Case Western Reserve University Top Questions

I think I would tell myself to not be afraid of socializing. As an introvert, I often feel like I am missing out on experiences that my more extroverted friends seem to find easily. Over the year I have begun to come out of my shell, I just wish I had been able to do that sooner! Second, I would tell myself to work hard in college. I see too many people who spend their time partying and then are disappointed in their grades. In a school this academically good, it takes a lot to be successful, but its hard to know how to spend your time correctly as a freshman. I'd tell myself to think carefully about a weekly study schedule and stick to it. Third, I would advise myself to get involved early and often on campus. Interest areas can change drastically after high school - you really get to know yourself away from home. Some things I thought were requirements are no longer important, and things I thought were trivial are now central to me. I would not have discovered those things without getting involved when I got here. So try lots of new things at college!

There are so many new people, opportunities and acitivities in college that you will feel overwhelmed. That's normal, you've never had this many chances to define your life. Use it! You never know what may end up changing your whole life, and you never will know if you do not let it happen. Take it all in, savor every moment and don't miss out on a chance to explore and grow. Four years seems like a long time but it is not. College is the last stop on the way to adulthood, when responsibility falls squarely on your shoulders. Do not avoid that responsibility--prepare for it! Freedom and self-responsibility are right around the corner, be ready! Most of all: Never, ever, compromise yourself. Live today so tomorrow there's no guilt. For every great opportunity you gain there is another one that will only lead you to ruin. Be discerning. Be critical. But always be yourself.

There are a few things in life you really don't want to screw up, and where you go to school is one of them but maybe not for the reasons you might think. The single most important piece of advice I can offer is to make sure you can get the best education possible under the best possible conditions for you. As long as you are basically comfortable with the atmosphere at the school then don't worry about social life, opportunities, or prestige. Those will fall into place, but won't is your education if your classroom atmosphere and the approach to education is wrong. Pursue a school that allows you to learn in the way that you are the most successful. If you are an independant learner, a bigger school may be better. If you like personal attention and teachers who will work to understand yo uwhile you work to understand them, go to a college without graduate students teaching classes. Over time your friends will change, as will your social life, but the purpose of going to college, the education you will recieve, will not, so get it right the first time.

Don't stress about the transition to being away from home. It will be more seamless than you think. I know you are anticipating the difficulty of the course work, but I can never stress enough, the work load should not be underestimated. You will have to work much harder than you did in high school and most importantly, don't procrastinate!

Always take care of yourself first

Deeply consider what it is you want to do with your life, consider all the options you have before you and choose what you want to do, plan for this, and maintain that drive throughout your career. Manage your time well to suceed fully, don't overload yourself, and don't worry if you have to drop a class sometime. If you feel yourself slipping at some point, ask for help, there are several sources to help you with any academic problems, also consider Greek life. A solid foundation of friends and colleagues can help you in numerous ways. Research the career center, take some tests, find out what is best for you to do. Although you may think you know what you want to do now, you may, down the road, after experiencing college, find that you have something else you'd like to do. The earlier you can be sure of what you want to do, the better your college experience can be. Be involved, but remember to only do what you think is best for you, do what you enjoy, and don't overload. Above all, enjoy college, its the last hoorah before real life.

If I could go back in time and give myself one piece of advice during my senior year of high school, it would be to find what I love to do during college instead of worrying about not knowing what the future would hold. I have spent so much time in the past three and half years worrying about not knowing what I was going to do with my life. As it turns out, most people don't know either. Three changes in my major later, I now know that college is a time to find yourself; If one thing doesn't fit, move on to something else. This is the unique time in your life when you can find what you love to do, so don't spend your time in a major that makes you miserable. So, i would say to the eighteen-year-old version of myself, "Sit back, relax, and find something you truly love in college. Don't worry about what everyone else is doing, just find something that makes you happy.".

If I had the chance to tell myself what I know now about college life, I would divulge the need to be involved, whether it be in student government, Greek Life, or another student organization. I was highly involved in my later years in college, and I can now say that because I was involved, I am where I am today. Being involved in a fraternity and student government has made who I am today and has lead to the great opportunities that I have had. The planning, leadership and time management skills that were built during my involvement in the organizations that I was in have greatly benefited me in my day to dayjob performance. Being involved in extracriticular activities would be my advise to myself if I had the chance to relay the information back throw time to my high school days.

I would tell myself to focus, study hard and always be myself. Don't be blinded by pretty words or people and remember to always give people the benefit of the doubt.

To follow my heart and base my decision solely on that.