Clarkson University Top Questions

The transition between high school and college is a pivotal time period in a young adult’s life. Though assimilation only takes a few months, the extent to which young adults change is astonishing. The amount of growth and independence one achieves through this stage is incredible, and looking back on my transition stage I realize a few items that I wish I could have told myself just a few months prior. If I could, I would give myself a verbal slap in the face. I would tell myself to stop being so self-conscious, so full of doubt. College taught me to dream big, because when one thinks big one achieves big. I have always wanted to be a CEO but constantly questioned if I was capable. After my transition I quickly learned that I absolutely was, and so I did. I created my very own business and achieved my dream all because of self-confidence. If I could go back, I would tell my younger self to get rid of the layer of negativity I carried, because a positive outlook and self-confidence opens doors to amazing possibilities.

The number one piece of advice I would tell my high school self is that life goes on. Every second of emotion spent on high school drama or embarrassment will not last forever. Once entered in college, you are allowed to be whoever you want without judgement. "Clicks" do not follow you to college and you are free to find yourself and become whatever you dream of. Another big piece of advice I would suggest to myself would be to aquire strong studying habits early as they are necessary in cellege. Do not be afraid or embarrassed to ask questions. Another major piece of advice I would suggest to myself would be to cherish every moment you have with your family. No matter how close or how far you go to college, time with your family is precious. You will be busy in college and you do not obtain the privelege of coming home to your parents and sibling like you used. Cherish every moment and opportunity given to you.

One piece of advice I would like to go back and tell myself as a high school senior is that college work and high school work are completely different. In high school I didn't have to work very hard, so I figured college would be the same way. It was not at all which is why I struggled so much my freshman year. I wish from the beginning I started studying hard and did not procrastinate. This is what I was glad to pass onto my cousin as she started her freshman year of college this past fall.

I would be more focused in college more in my first year and do all of my general cources classes in my first two semesters

If I could go back in time and advise myself, I would tell myself to not get caught up in drama or other's business. When you're constantly worrying about others and what is going on in their lives, you lose track of your own. While I was too busy getting caught up in petty arguments, I missed a few homework assignments. It wasn't the end of the world, not by far, but it set me back and then I needed to put more energy into studying for exams. Long story short, do your homework. Always ask for help when you need it, you'll be suprised by how many people are willing to help. Attend tutoring if it's offered for a certain class, even though you may think you are really great at a subject, it never hurts to practice more than you need to. College is a great place to make new friends and get involved in clubs, but don't forget to concentrate on yourself and your education...it's what you're paying for!

If I could go back in time and talk to my senior self, my advice would be to embrace an “open door policy” while making the transition from high school to college. In both a literal and metaphorical sense, having an “open door” will help you develop a comfortable and fun environment for yourself. In the literal sense, having your dorm room door open while you are there allows the people on your floor to come in and portrays a friendly and welcoming environment. Make a point to introduce yourself to everyone on your floor and invite them to eat meals with you. If you allow yourself to, you may meet some truly amazing people. In a more metaphorical sense, having an “open door” when it comes to all the new things you encounter will help you have an easier time. You will come across different ideas about how the world, religion, politics and ways of life and experiencing these can be eye-opening if you allow yourself to appreciate them. The transition is also new to your family, so have an “open door” and call them regularly to let them know what is going on in your life.

If I could give myself advice about college when I was a high school senior, I would tell myself to not worry too much and that I would be fine. On the first day after my family, I began to worry a significant amount because I felt all alone and I worried if I would make friends. Luckily that feeling didn’t last long because the people on my floor and I got along perfectly. Another thing I would tell myself would not to be too confident with the classes I was going to take. I did above average my first semester without too much effort, but if I studied a little bit more, then I probably could have gotten a 4.0 or close to that. I would also tell myself to apply for more scholarships, because I could have reduced my future debt. In general, I believe I was prepared fairly well for college due to taking higher level classes and being pretty independent already.

Going back to high school and being able to advice myself would me a remarkable experience. The very first bit of advice that I would give would be to stop complaining about the teacher in Calculus. Although you don’t understand why your teacher does some of the things she does, you will get a better picture next year. The nit picking will help you pay attention to details better. The material will come fast, so do not expect to have weekends off. You need to stop relying on your parents to help guide you. You are going to have to make decisions on your own and trust your own judgment. You also need to take charge of your calendar now and sharpen your time management skills. If you don’t you are going to be sent into shock at the amount of planning everything will take, including social activities. Don’t worry; there are plenty of social activities and social events at college. Chose your friends wisely and do not get caught up in any college drama. Remember, this is a once in a lifetime experience. Good luck Joe.

Do not be ashamed to ask for help. The tutoring center is free and the faculty are actually very nice. Put your phone away and pay attention- all the time. Go to your professors and ask for help, it's better to ask then to continue not knowing. Please stop being afraid of professors and get to know them, they are actually very nice. Also, do yoga and take deep breaths more often, it will help with your test anxiety. You can do this!

Work hard in high school. Challenge yourself. Have fun. Do new things. Find out what you enjoy. Foster your abilities in the sciences but broaden your abilities to include arts or English. Become well-rounded. Focus more on the academic and athletic sides of high school and less on the social drama side. Turns out, you won't always be friends with the same people you were in high school.

Learn how to study more effectively, especially for subjects that are not interesting to you. The most valuable lessons you take away from high school are more about learning strategies than it is about absorbing information. Use college to learn more about thinking critically and analytically, not just how to spit back information to prove you have learned it. Question more to get everything you can out of everyone who teaches you. Following your own passion is more important than following a career path that someone else thinks is more beneficial. You do not have to know what you want to be "when you grow up" but you need to do what you love, no matter how many hurdles seem to be in the way. There is always a way to pay for everything if you work hard enough to find it, so take every opportunity you can to explore other places. Always choose to learn from experience rather than out of textbooks. Most importantly, learn to find and celebrate pride in what you have accomplished but never, ever let that be enough. Always strive for more from your teachers, your mentors, your peers, and most importantly, yourself.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior knowing what i know noe about college life and making the transition I would tell myself to always be focused and have my mind on the future. It is easy to lose touch with the world and lose motivation if you steer away from your original passions or motivations. In particular this may happen as a resut of discouragement due to a bad test grade and the such. Grades are important but under the surface your reputation as an engineer stems from your knowlege and intelligence rather than your grade, so i now constantly remind myself that its the studying that counts. I would also stress the prudence of evaluating mistakes so that they don't happen again , especially those mistakes that arise from poor studying.

I would warn myself that college is not like high school. You need to study more and get help from professors when needed. I would also tell myself to relax and enjoy the time at college; it is hard work, but I can do it. I would tell myself to pace well and apply for as many scholarhips as possible. I would encourage myself to join a club, like the ECO or sustainability clubs right from the start because they help the environment and make real changes around campus. I would lastly tell myself to believe in myself; that I know who I am and that I can do anything that I set my mind to.

It gives me the ability to obtain knowledge and the passion to pursue my interested research areas. In addition, this university offers me a lot of experience to communicate with people and skills to solve problems.

My father never graduated college. Three and three-fourths years into his experience he stopped. Never returned. This haunted him throughout his life. Not in the way that drives some people to addiction and depression, it was something subtler than that. Something that rarely came out. Something that was really only noticeable if you knew to look and if you were looking. Something that, truthfully, would have been impossible to know in any view but retrospect. There are only three people in this world that know that he never graduated. None of us know why and none of us ever will. For two of us, this is something that carries its own subtle weight in its own subtle way. The difference for me is that I understand what that mix of shame and pride in his eye was when I accomplished something. The difference for me is that, no matter his past, he still built the future he wanted for me and I can remember that look simply as pride. Just pride.

Be involved with a number of different groups, all of which do different things, and overlap very little. Then narrow down the number of groups that you are in so that the five groups that you want to be in get the time that they deserve. The groups are vague. There could be the group of people that you sit with at lunch, that?s a group. There are the people that do yoga with you, that?s a group. The people that you live with are a group. The people that you worked with on the group project also count. Once you have your groups that you enjoy hanging out with: expand. Spend some time with one particular person from one group and meet their friends. Then meet their friends? friends. Soon you?ll meet someone that you already know. The circle will be complete and you can start again. Doing this means you know a lot of people, and if you spend enough time in each group then these people will see you as a person that they enjoy hanging around.

Given the opportunity to go back in time and speak to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to better research the weather and climate of my accepted school, so that the fiasco which happened my freshmen year when it became apparent I was totally unprepared for such a cold climate would not have happened. Transitioning from a high school in Texas, to a University in New York (almost Canada), I was in no way prepared for the temperature difference, and until I had acquired the proper clothing and knowledge, the beginning of freshman year was fairly miserable and cold. The experience definitely brought about a sense of humility, and taught me more abruptly, the consequences of a lack of preparation. Despite being a good learning experience, I would not wish that frigid experience on anyone.

If I was to go back in time as a high school student knowing what I have been through this past semester, I would have to tell myself that I need a strict study schedule. I would also tell myself that not to let peer pressure influence what I know to be the right things to do, even though everyone else is partying and out havig a good time, That there will be time for all that later. Also that there is a time and place to go have fun without the influence of drugs and alcohol. Always remember that your family and close friends are there for support.

The knowledge and experience I have gained through college has transformed my lifestyle completely from high school. First year transition was rough and I went through life lesson moments. I would tell myself to always stay true to what I want to do; to not get caught up in the new lifestyle, but explore on my terms. I would read more books and newspapers to enhance my vocabulary and become knowledgeable of what is going on in my community to the world. I should never stop learning. I would have liked to have more of a mindset that there is so much more out there and the opportunities are endless. College has opened up so many doors and has let me see what I am capable of and how strong I am. I know when I was in high school I did not always believe in myself or thought I was limited to options, to opportunities really. But through everything I have gone through I have done more than I thought I would accomplish in a lifetime. I would tell myself that everything will be okay, that I will experience some ups and downs, but that I will be happy.

Think long and hard about your decisions in the future. You never know what is coming around the corner so be prepared and focused to handle whatever situation comes your way. Also have fun!