California University of Pennsylvania Top Questions

My first impression of college was quickly proved incorrect during the beginning of my freshman year. I started out completing all my assignments quickly and on-time. This trend continued, however, the level of difficulty mixed with the beginning of developing social connections began to take a toll on me. I quickly learned many lessons and through a lot of self meditation and reflection I matured and felt enlightened. So what I would tell myself as a high school senior would be all about attitude. I would tell myself that I may not be able to control the things that happen to me, or what people say and do to me, but I can control my attitude towards it. Telling myself to ask why I should allow outside forces to affect my inner attitude towards life. I have learned that there will be many times in life when things go badly and people aggravate me or put me down, but there is no reason I should allow these things to upset me too much. It is my life, and I am in control. Attitude can change your outlook on life, relationships, and school. That would be my advice to myself.

I would tell myself that i needed to fully assert myself in everything that i possibly could because the more things i have under my belt the better it looks for me. I would also tell myself that i need to get into the habbit of studying and not settle for being average and that i need to do my best in everything that i do. Finally, i would tell myself that i need to work on my time management because procrastination and college is not a good formula for success.

Everything you need to know to get what you want in life you have already learned--continue to be curious, to communicate, and to enjoy the process. Unfortunately, you will not get everything you want in the classes you take so it is critical to maintain your sense of curiosity and to explore the world around you. Remember that the library offers extensive collections and can get almost anything you want to read or to study. You will thank your curiousity. College is as much about meeting people and building realtionships with professors, peers, and professionals as it is about covering course material. Never fear to introduce yourself to someone and never fear to try and contact the giants within your industry. The worst that can happen is they will not return your call or e-mail. Finally, and most importantly, be sure to enjoy the process. You will be experiencing some of the best times of your life and seeing some of the greatest opportunities of your life to date. Take it all in, as it will go by quickly, but always know that college is nowhere near the best days of your life. Life keeps getting better!

If I had the ability to go back in time, I would give myself an insight on college life. I would tell myself to obtain as many scholarships as possible, because college expenses are outragous. I would tell myself not to be as nervous as I was, because college is an exerience, and it will help you learn what kind of person you are. The transition was hard going from high school to college because in high school, i felt as if the teachers gave everyone a helping hand. Where as in college, its time to grow up and start the rest of your life. I would tell myself to be prepaired for the transition, and get ready to study and practice writing essays. finally I would tell myself to get ready to have some of the greatest times of my life.

If I could go back in time and talk to my highschool self, I would tell myself to apply to a lot more scholarships. I only applied to very few last year and only got a few. The burden of student loands are something I wish I never had to encounter, so I would tell myself to apply for as many scholarships, no matter how little they could be. I would aslo tell myself to get involved in activities as soon as possible when at school, because for the first month of my first semester was really lonley because I didn't know anyone and had a really hard time making friends, and that can be a major downer when you feel extremely isolated your first real time away from home.

If I were a Senior in HighSchool now, I would advise myself many things. The first is it is important to be social but to limit the circle of friends you take on. There are going to be many people who will come and go in a college career, but the one thing that remains constant is yourself. 100 percent of the focus should be on the success of yourself. Another piece of advice is to stay busy and active for that promotes a healthy lifestyle that leads to a healthy QPA. Happiness with ones self is reached by the level of healthiness of ones life and therefore one should act accordingly. Put yourself first, not any one or anything else. There is a whole life after college to worry about extraneous things. I wish I could go back in time with all I have learned, I cannot, but will no doubt help whomever I can where I erred.

As I first started my collegiate path I was very unsure about the career that I was most comfortable with. If I were able to tell myself what I would find interesting four to five years later I would say, ?Matt, you like science. You like kids. You?re going to be a science teacher. Now, get serious and start studying and prepare yourself for a good job and a great future.? However, I have no regrets to taking things slow. I took a few classes dealing with computers and computer programming. The knowledge I took from those courses was extremely beneficial. I never have to take my computer to a store to get fixed, and others come to me with their problems. Yet that field did not spark any interest with me whatsoever. If I could take some maturity from my twenty-five year old self and implant it in my body as a high school senior, I would have done so. Again, it seems very contradictory because life experiences can sculpt a human being and turn them into a street savvy, knowledge thirsting individual like myself.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would give myself a great deal of advise. I think the whole college experience has been great! I would definetly tell myself to look into more scholarships and financial need. It has been hard this past year for me as far as financial obligations are conserned. I would also try to prepare myself more for the amount of work I had my second year of college. The past semester was a real wake up call because my first year of college was easy. I think that was because I only had general education courses and this past semester I got more into my major field (which is Chemistry). I try to encourage people to go to the college. I am currently a mentor and I advise many incoming freshman; therefore, I would probably speak to myself as a high school senior the way I speak to the students I currently advise. I would encourage myself to be involved in more activities. If I could go back I would simply encourage myself to work harder to make the most out of my college experience.

If I could go back in time and tell myself how to be prepared for the future, I would definately tell myself to actually figure out what I like. I have already changed my major several times, and although the faculty has been very helpful and nice, they can not figure out what I want to be professionally. I would inform me, that I need to become more independent, not only not relying on people for what I need, but also for finding my value and defsires for myself. That is what I have found the most difficulty in so far and what I would warn myself in the past.

Dear Maranda, 1) Consider your learning style. You need a school with small class sizes where teachers know your name, you know your peers, and everyone works as a team to help each other achieve goals and build skills for a career. 2) Stay close to home. Family is important to you and they are a great source of support and strength. 3) Don't underestimate colleges close to home. Small, community oriented colleges often are great values, excellent connections for internships, and can offer you the attention you need as a student. 4) Get active: clubs, campus activities, internships. Don't work so much during school that you miss out on opportunities to expand your background, experience, mind, and resume. Believe me, you'll regret working through school later on. 5) Have fun. College is your time to grow, experience, mature, and learn. 6) Don't lose sight of your dreams. Remember your goals. Take the lessons you learn with you. And do it all with a smile. Remember what Ferris Bueller said "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Good Luck! Love, Maranda