Brigham Young University-Provo Top Questions

The most important thing that I would tell myself is not to get overstressed about knowing what you want to do with your life during the first semester at college. Many people change their majors though out their college experience and many more have a variety of careers after college. Take time to breath and just focus on doing well in your G.E. classes. Take time to learn about yourself and try out new things. If you’re interested in a major, talk to people who are in that major. Meet with alumni who have graduated with that major and ask them what their life is like now. Just take the time in your first few semesters (or years) to learn what you like to do and it will make a big difference later on down the road.

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Seek financial aid sooner. Make goals, but don't be afraid to reevaluate and change them as your knowledge and experience grow. Always strive to do your best. When you drive hard, keep going until you finish. When you reach goals, reward yourself. But not until you achieve them. You are not in this alone. Reach out and help others along the way.

Dude, you know how you think you know how to study? You're wrong! Put in 30 more minutes studying every night and it'll make a difference. Also, good job on holding back from partying. Too many kids are lazy and making really poor decisions. They are wasting time, money and their future. Enjoy those naps now because they don't exist once you're in college and appreciate mom's home cooking a little more. Do some occasional laudry and save more of your paychecks. I have a baseball player in one of my classes and wish I were him! Put in longer practices, go swing in the batting cage every day, hit off the tee, go for runs and push yourself a little harder. You turn out pretty okay and have a lot of great people who give you some neat opportunities and great advice. Keep working hard!

High School Self, While you have a lot to be proud of, just remember that you're still seventeen; you don't, in fact, no everything. The world doesn't owe you anything, so be sure to pack a big dose of humility in your suitcase. You will need it. Remember that what anyone else thinks of you is none of your business. Heed this advice and you'll save a lot of time that you'd otherwise spend obsessing over the approval of others. Most of those nit-pickers don't matter anyway. If you get hit by a car while riding your bike, for the love of God get that idiot's license plate number-- there's a chance he will speed away and leave you there. Open your mind because you can learn from everyone. Don't be quick to dismiss the asshole. You don't know where he's been. Last, but not least, you are a geek, an introvert, and a nerd who prefers bookstores and quiet evenings to parties and concerts. Don't be ashamed of that. Embrace your weirdness and you will come to find that other people love that about you too.

If I could advise myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to go all-in. College is not a time to hold back. Attend all the programs you can, talk to everyone around you, and make friends. College is all about who you know. On the academic side, having friends in each course will significantly increase you test scores and understanding of course material, and knowing professors can make you memorable and help your grades. In the social perspective, reaching out can help you find your place and your closest friends. College is about finding yourself. Everything you do, put your self into it whether it is a math assignment or a date. Be fully present and see the bright side of every situation you are in. When the going gets tough, be grateful you have the opportunity to attend college, and get out and laugh. Laugh every day. Surround yourself with people that make you laugh, and do what makes you happy. Do not let anyone shame you into being someone you are not. Create some insane memories. Be able to tell you future children stories they will not believe. Make it a time to remember.

Whatever you might think your priorities should be in the future, remember this one lesson: Life is about people. Focus on your relationships before your accomplishments. Focus on loving your family members, making friends, and being open and available to those around you. College can be an isolating, stressful, depressing experience. Or college can be the time where you discover how many gifts and talents that you've been blessed with, gifts that will enrich the world when you are outwardly focused. Never get too caught up in your problems and struggles that you forget to be happy. You will find true happiness in loving other people. All the other decisons, where to live, what to study, where to get a job...those are all secondary to the decison of how you treat other people. So smile, be bold and friendly. Always help others. Be involved in people's lives. Listen to them. Find ways to serve in your apartment, your community, your classes. Study in groups. Be a peer tutor. Be a leader. Be an example of good character. By loving other people, you'll be fulfilling the highest calling you have in this life.

Take the time to complete assignment and homework before work or play if possible. Join clubs and intermural teams. Learn to enjoy Raman, Peanut Butter sandwiches and Man and Cheese. Have fun, college can be a lot of fun too,

Do not take the easy way out. High school life breeds short sightedness. You tend to be selfish, focus on yourself, and only briefly plan for the future. Be careful and avoid this common trap. Open your vision wide, look beyond yourself now, and think about what will most benefit you in the long run. Be aware that the university level will challenge you, but it will prepare you for life. Compare this lesson to a farmer. Early in the season the farmer works his hardest. He puts forth hours of labor and sacrifices sleep or entertainment in hopes for a bountiful harvest. As he centers his mind on future success, the work becomes more enjoyable. It's all about perspective. He knows his dilligent work now will eventually pay off, and so it is with college. Skip the community colleges and avoid the party schools. Find a university that will require strenuous hours of labor, sacrifice of sleep and entertainment, so that in the future you and your family will harvest fruits that will last you through the winter and into the future.

I would have studied harder and been more prepared and maybe actually have gotten scholarships.

If I could give the high school version of myself advice about college, it would be this: buy the right kind of beans. A few months ago, I went grocery shopping and was frantically running through the aisles buying my food. I went to grab some refried beans, but when I came home and pulled them out of my bag, I saw I had made a terrible mistake, I had bought a can of "beanies and weenies:" a mix of hotdog chunks and pinto beans. I made this mistake not once, but twice. And while it is silly, it actually does examplify a greater principle to me that you need to remember: don't overlook the basics. Don't allow yourself to get so caught up in the crazy life of tests, labs, essays, parties and extracurriculars that you can't even take a moment to slow down and buy the right kind of beans. Don't ignore the most important things, like getting enough sleep and feeding yourself good food. Take care of yourself, and then the other areas of your life will flourish because of it. I promise. And please: never buy a can of beanies and weenies.

I would tell myself to learn how to study. There are many differences between high school and college, but one of them is difficulty. College is HARD. There are fewer assignments, but every assignment is worth a larger percentage of your grade. Tests and learning how to take them is probably the most important skill to develop because they are such a huge percentage of you grade. Learn now, study, take notes, attend class, because everything will only get harder after high school.

Going back, I'd tell myself anything is possible but reorder your priorities. Money is not the first concern. It should be in the top 10 but not higher than #5. An undergraduate degree does not determine a career path. Choose schools which: encourage exploration in the first years, have "shopping weeks" not pre-registration, promote internships, have professors who willingly advise students on academic and carrer options, and where women are valued, as evidenced by the student body and number of female professors. Where possible take tours and sit in on classes. Get a sense for the academic rigor and find a student body where I'd belong. Growing up poor, in an elite community, my high school didn't provide advice to students in my socioeconomic bracket. My guidance counselor said "[I'd] never get into any college with a PSAT score of 1200." I didn't study for the PSATs. At the time the highest score on the SAT was 1600. I'd tell myself, make phone calls to the admissions and financial aid offices of universities I wanted to attend even if I couldn't visit. And, I'd say, as I did, yes I can.

Don't be afraid to be you. College can be very intimidating and difficult and you may feel like you need to act a certain way to fit in. Everybody seems older and more experienced than you and it can be frightening to be yourself. But don't compromise on who you are, your beliefs and standards. People will respect you more for having them then ignoring them in order to fit in. Build a reputation of being trustworthy and reliable. Make the college you the best you you have ever been. Your professors and classmates will notice. But most importantly, you will notice and you will be happier for it.

Don't be so concerned about how skinny you are, if the cheerleaders will be friends with you, or if the basketball boys will make out with you! You'll have plenty of boyfriends in college . You're smart, and the college classes aren't as hard as everyone says they are. Don't be afraid to stop studying so much and go the parties. You end up making it. Breathe. Also, stop making out with Peter. Even though he's a 'college boy', he's not worth your time and there are MUCH better boys waiting for you in college! Stop taking the ACT so many times. Trust me, a 32 is definitely a good enough score and nobody cares anyways once you get in. Practice soccer more do you can actually win an intramural championship instread of always losing in the final round. You're the world's greatest!

The advice that I would give to myself is to focus on the most important things. Girls, drugs, fun, and even work can wait. There are other things out there that will help you so much more than those things. I know that they seem to be the best things, but they can wait. Focus on the school work and focus on learning. Don't grow up too fast. You have an amazing opportunity given you. Enjoy it, but also remember that if you do not work hard, you will not prosper. Work is nesscessary in order to grow. As you work hard, you will feel good. Don't let others bring you down, but just continue to try new things and learn so that you can teach your children and bring good into the world. You can do so much, don't forget who you are.

I would tell my high school senior self a variety of things knowing what I know now. First, I would tell myself to start looking into colleges that I want to attend and scholarships right at the start of my senior year. I would also tell my high school senior self to have a job and be working to have some money of my own to apply to my own college experience. Also, I would advise myself to go and visit colleges that I am interested in, so that I can see if I will really like attending one of those schools. And finally, I will tell myself, that yes college will not be a piece of cake, but that it will be worth it.

You do not need to rush yourself. Take the time you need to really figure out what you are doing with your life. Enjoy yourself while you are doing it. Because if you do not take the time now you will have to take the time during a less convenient time of your life. You do not need to figure everything out in one day. What to study? What career to go for? What about social life? These are all questions you should be having. And there are even more questions. The answers will come with time. Just make sure you are not rushing yourself and losing precious opportunities to enjoy life and find the answers to these questions. Do not be afraid to ask for help. You may have to talk to a lot of people. There are people who can help you figure out your life plans. Do not let your self stress over it so much that you cannot enjoy life. Go at the pace you need. You know yourself better than anyone else. Life will be hard but you will figure it out.

High school for me was the pile of brussel sprouts on a large plate of rich, delicious foods. It stunk and it was nasty, but it was absolutely necessary for me to grow. I spent my high school career trying to find a balance between knowing I had the capacity to lead and being told that I wasn’t needed because the school already had better, more able leaders. I knew I had something to offer to the school, but with every leadership position that I took, I tore myself down telling myself that I was incapable and less valuable. Though as I got to college and was treated as a valuable part of society, I realized that it was important for me to learn to follow while recognizing my ability to lead, but it’s even more important to be a competent, humble leader who acknowledges what they are capable of. So to my high school self, I would say ‘Stop it. Stop caring so much about what your peers think of you. Stop trying so hard to be what everyone expects you to be. Stop cutting yourself down because in the end, being you is better than enough.’

You know that college is work and a serious thing. But do not forget that it is also an experience. Do not be a work-aholic. Have a job, stay in your budget, make beautiful plans for the future -- but make the time to have fun. You will meet some of your greatest friends in college; it is a clean slate. Whatever activities you want to do or classes you want to take, just go for it! In leaving high school and going away to school, you left behind all the "boxes" that people put you in. No one at college has any pre-conceptions of your character and interests. You really do define yourself. Remember to be responsible. Stay close to God because you are about to be put in some of the most stressful and stretching situations of your life. You need to roll with the punches, but divine help is a definite necessity. Not every day is fun, but the more you remember to relax into your reponsible adulthood, the more fun moments will occur. That is life. So be happy and while you work hard to be successful, remember that you need to have fun, too.