Clemson University Top Questions

If I could go back in time I would tell myself to not be so nervous when attending orientation and to not be intimidated during the first couple of weeks. I would tell myself to be confident in my intellectual abilities. During the first couple of weeks, we were told in a lot of our classes that majority of us would fall and three-fourths of us would transfer to different majors. I would tell myself not to listen to any negativity and to not be afraid when I chose to follow my heart and change my major. I would advise myself to not let that decision weigh so heavily on me because the outcome turned out better than I could have imagined. I would also advise myself to take financial aide seriously and to continue looking for aide even while in college, because debt impacts the rest of my life.

I would stress time management in my discussion. You do not fully realize how much your parents do for you while you are living at home. Whether it be food shopping, laundry or all the little things you are now responsible for performing. Balancing new found freedom with new responsibilities is the key to thriving academically and socially. Another bit of advice I would give myself is to get involved right from the start. Greek life, sports, clubs, etc. all make the transition to college life much easier. Finally I would encourage me to look for a job preferably on campus once I had settled in and was comfortable with my schedule.

I would advice myself to take matters more serious, high School is a pivot place for new oportunities. I would also try really hard to get straigh A to be able to take advantages of all the scholarships the goverment offers. Even though the High School Period is a transition from childhood to young adult, with hormones changes, and responsabilities if i would have Known how important my performance was I would really have made some changes. Another really important advice I would give to Myself, Would be to get to know myself a little bit to be able to identify my Kinesthetic learning style. At 24 years old was when I found that I'm a Tactile-kinesthetic learner, I just wish I had knew that earlier.

Tristian Smiley 843471-4970 Assume you could go back in time and talk to yourself as a high school senior. knowing what you know now about college life and making the transition, what advice would you give yourself? If i were to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, i would tell myself that life is more important than it seems right now.I would tell myself of the constant push and drive i would need to have, to succeed at my studies. I would stress to myself my surroundings and myu choices that I make in my personal life, to prepare myself for the future. I would make it very clear and critical to myself about my studies and what classes are important. i would tell myself of all the things that I can avoid to prepare myself even more in the future. finally I would also let myself know to have fun in moderation. studying and partying excessively is not the way to go! i would tell myself to choose my classes wisely to maintain a good study schedule. To maintain that study schedule so that I can maintain my work schedule.

Dear self, Please do more extracurricular activities and volunteer work while in high school, because most scholarships require both of these. Also, APPLY APPLY APPLY for more scholarships because college is expensive and the hope scholarship isn't going to cover it all. Academically I would tell you to don't just settle for (College Prep) class but takes some (AP, Honors, or IB) class that can be transferred over to college, so just in case you don't do as well in college your first semester you have credits to fall back on, therefore, you would be able to keep your scholarships.

I would tell myself that I don't have to know what I want to be. All my life I wanted to be a marine biologist, but after barely passing AP Biology my junior year, I realized that I had to change my mind. I was distraught because I had no back up plan, and I wanted to know my whole career before even applying to schools. Now I know that most people don't even end up in jobs having to do with their major! I would tell myself to just take the classes I was interested in, and the right career oppurtinities will find me. The transition between living at home and living at school is quite a shock, so I would also tell myself to appreciate the home cooked meals and love that my family gave to me. It's very cliche but I really didn't realize how well my home-life was until I left it in Rhode Island as I travelled 1000 miles to go to college. My overall message to my high school self is to just relax and not worry about all the minor details and just appreciate the big picture.

Focus on your classes and worry about work less!

College isn't just about coursework, it is about learning how to think. Currently, there is no shortage of graduates with degrees and fantastic grades-- but creative thinking is what sets apart those who want to make a difference from those who want to make a paycheck. The individuals who make lasting change are those who have cultivated the ability to use and combine lessons learned in other fields to synthesize a novel approach that may be unusual, and possibly risky, but just the kind of solution that would solve problems baffled by 'common sense.' I've had a tumultuous academic career until now, and I've learned the value of setting aside my pride and learning from other people of various disciplines and applying their wealth of knowledge to my own efforts. The rigid procedures and experimentation of the sciences and the unfettered freedom of the arts both challenge individuals to fight their preconceptions and explore alternatives. College is the place to experiment with different approaches and embrace the unexpected. Education isn't a one-way street ending with a college degree, it is a winding dirt road that leads as far as one is willing to take it.

I would allow myself to be more of a free-thinker, to embrace my own personal beliefs and stand firm in what I think. I’d tell myself not to be fearful of change, but to embrace every part of it, from the time of transition to the outcome; many moments of growth come from times of fear and change. College is an opportunity, not mandatory; therefore it is a gift to be treated as valuable and priceless, not to be squandered or wasted. Finally, I’d make sure to tell myself to value those around me and to enjoy their company, no matter how long they are around. Others are precious, and allow yourself to be challenged by your peers!

I know most people say something like, "TIME MANAGEMENT!" or "KEEP YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT!", but for me, I think I would tell myself something completely different than those kids. Instead, I'd make sure to remind myself to keep in contact with my family more. My family is one of the single most important aspects of my life and when I headed off to college, my time was consumed by everything BUT family. It was new and I wanted to tell them all about it! Unfortunately, by the end of the day I was unable to call because it was too late and my 4 younger siblings would already be sleeping. I missed my family dearly but I always seemed to have something more important or interesting to fill my time with. I was able to call my mom every couple days for about 20 minutes, but that wasn't enough! I wish I could go back and tell them all of the exciting, funny, and embarrassing things I witnessed everyday, but I can't. I regret not making time for my family and if I had a chance to, I'd call them daily if I could go back.