Arizona State University-Polytechnic Top Questions

Try to figure out what degree you want before you go to college.

Learn to be patient, and ask for help when needed. While teachers will give lectures or do examples in class, only you know what you don't know, and only you can go out and find it. Whether it be from a teacher, another student, or some other resource. No one will just walk up to you and say, "Hey, here's this thing that you need". Learning how you learn is another key thing, not everyone retains information the same way, so figuring out the best way for you to take notes, or study, or even frame questions in class, will give you a big leg up. Being patient is the biggest piece of advice i could give myself. College is stressful, lots of deadlines, lots of pressure, it's important to take my time and not let myself get bogged down. The less i manage stress, the more it will take effect on my life.

The advice I would give myself when I was a high school senior wouldhave been to start doing scholarships at the beginning of the year. That would probably made me avoid the situation I have been put in now, with not being able to pay for school. I would also tell myself to not be afraid to get to know new people or try new things. If I had of stayed the same shy girl I wouldn't have joined Campus Ambassadors and became a Christian. That was the most amazing thing I could have ever done in my life, and I met great people. The last thing I would tell myself is not to change my morals for anyone even if they were my friends or even in a relationship. I should let peopleloveme for who I am and not who I can be.

I would tell my high school self that it is never too early to plan ahead. I would tell myself to go ahead and choose a college rather than waiting. I wish that I would have taken advantage of the dual-credit options at my high school and I would have been farther ahead in college by now. I would tell my high school self not to worry about what school your friends are going to; choose what is best for you. You will still be friends with people even though they aren't at the same school. I would tell myself to choose a major that you love and not to worry about what major would make you the most money. I just recently changed my major but I was reluctant to do so. I would tell my high school self not to worry about college. It's going to be the best time of your life! And last but not least, I would tell my high school self to get pumped about getting an education!

If I could do it all over again or advise myself about college when I was a teenager, I would tell myself to seek financial guidance and career counseling early on. I've learned everything the hard way by going through the experiences myself. I would tell my "young self" to go to a community college and take general courses there at a more affordable cost then transfer to a 4-year university. Prevent taking out loans if at all possible to avoid incuring debt. I would have also liked to explore many community service jobs to gain various experience to build skills and determine the right career path for me. I would have loved to have had a mentor in the career field of interest to job shadow or learn from. I wish I had the opportunity to have gone over seas to help the various orphanages and assist in the medical camps in the third world countries. Having these experiences and exposure to other worlds out there would probably make me a better clinician. But I am a firm believer that life happens just the way it is intended and now I know better.

I would tell myself to have a little more fun in high school, since college is so fast paced that you often have little time to stop and just relax.

DO NOT rush into college. That is what I would tell myself. So many young adults, where I grew up, felt the pressure to go immediately on to college. I believe that I was not ready for college and that I was not alone in that fact. I would have told myself to take a break from school. Get out and work, travel, grow, and mature a little more. College and the the money it takes to participate are no small matter. I went on to college and now have debt and nothing to show for it because I was not ready nor was I mature enough. To sum it up, college is important, but it is also important to make sure you are ready.

If I had the ability to go back and speak to myself as a high school senior (at seventeen years of age), I would definitely encourage myself to continue my education within the military. Since I focused solely on promotion within the military system, my education was not what it could have been had I maintained continuity. Time management is much more difficult as an adult student with a family, full-time career, and student responsibilities to juggle. I would also encourage myself to focus onthe bigger picture, meaning work toward the end goal and take advantage of opportunities that will lead in the right direction. In the end, the hard work will all be worthwhile.

Know exactly what I want in my life in a profession that I would love to be in and help people at the same time. Also, be sure what profession I am going to be in and take the requirements exactly for that profession, because a lot of students including myself took classes that I didn't even need, and I take my own personal experience to tell myself as a senior high school student to focus on really what I want and not jump from profession to profession. Before graduating from high school go to a college advisor and ask them anything that will help me decide better what course of life to follow. Start thinking now about my future, and start taking the requirements for the program I want to be in. Love what I do, which is nursing.

I never had the opportunity to be a high school senior. After being assaulted by a youth group leader I spent my senior year living on my own, disowned, raising his baby and working a menial job. If I could go back to that time and talk to myself I would tell her that times will change and that I should take financial aid and it will not make me a "welfare whore" like my mother told me it would. I would tell myself how amazing the opportunity to go to school is and that I should find a way to do it sooner no matter what. I would help explain the process to myself and I would let myself know how worth it will be in the end. Mostly I would let myself know that there was more to the world that that awful little town and all of the people who told me I was nothing and judged me and denied me opportunities without knowing anything about me and I would strongly urge myself to leave sooner. I'd also tell myself that my son has Autism to spare him the years of torture undiagnosed in public school.

First: take a deep breath. Things are changing, but you can handle it, I promise. College is different, but you it's nothing you can't handle. There are people who can help you in every aspect and I promise the world won't end if you need to ask for help. Secondly, don't stress so much when you're that freshman who doesn't know what they're going to be majoring in. Chances are that more than half the people in your class don't. If they do, then I bet half of those people are going to change majors at least three more times anyway. When you do pick your major, go for what you want to do and what you're passionate about. Please, please, please do not let people around you talk you out of the major that's right for you because of the economy. You're capable of accomplishing anything you set your mind to, so don't settle for a different major because you don't think you're good enough for the one you've been dreaming of for the past few years. You're worth more than you know.

If I could go back in time, and we are talking way back, the first thing that I would say is that college learning is different than High School. The learning is a lot more focused and I found it easier. A lot less drama too! Out of high school, I was not ready for more education. As I look back at my life I think of how many times and in how many ways my life could be better, if I had just stuck with it or even went back to college early. I have an associate degree in Early Childhood Development that I got in my 30’s. I would also tell myself to feed my creative side more. I have always found ways to be creative in any position. All my hobbies are creative as well. Now I want to focus on getting back to college and finish my degree in Digital Design and Graphic. One last thing that I want to tell myself now is that I can still go back to college and I can get the education I need to lead me to my dream career.

I would definitely tell myself to get involved! Join organizations, play intramural sports, or get involved with student government. My life on campus changed for the better when I got involved with organizations and events on campus. Studying became less stressful because I knew my resources better and because I was able to network more effectively and find good study groups to help me with the tough stuff. I made new friends. My appreciation for the school grew immensely because I got to see what happens behind the scenes and see the hard work that it requires to organize and coordinate events on campus. My school spirit increased because I made an effort to support more social and sporting events. Being an involved student gave me the confidence to seek out opportunities for leadership in my community and at school and gave me a better understanding of how to seek help from professors and other faculty. I believe that my involvement at school ultimately gave me a sense of my responsibility on campus and off of campus to continue to improve my community and be an advocate for progress and learning for life.

My grandfather, James Harry Hartman Senior, experienced an extremely harsh life growing up during the Great Depression and was forced to withdraw from elementary school in order to work and provide for his family. He worked his whole life building the highways in the north eastern United States. His son, my father, James Harry Hartman Junior, was the first to graduate from college in his family. My father also found himself in extremely difficult circumstances in providing for his family and putting himself through the university to obtain his degrees. My desire to pursue advanced education and research has also not been easy. I have had to deal with significantly difficult financial circumstances, which created a roadblock to my academic progress. I overcame these obstacles by working various full-time day, night and university resident assistant positions while maintaining a full academic load. This scholarship would help to pay for my PhD in Aviation at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and fulfill my lifelong dream of teaching and doing aviation research at the doctorate level. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would say endure and you will succeed!

So far I have gotten a lot out of my college experience at Arizona State University at the Polytechnic Campus. I have met lots of other people who want to be engineers just like I do, which is cool because I never met anyone else that wanted to be an engineer. There are also a lot of really intelligent people. I was used to being one of the smartest kids I know but ever since I started attending Arizona State, I realized there are much smarter students than I am, which actually encourages me to work harder. I have also seen what it is like to live on my own as an adult. I live 300 miles away from any family or friends, so I know what it's like to be out in the world on my own. This will be very beneficial to me once I am out of college.

I have gotten many things out of my college experience. I have been able to make many connections with not only people already in different fields, but also with many people going into different fields in the future. I have made many friends that are in my study as well and I know i can go to them for advice on many things. Things like homework and notes to where we are going in the future. I know that I can go to these people not only now, but also in the future. I have also been able to leanr many things from my proffessors. They can teach you many things about their experiences and about the proffession that they are in. For me, this is only the beginning of a great college experience in the years to come.

College has definately reinforced my already strong belief in hard work. It is so important to continue your education and gain the knowledge you need for the future, but college isn't all about getting your degree to guarantee yourself a career. It teaches you the hard work you will need once you graduate. You aren't guaranteed a career right out of school, uless you are willing to work for it. Many people believe that if you get your degree you will be handed a wonderful career right out of school. I have learned that if you put the effort into something you will be rewarded. It always takes effort on your part and a degree is just a helpful tool to use to make it a little easier on yourself. I have also learned how important it is to give back. I have been on a few humanitarian trips to third world countries and have worked with successful college grads. They have been examples in showing me that I need to work hard to become successful and then be willing to give some of it back to those who are less fortunate.

Since i moved here to ASU to start my college it has been a blast. i am really glad i choose the campus were i am right now because i have learn alot from my advisors, teacher and the pople in the community. i am able to get my work done, get help form the help they offer here at poly, and having fun. Here at poly it might be a small enviroment but there are over lots thing free of charge like getting your lab top fixed, getting your bicycle fix, and many more. every day they try to make sure they is somthing going on that way if you got nothing to do and you feel like you want to do somthing they offer lots thing.

I feel since the beginning of my college career up to now, the middle of my junior year, I have become an entirely different person. This transformation is due to all the experiences I’ve had so far in college. Most importantly, I have gained independence and responsibility. Moving away to attend school has been one of the best decisions of my life. Now that I live in a different state, I have to do everything myself in order to complete my degree. This includes my loans and financial aid, providing for myself by working two jobs, and going to school full time. All of this while balancing extra curricular activities and a social life. These experiences cannot be gained any where else besides in college life. I have been given this wonderful opportunity to better my life and the lives of others around me.

I have learned many valuable lessons while being at college, such as time management and other valuable skills. But I would say that the biggest lesson I have learned would be that in order to have fun you do not need to get drunk, or use any other substances. At the Polytechnic campus something is always going on that gets people out of their dorm rooms and involved with other people. Its's a great way to bring introverts, like me, out of their shell and have them meet new people. I also learned that the most important things to surivive in college is to do your homework and go to class--i know it sounds simple but it is really easy to get distracted. Professors tend to like it if you show up everyday for class and pay attention, not so much if your not in class because there was a raging party last night. Which reminds that it is easy to procrastinate and give in to temptation. Very easy. But i realized that while I am having fun i could be doing something more important with my time, like turning out the term paper due in the morning.