Auburn University Top Questions

All through high school I was scared about the future, about my college career. I grew up in South America and I knew I wanted to come to college in the U.S. I always knew I was going to have to leave my life long friends behind, and form new friendships, and that scared me. I was always dreading the thought that when I came to college I would forget my old friendships. So if it were possible for me to go back in time to visit myself, I would tell myself that there is nothing to worry about; that I would find the most amazing group of friends anyone could ask for. It would be like you had known them for a lifetime and that I would not loose my old friends in the process. I would have to explain how modern technology and web cams make it seem like my South American friends are sitting in the room next to me. I would tell myself not to worry, College Life is Great!

The first thing I would tell myself would be to never procrastinate. It's easy to say, "Ugh, I'm tired, I'll do that tomorrow," but it's hard to say, "Oh, there will be time to go to other parties. I'm not missing out on anything major." You have to choose between the two, and only the latter will give you success. I would also tell myself not to hesitate about making friends. I've been blessed with a microcosm of people who all know each other, but in some ways I wish I'd branched out more when I was a freshman. To my younger self, I would also suggest to be more organized. College life is rife with major decisions, deadlines, due dates, payments, and allotted time. It's possible to survive if you just pay attention to the bare minimum, but there is a clear difference between surviving versus surviving and winning. My last piece of advice would be to never give up, no matter how ridiculous all the red tape may seem. College is supposed to be about learning and growing, and if you've done that, you've succeeded.

I think that if I could go back and talk to myself in high school, I would tell myself this, "College is a learning experience, so don't think that anyone can give you all the secrets. Listen to everything you hear, but don't believe it all; learn for yourself and don't be afraid to change your habits along the way. It's also ok to change your major, even if you have been set on the same job for 18 years - things change. Know what morals you want to have before you get put into sticky situations, you're most vunerable at the times when you're unsure...and if you don't know what choice you want to make at the time, make the better of the two. It is better to know you can change your mind then to regret what you did." And finally, I would tell myself that it will be harder to make friends than expected, but in a few months, I will be having the time of your life with people you wouldn't trade for the world.

Make good grades. Do not focus on campus life. Learn how to be by yourself. Do not go to school looking to make friends.

My advice would be to follow your heart. I absolutely love the University I am at right now but I am actually thinking of transferring to another school because I did not follow my own heart and pursue a sport that I am very talented in. I do not regret making the decision I did, but there are days when I wonder what it would have been like if I were at a different school. When I say "follow your heart" I mean what feels right to you. Some people may follow their "heart" a.k.a their boyfriend/girlfriend to a school where they are not happy. College only happens once and if your relationship is meant to be, it will last and survive long distances. Another word of advice would be to have no regrets. I will from this point on, try everything I desire so that I have no regrets of not participating in a team or club simply because I did not try out. The worst consequence that could ever come from trying out for a position is not acquiring the position. Your life does not change for the worse, so go for it!

Mostly to not be afraid to form healthy relationships with your professors, advisors, and get involved with positive forms of extracurricular activity. It's is incredibly easy to become wrapped up in a new world when you are no longer living under the supervision of your parents, so be sure to surround yourself with good company, who will have your best interest in mind. Plan ahead and truly remember that while college is one of the best times people will ever have, it is only a small amount of time in your life and is a tool in order for you to become successful in the professional world. Be sure to read the fine print with anything you become involved in, and don't be afraid to ask a question. People who work for your university want to help you more than you think.

The biggest mistake I made was attending a four-year school instead of trying to save money and finish my freshmen and sophomore classes at a two-year school as I had started doing after I graduated. Another problem was that I realized too late that I wanted to major in zoology instead of english. Therefore, I wasted time and money as far as taking the appropriate classes. If I could go back to my senior year, I would, first of all, tell myself to stick to going to a community college, even after I move away from home. Then, I would tell myself to make sure that I take classes going toward a zoology major. That way, I would save time, money, and be a lot closer to finishing my college career than I am now.

If I were able to go back in time and give myself advice I would have several things to tell myself. I would strongly emphasize the importance of being organized. Organization is the key to success in many cases. I would also emphasize that college can be fun, but there are certain responsibilities that you must keep up with in order to maintain the type of student you want to be. I would also tell myself that patience is the key to all friendships. You can not let small disagreements ruin lifelong friendships, as well as new friendships you will make throughout your college career. Finally, I would inform myself to get to know your professors. Your professors are there to help you and guide you. Your future can be brighter if you realize that asking for help is the first step to an important advantage you can have for your success!

Hola senior Francesca. I know you're worried about your Honors English class, but let me give you some advice. Ms. Gonzales will (ironically) assign you a project, to write a letter to yourself that will be mailed to you five years to the day, from our high school graduation. My advice, do not hold back. Write me everything you want me to do. I promise you, I will try wholeheartedly to accomplish everything you ask of me (please nothing too ridiculous, we do have some maturity now). When she later adds that we can write our friends a letter, write all of our friends a letter. Let them know we don't want to lose them. I can't explain to you how difficult it's become transitioning from the commonalities we shared seeing each other everyday at school, to barely making eye contact during the obligatory "hey how's it going" conversation. Tell them, the next time I see them in the store, and they turn towards the captain crunch to avoid the awkward moment of recognition, that I meant it when I said it, and I genuinely want to know; "hey how's it going?"

If I could go back in time I would inform myself that there is a career that can infuse my love for infants and physical therapy. I never knew there was something that could combine both loves. Once I learned about Early Intervention Occupational Therapy I became a 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} different student. S uddenly I had a huge goal to be working towards and my grades needed to match the expectations of any occupational theraphy program I would apply to. My gpa coming out of high school was good I just knew I could do better. My grades my first semester of college were the worst I have ever had. Luckily, over Christmas break my mother introduced me to her occupational therapist and my life has never been the same. Since then I have had a total transition for how I approach school, no more just skating by. I have since made the Dean's List twice and raised my overall gpa to a 3.45 (sadly, i'm still trying to counteract my slacking from my first semester). The main thing I would tell myself also is to no longer settle and to expect great things from myself.