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.