lost in the crowd but remember that you can do this you just need to stay focused. You are better than C's so if you get a C don't think "eh, oh well" C's hurt you're GPA and by the time you realize it may be too late. Remember you're morals and remember to be yourself. College can either make you lose who you were or develop into a better you, stay strong, stay confidant and always remember to study.