College of Charleston Top Questions

If I could go back to when I was a high school senior, I would tell myself not to stress. I would tell myself this because I stress over the littlest things. It does not even have to be about me and I will stress about it. I would also tell myself not to procrastinate because in college, it is much worse when you have more guidelines to follow on a paper and have to have five sources cited. Also, I would say, to be involved in activities on campus and have that interaction with the other students because as of right now, I am only involved in one activity besides attending my classes and sometimes it gets very boring therefore I would tell myself to become involved in some activities. Overall, I would say the most important thing would be not to lose who I am in attending a large school because I did fall of my sophomore year. I lost who I was because I was stressed out all the time and did not have a clue as to what was going on around me. Keep true to yourself, do not procrastinate, get active, and do not stress!

First and foremost I would tell my younger self not to ever doubt myself and know that only I can dictate what I can and can not accomplish. College is all about finding yourself and exploring so don't be scared to go out on a whim, the worst that can happen is you might fail but you can always try again. I would also tell myself to be comfortable with who you are, don't try to be someone else. Although its hard to see in the moment, thing usually work out for the best.

I would say to focus harder in high school with you studies, take harder classes so you do not have to take them in college. Make sure to fill out as many scholarships as possible. Be active in your community, help out with charities and be active in your school. Join a lot of clubs and try to be open with many peoples views. Life should not be lived alone have friends and family there to support you through the good times and the bad times. If you want something bad enough you will work hard at it to get it. ALways save money because you never know when you might need it or when you will have an emergency.

Don't ever give up! This is the last step to make it to the start of your future. Tests may seem and feel long, months you could honestly say are years. Though, in the blink of an eye, you will look back, and you do not want to see a list of regrets. If your highschool life was great, make college even better, work even harder. Remember to breathe. Or, if you look back, and see "if only's" this is your clean slate, a fresh start! Take it for everything it's worth. Your past need not define you, let it shape you into the person you want to be. It seems like just a day ago you work in pre-K, hold on to the good, improve on the bad, and remember to treat each day like your future depends on it. Create strong habits that will be hard to break, and know that you can handle anything life throws at you, be strong. You know you can do it.

Jarrett, you need to take some time and think. You have 1 year left until you are the decision maker. You need to get a part-time job and save up to get a new car and laptop. You need to make sure your taxes are in so you can fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. You can't keep putting off your education that is the reason you have a 2.7 grade point average in high school. You have to buckle down so you can make something of yourself. No one wants to hire an uneducated person that has just coasted through life on the expectation of doing the bare minimum. It’s time to simply grow up.

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, there would be several words of advice I would give to my younger self. I would tell myself that it's okay to ask questions, no one is going to criticize or ostracize you for asking questions. More importantly, I would tell myself to have the courage to follow my dreams. If you are passionate about something, though the road to success may be a difficult one, your passion will advance you in the direction of your dreams with much haste. Ultimately, your dreams will come to fruition and your passion will become your life.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would definitely give her some advice as to how to make the best out of the transition into college. First of all, I would tell her to get general education courses out of the way first! I would tell her, "Don't be so set on what you 'think' might be your major--you will find that things will change, and you'll wish you had not wasted class hours." I would also tell her to not feel pressured into finding a boyfriend her first year in college--that even though that you feel like that is what is expected of you, it is NOT important to your well-being and happiness as you are transitioning into adult life. I would tell her to be open to change. Going into college, I didn't realize the amazing truth that people were telling when they said that you change so much in the four years you are at college. I would tell myself not to be caught up in thinking I wouldn't change, and to just embrace it, knowing that it would be for good.

Even though academically I was fully prepared for the rigors of college academics, there are many other aspects that can go overlooked. I would advise myself that in order to stay within the confines of a specified allowance I should carefully and thoughtfully keep a journal of any and all purchases. It is easy to forget about all of the small and what appears to be insignificant purchases made throughout a given month. It is only after the month is over when you receive your statement that you realize you have spent much more than you could have ever dreamed. If you keep a journal, you can see what needs to be removed from your monthly experience and focus on the necessities so you can control your errant spending. I would sit myself down and explain the importance of planning out meals over a seven day period. Visiting the grocery store only once a week with a specific menu in mind will enable you to purchase what is actually needed. You may not realize this now but going to the grocery store several times a week while hungry will only encourage overamitious purchasing. Lastly, I would say stay calm!

I would have told myself to take psychology and to enjoy high school more thoroughly and to take chances more often; I would say this because I make friends by talking to them rather than by hoping someone will talk to me.

Life is about making mistakes and learning from them. No one expects you to be perfect in fact, your hardest teacher will be you. You will meet a lot of new people and you should not try to impress them by putting on airs, be yourself and you will meet others who will appreciate who you are. When taking on a class, follow the teacher's advice, there is a reason why he is the teacher. And in the end, have fun with everything you do, it makes a difference in the quality of your work. The work that you enjoy doing is going to be better than the one you forced yourself you do or the one you hate doing.