Clemson University Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I wouldn't tell myself anything. The biggest part of the college experience for me has been figuring things out on my own. I have learned so much about myself and life in general by simply making the transition from high school to college and going out on my own. There are countless lessons that come about from experiencing life away from home for the first time, from the joy of making new discoveries to the hurt of finding things out the hard way. The whole thing about college life is that you make it what it is. Everyone's experience is different, and it all comes as a part of going through life away from familiy but surrounded by new friends. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as I high school senior, I wouldn't want to take away one bit from the experience that I would know I was about to have. I would simply wish myself good luck and tell myself "you're going to love it."

If I could go back in time and give myself some advice in the beginning of my senior year, I would first say that I was going to go to Clemson to save me time and effort. Than I would tell myself to take as many AP tests as I can, ?Buy the books and just do it!? I would than say to myself to not choose the honors dorm but somewhere in the Shoe Boxes. Than I would say to listen to all of Ryan?s, my older brother, advice as it is all true. Overall I would tell myself not to weary and that I would do fine.

Stop being so anxious! Everything will end up just the way it is supposed to. Don't worry about going wild at college parties on Friday nights; you'll end up with a great support system. You don't have to worry losing your friends from home; you will stay in contact with those that matter, and some of those will surprise you! Take every advantage given to you, especially in those first few months. People WILL like you. Get ready to discover parts of yourself that you didn't know existed; to be introduced to the qualities that define your character from now until forever. People aren't kidding when they say that Architecture will take up 23 out of 24 hours in a day. Accept that early, maybe the transistion will be easier. In the first few months everyone is in the same boat: out of their comfort zone (don't let that girl down the hall fool you). Call Mom. She will hate waiting to realize how much you miss her. Take that jump, eat that second ice cream cone, and most of all, talk to the girl on the scooter. She will become your best friend.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to take school more serious and learn better study habits. College is so much harder than high school and we didn't listen in high school because we thought that we were already grown but it is so much harder than I thought it would be. I wish that I could go back in time because I would have planned my future better. My thoughts and actions as a teenager differ from my life now. I have wasted so much time in life, I should already be working in my career and living a great and prosperous life. Life is so hard without an education. People struggle everyday because they made bad choices and I do not want to go through life regretting not going to school and getting an education. If I couId go back in time, I would also tell myself to push myself to the limits, as far as I could go and never give up on my goals and dreams.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior about college life and making the transition I would give myself a lot of advice. First I would tell myself not to be scared or worried about going, college is not as scary as I believed it to be. Also I would encourage myself to apply for MANY more scholarships than I did, college is expensive and I would rather come out loan free then owing $130,000 after college. I would tell myself that college is nothing like high school at all, it is much more difficult and requires much more studying and time but if you do study it pays off. Unlike in high school you can not get buy just going off memory, teachers do not teach everything thats on the test like in high school. I would tell myself to take advantage of the resources I have such as references and network connections because these become very useful when looking for internships and in teaching yourself outside of the class room. Finally I would thank myself for choosing the best school for me personally.

When I was a high school senior, I had no idea what friendships and experiences waited for me in college. I decided to choose my college path based on the relationships I had made in high school. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself that a college decision is a personal decision. You must decide for yourself where you will feel at home and where you want to attend. After spending a year and half at Baylor University in Texas, I finally realized that I wanted to attend Clemson University, regardless of where my friends from high school were. If I would have taken my own advice to begin with, I would have only had one college transition, and would have saved myself several difficult experiences. High school seniors have a tough decision ahead of them, but if he or she decides on college based on their true ambitions, the school they choose will feel like home forever.

Dear Mackenzie, Welcome to your senior year of High School! Try to enjoy this last year at home as much as possible. Play frisbee, hang out with friends, and don't take yourself too seriously. But also, don't forget to apply to A LOT of scholarships. As time-consuming as they may be, you'll regret not spending the time. You won't receive every award you apply for, but don't give up. Now, when you're applying for college, apply for MORE THAN ONE. Apply to those schools that everyone dreams of attending, even if you don't think you'll be accepted. I mean, at least apply to Harvard! If you don't, you'll wonder the rest of your college career whether you could have attended one of the greats. Also, DO NOT study architecture. You won't like it. Study History and Global Politics and English and French and Italian. And remember to join those service-oriented clubs you've always meant to join. FInally, don't forget about your family. They're the best you've got and they'll be there in the rough spots. Best of Luck, Your Future Self.

I invisioned my freshman year of college to be "perfect." I had read material on first year college experiences, and had followed the advice of the experts. My "College Checklist" was flawless. And, the polaroids taken during orientation would allow me to plan the space of my dorm room well in advance. I thought "making the transition" would be a cinch... I was wrong. My dorm was far too small to accommodate everything (including myself); the dinning hall was a nightmare; 9-hours of sleep became a distant dream; and my roommate and I were incompatible. Fortunately, the work load was not too overwhelming, despite being a first-year architecture student. Although I had no trouble in the area of academic achievements, I suffered significantly in almost every other aspect of college life. Now a second semester freshman, I have gained some insight. The advice I would have given myself as a high school senior is simple... don't stress, there's no point. Just take it all in stride. It's all anyone can do, no matter how much they plan, or consult "the experts."

Growing up in a hard-working lower class family if i could go back in time from school i would think twice about which schools i go to and how much i take out for loans. My parents work hard to keep me in school and can barley afford it. I love to study and I am very career focused, however knowing my financial background i know it's very hard to keep up with. If i had thought twice about how much money i take out in loans or even thought twice about going to a school that offered a few scholarships i know it'll me easier on me financially and most importantly my parents. Being in school is very important for my parents because they never had the opportunity to finish school. That is a huge factor to why i am holding on to get my degree and doctorate, i want to make them proud and show them it was all worth it and give them what they were unable to acheive.

If I were able to go back in time and give myself one piece of advice regarding college life, it would be that everything works out the way it is supposed to in the end. As a high school senior I had my ideal college picked out from the start, but things ended up not working out. I finally made the decision to attend Clemson University, and now I could not imagine my life any other way. Words cannot express how strongly I feel about everything working out for the best. For example, if in fact I attended my first choice university, my life would be completely different. I would have a different set of friends, a different lifestyle and a different college experience overall. As long as you have faith that all things happen for a reason, and you keep your head held high even when things get you down, the transition to your college life will be an amazing and memorable experience and so will the rest of your college years.

If I could go back in time and re-live my last year in high school as a senior, I would change several things. I have been running track for about 4 years now, and as a senior in high school I was banking on receiving a track scholarship to pay for my college education. However, my senior year of high school that plan fell through when I injured my knee and had to stop running and get physical therapy for three months. I went through the whole summer devestated and not taking any initiative to find other alternatives for my education. I knew that going to a college out of state was going to be hard for my family and I because my parents would be trying to put three children through college at the same time. However, once I visited Clemson my mind could not be changed. I made the mistake of not trying to find other scholarships besides the track scholarship to pay for my education. Now I know, you can't always rely on one thing to take care of everything because it may not work. It is always good to have a back-up plan.

Procrastination is my strong point. Throughout high school there were few assignments that I completed prior to the night before the due date. Fortunately, I became good at procrastinating and could actually produce good work with insufficient time. However, over my fall semester I realized the hard way that this method would simply not suffice. In high school I was able to leave assignments until the night before, then use that whole night to complete them. In college, when I tried to do this, I would be hit with other assignments or plans that night, and I would have to say no, because I had left my assignment until the last minute. So although my work did not suffer as much, although I'm sure it did suffer a blow, what suffered more was my contentment. Instead of being able to go to events, have fun and make new friends, I put myself in a position where I had to seclude myself in my room or the library instead and work. So if I could give myself advice, I would tell me to use the free time I have wisely and don't wait until the last minute for anything.

Everyone says that college is a big change and that it is the best years of your life. Both of these are absolutely true. However, without successfully adapting to such a drastic change, your years will not be as flourishing. College is all about balance. My first week at school, I was overwhelmed with the amount of clubs and groups I could join, and joined as many as I possibly could, and then got so stressed that I ended up quitting them all. There is always something else to add to your plate, but pick what is really important to you and even at first when it is hard to balance it all, stick with it and it will get easier. I had people tell me that academics is only a small priority in college, and that getting out and "learning what real life is " and "having fun" where just as important. Although I am all for making great friends and having fun, school should be your number one priority. If you want to party everynight, that is your choice, but figure out a way to get all of your work done completely and be prepared.

If I could go back to my senior year of high school I would give myself advice in regard to two aspects of my senior year and choices I made. First thing I would tell myself is to apply myself more and try harder. Had I known all of the benefits that AP classes had to offer, I would have tried harder to get into an AP course. Realizing now the hours you can gain and the money you can save, I would not let myself have an average senior year, as I did in high school. The other piece of advice I would give myself would be to visit and apply to as many colleges as you can. I would not allow myself to settle for a college that I viewed as mediocre; I would make myself apply to the colleges that would be a stretch for me to get into, but that if I did get in, they would change my life. I would also tell myself to join as many clubs and organizations as possible once you get to college. In order to fully appreciate the college experience, it is essential to immerse yourself into the atmosphere.

College freshman year is a time to mature. You will be allowed to make decisions about everyday life. Mom and Dad will not be there watching your every move, not there to wake you up and make sure you get to class on time, not there to prepare your food, clean your room, and do your laundry. You are also going to have a new freedom to choose to drink alcohol. Partying with alcohol is always risky, especially when you are not of legal age. The temptation to drink alcohol and ?be cool? will tempt you daily. If you drink before you are legal, especially in a college town, chances are you will get arrested. Jail is no place for a college kid! Being arrested not ?cool?, it is scary, and it goes on your record. Just when you think you can make it on your own and don?t need Mom and Dad's help you are forced to be humble and ask for their help. The best advice I would give myself is to make smart decisions, because if you play with fire chances are you will get burned.

If I could go back to last year when I was a senior in high school and talk to myself knowing what I know now I would have plenty of advice. I would tell myself to stop stressing so much and trying to find a reason to go to college because the answer was right in front of my face for a while. I needed a field that would allow me a creative escape and something that would be enjoyable. The food industry allows me to do this which I know firsthand because of working at Panera Bread as a baker for almost two years. I would also tell myself to get my act together because education isn?t a joke; it is the beginning and the general basis of a person?s life.

I would tell myself not to worry about what others think all of the time, and just be proud of having friends that love, care, and support me in all my decisions. I would tell myself to seek God more and not waste my life away like many high schoolers do. Judging others in high school was something I uncontrollably did, and I realize that everyone comes from different backgrounds unlike my own. One major advice I would give myself would be just to love. To love everyone when I am angry at them and when I feel like they are wrong. Other than those few things I would tell myself to continue what I am doing with sports and academics because I believe I had a great high school experience!!

Lights! Camera! Action! Life is a personal movie. However, life cannot be rewound or fast-forwarded. It cannot be paused, stopped, or ejected. Instead, life is a movie of different aspects and encompasses numerous people, perspectives, and phenomenon. The running time may feel endless while at other times the picture goes by too fast. The director of the movie is YOU. You determine whether the movie tops the charts or fizzles at the box offices. It is up to you to direct a movie worth watching by going at life with gumption, sensibility, and purpose. It is important to take the initiative and work with an aggressiveness to do your best. Don?t let life pass you by. Let your inner spunk and spontaneity shine through so you can experience the amazing opportunities that arise. Take risks in life with common sense and determination, and go at it with all the vim and vigor you can gather up. Find your passion and go for it. As a result, the presentation will come together and be a definite success. Life can be a box office smash hit and to think it will all be written, produced, directed, and lived by you.

I would tell myself to know my boundaries and limitations. I grew up in a rough neighborhood in downtown Kansas City and thought I could handle anything a southern college could throw at me. It would have been an easier transition if I would have know how easy it is to get yourself into trouble and how hard it is to get out. That, and to never be afraid to meet new people, because everyone here is in the same boat initially. They are all looking to meet friends and are just as scared as you. I also wouldve told myself to do more homework, because it actually counts in college. I would tell myself to learn to cook, to wash clothes properly, and to dress more nicely than tshirts and basketball shorts. I would tell myself to get in the good graces of the teachers early on, so they will see your dedication and be more apt to help you later on.

I would tell myself to only worry about impressing you. You can't impress others if you can't impress yourself. Make your own schedule that fits your needs and helps you to succeed at your own pace. Learn to manage your time when you first arrive to campus. Having good time management helps everything else fall into place. Make sure to study smart not hard in order to keep your scholarships. Although you may be an outcast, be an outcast with ambitions. You do not have to fit in to make life -long friends during college. Get involved on campus and try new things. Enjoy not having to pay bills because you will when you graduate. Apply for internships early and look at all career choices for you major. Remember that while you're attending school, you are a representation of the way your family raised you. Pick you friends like you pick your fruit. Also, living with someone you don't know is a great way to learn more about yourself.