Brigham Young University-Provo Top Questions

The biggest advice I would give myself would be to learn how to study - how to REALLY get down to study and learn on my own. I blew through high school with a flawless 4.0 GPA (if not higher due to AP classes) but once I got to a university, I realized that I didn't really know how to study. Self-motivation is key; you have to WANT to learn in order to be successful here. Good study habits will make or break you in college, so develop them while you can! Also, get involved! There's nothing worse than going through 4 years of school without some sort of fun extra-curriculars to liven things up. These will also help you find your niche in college (not to mention that they look good on applications!) - so get involved! Find something you love to do, and DO IT. You won't regret it.

I would tell myself that I needed to get on top of school work at the beginning of the semester, and not hope that I can catch up towards the end of the semester. I would also tell myself to make sure to start studying for tests days in advance, not hours in advance like I would in high school, because that just doesn't work now. I would tell myself to take some classes at community college and maybe take some more AP classes so I could test out of some of the general education classes and start getting on with the more interesting core topics earlier. I would also tell myself to make sure I liked what I was majoring in so I didn't try to change majors and get behind in my degree plan. I would make sure I also told myself to make sure to leave some time for fun so I didn't get burned out and end up doing poorly at the end of the semester. These are the things I would have told myself as a high school senior.

College is different from anything you?ve ever done before. You work harder and play harder than in high school. The sense of freedom you feel when you realize you?re actually on your own is amazing, but there?s a catch ? it?s called responsibility. You need self-discipline. Teachers won?t pester you about assignments, they?ll just hand you a grade. You actually have to study for tests in order to pass them. The kids who sleep all day and party all night are doing it wrong, because college is about getting the most out of your education (remember you?re paying for it). Don?t expect to get it all right the first time, because you won?t, so leave room for error and improvement. When you do make a mistake, learn from it so you won?t make it again. Take advice from kids who have done this before ? if an upperclassman says a 5 credit class is too intense for a freshman, they?re probably right, so plan to take it in a later semester. Most importantly, have a good time and get ready for some of the best years of your life.

It is 2006, beginning of my senior year. I?m stressing about AP tests, college applications, and suffering from seniorities. If I just survive the next year I can start working toward my future dreams. Pause. At this moment, I would tell myself to relax. High School only happens once, and the friends you have and your way of life will change soon. I would advise myself to stop worrying. Senior year of high school is important, but also needs to be enjoyed. Back to 2006, I feel self-centered. I?m writing essays about me, trying to get colleges to accept me, and figuring out my future. Stop! What am I doing? Yes, all this stuff needs to be thought over and completed, but I would advise myself to take some time to serve more. Serving others always makes me happy and helps me feel like I am helping make a difference in the world in some way. I loved my senior year of high school, but if I could change anything it would be to not have it be so focused on me, but to spend it serving and spending more time on others.

I would tell myself as a senior to take a few more concurrent enrollment or AP classes to get more generals out of the way. Doing that would not only save a lot of time but a lot of money as well. I would tell myself to set a budget as well and try to stick to it because I have found that finances can get out of hand quickly if you do not watch them. I would tell myself to get planner and use it every day. In my first semester in college I had a huge problem with forgetting assignments, exams, and appointments. I got a planner as a Christmas present and have been using it since. The planner is a key thing and I would definitely make sure I got that across to myself because it's already helped me so much. Finally, I would tell myself not to stress. Stress only makes things worse. Sure, college is hard but stressing will not change that. Learn to relax, not to the point of apathy, but have a little fun time. Schedule it in. A little, but not too much, fun is important to your success.

Make time to sleep and take care of your body--everything else depends on your physical well-being. In order to be emotionally stable, academically successful, and socially active your body needs constant care, so take the time to eat and sleep and then you'll be happy more often and more sincerely.

Take responsibility for learning in to your own hands: that is what I would tell myself. I may not have learned things from all of my teachers, but I missed opportunities to learn because I didn't always strive to find new things out for myself. As a high school senior everyone should carefully observe toddles. They are so curious: everywhere they go, things are constantly being observed, touched, smelled, and tasted. Now, I'm not wishing that a high school senior should do exactly as toddlers; however, I'd tell myself and I tell every high schoool senior I meet to always be curious and learning for themselves. Little children inherently learn that a mirror is not a second room and that some things taste good while others do not. Take the concept. Be curious again! Learn something that intrigues you. Don't merely let somebody spoon feed you knowledge because in the end you will, as E.M. Forester so wonderfully taught, only know the shape of the spoon. Be responsible for finding things out by yourself and use others to help you along instead to spoon feed you.

College is completely different from high school. At least starting the second semester of your senior year, make a big effort to stay on top of things and learn how to prioritize. The biggest key to surviving college is prioritizing. If you don't know how to prioritize the things that are going on in your life like--school, work, family, and friends-- college is going to be such a big wakeup call. You really have to plan ahead and know what you're going to do. Starting college for the first time is tough and if you don't get with the program, you are going to fall down fast and hard. Organizing your time is also very efficient. When you have your schedule planned out, it's nice to just follow through with it, and if you get some extra time, it's like a little gift you give yourself. It's during those breaks, that you get to breathe in and take it one step at a time, and remember that as time goes on, you'll get better.

Get involved on campus and in your dorm, but also know your limits. You can join teams, volunteer for everything, be part of the student leadership on campus, attend social events, study hard, and party. Just remember that you can really only do so much, so prioritize what is important and then be willing to let go of the rest. You don't need to do everything, just do what you can.

First, I would probably gloat for a bit that I have the fantastical ability to travel back in time. Second, I would assure my past self I'm not a hallucination or some sort of illusion brought on by reading too many fiction books that I'm actually from the future. After that had been discussed, I would stress the importance of applying for all kinds of scholarships, searching for them any way I can in order to lessen the stress of paying for university. I would also tell me to have fun; something my dad constantly reminds me of. I would say that graduating is important, but if you can't look back on your university experience and think of it as a highlight, then you haven't fully experienced college life. I would also tell myself to be more involved or at least make an effort. And, before leaving, I would tell me to pick a minor earlier in my academic career to better plan my semester course load. Then, I'd vanish is a very mysterious, ninja-like way, leaving myself in awe.

I would tell myself to not care about what others thought about me in high school or college. I would would tell me loosen up my freshman year of college and make friends, have more fun on weekends, and also study more during the week. I would make better study habits in high school so when i went to college I actually knew how to study.

Do NOT Study Under the ol? Sycamore Tree! Knowing myself, I am going to have to keep this simple in order for me to really apply these precious nuggets of premonition. 1.If you study under the sycamore tree, you will get pooped on, despite what you think. The bookstore is ruthless when it comes to buy backs, and you will need that extra $96 bucks. Trust me, carburetors aren?t cheap. 2.On a more serious note: You may think you have a grasp on the world, but again, you are wrong. You will soon find that there is no simple solution to a complex problem. Your goals will take a great deal of preparation and diligence, but I?ll tell you this, you?ll make it. You can do hard things. 3. Finally and most importantly, be slow to judge. The most valuable bit of information you can hope to obtain is the acceptance of others; their ideals, their traditions, their opinions and viewpoints. It will be their perception of the world that will define yours, and ultimately, refine ignorance to influence. Work hard.

You are small, insignificant and nobody really cares about you. All high school seniors need to hear those words just to deflate their ego bubble, or college will destroy them in the first week. It is hard to transition from being a big fish in a little pond to, tiny fish in huge ocean; all you can do the first couple weeks is not give up hope that things will get better. Some things to do to alleviate some of your insignificances is to get involved in your school. Being involved helps you feel more included in the school community. Another thing to do is meet new people. Everybody is in the same boat as you and is looking for a friend. If you become that friend your insignificance level will shrink dramatically. The last bit of advice is to be yourself. It sounds cliche, but if you don't take the time to do things you like to do you are likely to be stuck doing things you hate for the rest of your life. College is about finding out who you are, take time to discover yourself.

Stay focused, work hard, and keep straight because you can't go back once it is done and over with.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to make sure that I don't doubt my abilities and challenge myself a little more for my first semester of college. I would also tell myself that I should take more time to get involved with the school activities and expand my circle of friendships. The final thing that I would tell myself would be to just try my hardest and not compare myself to other students, because they are all learning and growing at different levels and rates so it would be unfair to compare.

My transition from high school to college was characteristically defined by independence and freedom. I had always pictured the idea of being able to make decisions without someone having to baby me as an ideal utopia; an all new lifestyle in which I could do what I wanted without having to bear the constant griping of parents. There was some truth in this, but little did I realize how quickly a carefree attitude would get me in trouble with my schoolwork. My utopia abruptly faced reality soon after the first wave of exams rolled my direction, humbling me in an unbridled fashion. It was time to buckle down and take on personal responsibility; a lesson my parents had so frequently tried to emphasize to me. I then started to take on the proper attitude. I amped up my effort, studied in groups, went to T.A. labs and review sessions, and managed my time more efficiently; even if that required me to lose out on leisure time with friends. If I could talk to myself as a senior, I'd simply repeat a message my mom had continually thrown my way; freedom is the will to be responsible for ourselves.

Being that I have had to take a whole year off from college due to financial hardship I would go back in time and tell myself to apply for as many scholarships that I qualify for. I would also say to really research the school and apply to more than 3 schools so that I would have more options instead of just going because I was accepted. And also most importantly I would say to talk with my chosen schools financial aid office to get more aid to support my education! Through completion of my freshman year I did learn a lot and I really do regret not knowing what I know now because it has really delayed me in getting my education.

Be ready to make the most of your college experience in every way: academically, socially, physically, and spiritually. A whole new world of options opens up, so keep your eyes and mind open and don't be afraid to look into new experiences and try new things. College is a new opportunity to define yourself, so think about who you want to be and then head out to make that of yourself. Don't be afraid. Explore your campuses resources and find out ways that you can participate in things you want to do. And live life to the fullest. Now is all you have, so make the most of it, and tomorrow is all you'll get, so take care of it.

"Even good things can distract us from what is most important at the moment." While volunteering as a development worker in Ecuador, the primary focus of my time was to help the Ecuadorian people. One day, I realized that good things, including the prospect of marriage upon my arrival home and the welfare of my own family, were distracting me from fulfilling my primary purpose at that time of my life. This realization shifted my focus and ultimately led to my success as a development worker. While in Ecuador, I totaled 275 hours teaching sanitation, gardening, food-storage techniques, budgeting and first aid to some 1,560 underprivileged families. I served as a Spanish translator for the United States Army South and 801st Combat Support Hospital who provided essential medical care to an additional 25,000 Ecuadorian families and dedicated more than 400 hours of community service building homes and farming. More than many other lessons I have learned, this lesson continues to bless my life today. I don?t have any regrets, but if I could go back, I would tell myself to keep a watch for those good things that distract us from what?s most important.

If I could go back and talk to myself in high school, the most important thing I would say is to not be scared. The greatest downfall that a new student can have is to be timid and too shy to be involved in school functions. It is incredibly important to "just go for it" at times and get involved. Don't be afraid to get involved in a club or activity that interests you. I would tell myself that it is important to be involved, but in order to not be too stressed about it or overloaded, I would say that the best advice is to find one or two things that you can be actively involved in. You don't need to try to do a million different things. You just need to do one or two things that really make you come alive and bring passion into your life. College is one of the greatest experiences ever, and you can make it that much more memorable when you get involved in your campus. College campus, as well as the world, has so much to offer. Don't be afraid to go out and grab it.