Colorado State University-Fort Collins Top Questions

It is valuable to take time off after high school to experiment with a variety of jobs to explore your interests. Returning to school after growing up and gaining some life experience is so beneficial when it comes to selecting a valuable degree for a sustainable career.

It really wasn't long ago that I was a high school senior, but I think that I would tell myself to keep struggling and fighting to get into school and stay in school because there are ups and downs, but the path is absolutely worth it. You'll feel so incredibly lost and alone sometimes, but that is nothing compared to the joy of finaly understanding sp orbitals in chemistry or meeting your new best friends. You never feel any different either, until you look back at hownfar you've come. Every day feels like a battle of it's own, but all of the small victories add up, and one day you can look up and be proud of it. Lost or not, you'll find yourself, and you'll find your friends. You'll finally understand just how small you really are, but how loud you can speak when you need to be heard. Honestly, I have never felt this lost, but at home before. It's something that I wouldn't trade for the world, and going along for the ride is the best choice to make.

If I could go back in time and discuss college with myself as a high school senior, I would assure myself it would all be ok. As a senior I was very stressed, and concerned that I wouldn't find a school that fit me well. Having attended CSU for a semester I now know that yes, there is a place for me. The people in the theatre program are accepting and friendly, and all of them have a deep abiding love for theatre and the arts. The school body is diverse in race, sexuality, and gender, and many of them are also LGBTQA people. My high school self would have been reassured to know how easy it is for me to form friendships with the people here, and how accepting they are.

Sadly, you don't know anything you need to know and you need to become better prepared before you move away. College is exactly what you expected and not at all what you thought it would be, so you need to be ready to accept the following. Moving away is everything you always wanted including the freedom and independence however, you need to be prepared to miss your family and friends all the time. You will inevitably have at least one mental breakdown where you are cramming for a test or hurriedly finishing an assignment that you forgot was due in half an hour and it's acceptable to cry before gritting your teeth and finshing the homework with great flair. Procrastination is a terrible habit and you need to get rid of it now. There will be a day where you will be so exhausted that nobody will judge you when you procrastinate homework to get a nap. In short, you are in no way as prepared as you think you are and the truth is, that's okay. You'll do just fine.

Dear high school Teagan, I know you're very stressed right now, but I just want to let you know that everything is going to be okay. You're tentative about attending a state university, but trust me, it's the best decision you'll ever make. You're eager to get away from home, but you'll be grateful that you're only two hours away from mom's cooking when you've been eating dorm food for three months. You're going to make some incredible new friends, so don't cry too much when the old high school gang breaks apart for college. Your freshman year alone is going to hold some fantastic experiences; don't be afraid to try new things. I know that you have no idea what you want to do with your life, but you'll figure it out. There will be several people who want to help you in your transition in to college. Let them. No one ever said you had to do everything by yourself. Just take a step back and breathe. You're gonna be great, kid.

I would begin by telling myself that everything happens for a reason, even if it may sound extremely cliché. I know I would dissagree, but I would describe my current situation here at the university I am attending, and how I adjusted through the programs I am involved in. Although there are times that I might struggle here, I would tell myself that there is nothing to fear, because I can do so much more than I think. I would tell myself that; yes this isn't the ideal situation, and that I understand how I wanted to serve in the armed forces rather than attend college, but I the "future me" is here and he is doing great. Even though I would change my position towards college, I would tell myself to keep the same values. Because those values are the are substantial differences seperating me from the rest of the students attending; making me unique and extremely determined to make a change in this world that other students simply lack.

First off I would say to ignore your fears and doubts and allow yourself to break free from the expaectations that held you bound as a youth. Take the opportunity to explore new avenues and to truly develop into your own self. College is a great time learn about your passions, and what drives you. It is time to develop talents you have neglected. Be smart and find friends who are the type of person you want to be, who have drive, enthusiasm and a zest for life. Stay away form negative people who try to bring you down. Finally, take care of yourself. Don't get a job in the middle of the night at the expense of your needed sleep. Eat good food, and remain active. This first year of college can be very stressful, but it can also be one of the greatestgrowth opportunities that you will ever experience. Have fun, try not to stress too much, and you will do great.

Being a college junior this year I have a fair amount of experience as a college student. If I could go back in time and meet myself as a high school senior, I would have a lot of advice to give. The most important thing I would say to myself is, "Listen to your mom, she has great advice". If I would listen to advice given to me by myself why not listen to some given by my mom who has already been in my shoes before, and has been farther along then I am right now. Honestly, I feel like in today's society the advice of the parent(s) is not taken seriously, but think about this. We like to say that experience is the key. For me, my parents represent that experience. I wish I had known that earlier, and that is why if I could go back in time I would tell myself "Listen to your mom, she has great advice".

To high school me, College is tough and, despite what everyone says about classes being easy, you have to work hard or you'll find yourself playing catch-up and struggling later. So take that extra hour to read your book and review your notes before you watch Netflix. You'll thank yourself. I know you feel smothered by her now, but mom is going to become your best friend and confidant and her advice could've helped you through a lot freshman and sophomore year. She's seen so much more than you and you're a lot more like her than you think. So talk to her, I guarantee she can help you and sympathize with whatever you're going through. And lastly, the biggest piece of advice I can give is that its OK to make mistakes, because every mistake makes you stronger and is an opportunity to learn something new and better yourself. Some mistakes will make you feel more lost than others and when you find yourself feeling lost, remember "to find who you are, reflect on who you were."

When I left home in Ohio to go to school at Colorado State University, I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I didn't know it would be so hard. If I could give my senior-year-self advice, it would be to be patient with changes. I came to CSU without knowing anyone, with an unkown learning disability, and with the drive to pursue veterinary school after I earned my undergraduate degree. But, life, as we all know, has a way of not going as planned. Last year, my drive took a hard left when I realized that veterinary school wasn't for me and I had been struggling from a learning disability called Irlen my entire life. When these realizations surfaced, it was difficult for me to accept, but once I did my life changed for the better. Now, I am majoring in Equine Science, Agricultural Business, and Interior Design with the hopes of one day designing sustainable equine centers, I have made life-long friends, and I am accommodated for my learning disability, which has allowed my GPA to rise from a 2.45 to a 2.75 in one semester. Patience is virtue.

If I could go back, I would tell myself to have courage, be brave, and don't be afraid to put myself out there. It can be so easy to settle into the routine of staying with one group of people and doing the same activities, but growth comes from pushing yourself and taking yourself out of your comfort zone. I would tell myself to do that as often as possible. I would also tell myself to not be afraid to fail. What I really should say to my younger self is that you are going to fail and that it will happen many times. However, if you can take the failure and not make yourself at home in your self- pity, you have yet another opportunity to grow and learn. Finally, I would tell myself not to worry. At the end of the day, it is all going to work out. Whether it happens in the time that you want or exactly how you want, it still works out and you will come out on the other side a stronger and wiser person.

Struggles in life are never-ending. Pain will come in waves so strong at times, you won't think you will survive. You will. Let go of your expectations of moving through life glamorously, without emotion, and without a need for connection. You will need people who will believe in, push, challenge, love and support you. Let them. Stop using food as punishment because the starving and purging will cause you to lose concentration, become physically ill, drop out of college, and regret not using your younger years to build a meaningful life for yourself. Learn to speak, even if what you say doesn't come out "pretty" at times. The people who care about you will not care about how articulate you sound in times of need. Don't give the traumas from your past the power to destroy your present. Learn to appreciate the beautiful things in life. Those small moments that can knock the breath out of you are the memories you will return to during trying times. When a person crosses your path and notices the beauty within you that you can't see yourself, they'll stop, so don't try so hard. Enjoy life.

Tara, you do not have to be an engineer. Your family loves you, and will accept you no matter what you choose to be. They want you to be successful, yes. And they will worry about how much money you make because if you don't make a lot, life will be harder for you. But making a lot of money isn't as important as being happy. Yes, you're good at math, so of course people are telling you to be an engineer. It's a great job, and you'll be financially stable. But you know what? YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AN ENGINEER! You can be whatever you want! And your family will love you regardless of whether you're an engineer or not. You've always wanted to help people, and you can do that by being an engineer. But you can also help others with psychology, with medicine, with nutrition. The possibilities are endless, and they aren't limited to one. Don't be afriad, you will be successful no matter what you choose. Good luck Tara, and remember, you can be anything you want to be.

Dear Self, Don't wait. Don't second guess yourself and don't wait. That's the advice I give you, as a fourth year college student. If you wait, you won't get to do the things you want to do, like join a club, or get back into singing in a club. If you wait, you won't have the time to be the person you want to be. If you second guess yourself, you will end up in a state you don't like, at a school you can't stand, and feeling lost and alone. Trust in your abilities to get through things: you'll make it. And even if you think you won't, you will. Just... don't wait. Don't miss the chances you have ahead of you. Love you, Your College Self

I would advise myself to manage my time better. My first semester I was excited and overwhelmed by all the activities and free time that college has to offer, and it took me away from the focus of college; school. I would tell my younger self to not forget why I am going to school. I finally got my time management in place, it just would have been nice to have it managed first semester.

I would advise myself to take my time and to live in the present instead of the future. Enjoy your time in high school and cherish the moments where responsibility is not completely a part of your life. I would advise myself to save as much money as i can for a rainy day. I would advise myself to really think about how I would like to spend the rest of my life, activities i like to do, identify my strengths and weaknesses, and evaulate my goals and values. Going into colge is a life changing experience. Even though society tell us that we need to choose a path to go down right away when we enter college, I would advise myself to be undecided and test the waters. There is no rush to know what you should major in right away. Take your first year and get to know yourself and then decide on a career path. The best advice i would give myself is to do something that makes me happy and pursue it. I would tell myself always be good to myself and make time to relax and recuperate. To take care of myself.

If I were to go back to my senior year and give advice to myself then, one major piece of advice is make sure you are positive on where you want to go to college because transferring is a hassel you truly don't want to deal with. Also when you are signing up for your first semester of classes and you don't have a desired major chosen, sign up for general education classes, because if you don't and you change majors from undecided some of those hours could go to electives. The major piece of advice I would give though is to not be stressed out, everything will eventually work itself out whether you know it or not. Remember to keep all of the true friendships you made in high school because life-long friends are hard to find and even harder to keep.

If I was given the opportunity to go back in time and offer advice to a pre-college version of myself I would have one pieces of guidance. I would strongly advise myself to dedicate myself to my high school academics more in order to obtain a scholarship to help with the financial burden that is college. I can admit that in high school I was more focused on my sports performance than my grades. I also did not understand the amount of financial strain going to college would put on me and my family. After three years of college I have accrued quite the level of debt due to student loans. While my family always have supported me as much as they can, after my freshman year my mother was diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer which not only took a huge emotional strain on my family but also shifted our financial focus to paying for her medical bills. If I had been able to foresee this happening in high school I would have done anything I could to reduce my financial dependence on my parents and a scholarship would greatly help in that aspect.

Do not make any of your decisions based off of what Damien wants. You will meet so many wonderful people at CSU and he won't even matter in your life anymore. Don't let him or mom get you down. They are not worth it and really don't affect your life that much once you're at college. Try to breathe and stay calm once in a while. I know that there is a lot going on, but you will get through it. Stay strong. Fort Collins is one of the best places ever and everything that you are stressing about now won't matter once you get there. Relax and know that better days are ahead of you. Don't worry about the hardships you're facing now, they will go away. Don't worry about losing friends or losing Damien. The "friends" you have now aren't going to be there 8 months from now and you will make some of the best friends in the world at CSU anyway. Stay calm, breathe, and believe in yourself. You got this!

Taylor, the first year will be the hardest. The dorms are awful, the food is almost unbearable, and unfortunately you may be forced to shack up with some strange individuals and spend a lot of time lonely; but, don't let these things compromise your outlook. You will meet some of the best people you will ever have the privilege of knowing and be exposed to a plethora of new things. You will thrive in the independent setting and once you get your own kitchen, transportation, and a job off campus the package will be complete. Just a little more waiting, one year to be exact, and your patience will pay off. Good luck, work hard, and remember chin up, always.