Drexel University Top Questions

I would tell my senior self that I should focus on school when I get to college but to make time for friends. You have to have a healthy balance of social life and school work.

I would tell myself to do a lot more research because the college you choose can turn out to have a massive impact on your future. There are many things to take into consideration but it must be taken seriously. Also, don't be afraid to look around at a lot of different colleges before settling on one. Finally, look at rankings in the major that you plan on studying so that you are getting the best education that you can possibly get.

Study harder

Going back in time, I would advise myself to first thoroughly explore the different career paths and corresponding majors needed to pursue them. According to Boderzine, 80{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of college students change their majors 3 times which can be a waste of time and money. I believe students are not well informed before entering college as to what career/major they should choose. Deciphering this early on benefits students, for they have more direction towards what college will best suit their intended goal. In addition, I would encourage myself to go on as many college visits/tours and take time to speak with students already in the college, for they provide the most honest details and tips that are often neglected by the tour guide. Lastly, I would strongly suggest fully becoming aware of all the resources the college provides, and take an initiative towards utilizing them. These resources include advisors, career development centers, co-op programs, extracurricular activities, workshops, and more, which ultimately help students mold themselves for the real world and become excellent candidates for jobs/graduate programs. Therefore, college provides students with numerous opportunities; however it is up to the students to make the most of it.

Get in the habit to study almost every day, at least during weekdays. It's super helpful to not be forced to do all of the studying and writing Sunday night and into Monday morning. Keep yourself busy with clubs and a job so that you aren't so used to waste time every day. This way you also get used to having an actual schedule balancing your social and acedemic lives, which will become super important in college.

In high school I was very aloof and followed the direction of others rather than going on my own path educationally. I feel like I wasted 4 years of education since I didn’t leave college with a career path. I graduated with a degree in biology but with no clear idea of what I wanted to do with my degree. After working for a bit, I realized that I was meant for a career in nursing. With all that I learned in both college and after college my biggest piece of advice to my high school self would be to shadow different careers in college and to not pick a specific major until you know what you want to do. I think I would have found my career path and goals during my undergraduate education if I hadn’t narrowed in on a major right away. In addition to advising myself to shadow different careers, I would also tell myself to be open minded to everything. You never know what will interest you and you don’t want to not try it because you’re close minded.

You should apply early to all your colleges, and visit each college before applying to get a feel and taste of the academic and social environment. You know, you will be living there for the next four years of your life, so it's very important that you are satisfied with the college you are enrolling in. Make sure that the college specializes in your intended major and that they have an ideal program that will help you land a job once you graduate, since that's the ultimate goal. There's a lot of things that goes into transitioning from high school to college, from leaving your home and family to what new laptop you need to buy. Making a list and following it is your best bet for moving in and adjusting successfully. Join clubs, make new friends, go to fun events hosted by the college or even outside. College work may seem like a lot especially for an engineer, but if you study hard you will be very successful. Balancing your studies and social life is key to having a great college career.

The most important thing I would tell myself if I could talk to myself as a high school senior is to study. In high school I never studied for any tests whatsoever and was 3rd in my class. I took many AP Exams which I never studied for. If I had studied I could have been a higher ranking and scored the required score for Drexel to count it as college credit. That would have made my Freshman and Sophomore Years much easier at Drexel if I had just studied back in high school.

Overall I am happy with the way I made the college transition for the most part but a few things could have been done different. Fisrt, I would save even more money for college then I did becuase books and just living are expensive. Also, I would tell myself as a high school senior to join more student groups and intramural sports, to meet more people.

The advice that I would give myself as a high school senior would be to not slack off freshman year. I was under the mentality that college was going to be like high school and that it would be easy for the most part. I quickly learned that I needed to step my game up. I would have told myself to work harder freshman year, because how you do freshman year is what really sets the pace for the rest of the time until graduation. Also, I would emphasize to myself that organization is key and that writing everything down actually does help. I have learned that doing the little things count just as much as the big things in college and life.

You have to study and keep up on your work. There are not a lot of assignments handed out so you have to do each one. Time goes by extremely fast. Don't forget about your friends at home. They still want to hang out with you just as much as they do now.

Dear high school senior, You only need 3 peices of advice to succeed in college. 1. Find an internship during your summer prior to college- learn a technical skill (excel, vba, etc...), and this internship could put you way ahead of your peers. 2. Find a Mentor- Find someone you aspire to be and begin with asking them questions and asking for advice. Someone has been in your shoes, find them! 3. Be confident- Confidence can take you very far in college. Confidence allows you to perform well on tests, make quicker connections with people, and can make or break your college career. Best Regards, Future you

Retrospect usually gives people 20/20 vision. I wish I could have seen what was truly important to my future. I would have told myself to not invest too much time into my high school social life, which faded as soon as college started. I wish I wasn't obsessed with perfecting every assignment and killing myself to get straight As. At the same time, I know it is that large amount of effort that made my college experience possible. There are more important things in life that I wish I set aside time to experience. Since I will be turning 20 years old tomorrow, I have realized I am leaving childhood. It is a hard adjustment to transition into adulthood, but it is one I am prepared for, and one I wish I had worried less about.

After everything I have experienced in college, I would recommend to keep doing what you are doing. The opportunities you will have in college are very rewarding and the classes will prepare you well. My only recommendation is to not spend too much money on unnecessary expenses. Your friends are everything. Spending more time with them, both on academics and not. The connections you will make will definitely stay with you for the rest of your life. Currently, I am writing this from Tohoku University, Japan, on a year-long study abroad opportunity. It is easily the best decision I have ever made. I did not decide to study abroad until well into my first year of college. I recommend that you take more time to prepare for this opportunity, from taking more Japanese classes to studying more about the culture and language. There are plenty of opportunities waiting for you here. Be very careful when looking for a place to stay, as many places are very costly. Don't end up picking the one that will hurt our wallet the most, but do remember to love wherever you end up.

I would tell myself to think more carefully on scholarships and financial aid, and to also be more open minded to other school options. When I went to college I did not have a back upplan and it almost ruined my college experience fortunately I have been able to reorient mmyself and to continue my education, however, I am constantly battling with finances rather than dealing with classes.

I would tell myself that the class grade isn't everything. There are resources on campus that must be taken advantage of. Students can build their own companies, engage in activities with people of similar mindset, or go outside the comfort zone and learn about students with different backgrounds. Studying abroad is probaby the main thing I wish I did more as a student. The world is large and you can't confine yourself to the classroom.

Be prepare and know what exactly major you interesting. Build up your knowlegdes as strong as possible join more events to gain more experiences and latest news.

College is very different from high school; it is much faster-paced than anything you have experienced in your life. No matter which school you apply to, stick to your coursework and do not fall behind. You may feel daunted by the sheer number of colleges that are out there to apply to, but just pick a couple that really strike a chord within you and pursue it with all of your heart. Enjoy the free time that you have now, because it won't be so easy ever again. Your work will be very challenging, but you must fight to stay on top of it (seriously, do not fall behind.) You will learn so many fascinating new skills and techniques; you will make new friends wherever you go; you will learn so much about the world around you, and, most importantly, you will learn so much about yourself.

If I could go back in time to my senior year at Council Rock North, the advise I would give is don't take anything for granted. It goes by so fast. Listen to the advise of the counselors who want to prepare you for the college you have choosen. Study, and study harder, get up your GPA so you won't have to go to the summer program. Or maybe do make sure you go to the Drexel Summer Program, it prepares you for what college is all about.

Dear Nick, You need to stay committed to learning something new every day. Learning is a strong percentage of what it is to live. As you learn you will be able to adapt to things easier and that will help you a lot in college. Understanding how to learn is a very important thing to have in your life. You will be able to make friends easier, get things done easier, and will overall be more knowledgable in a lot of things. I can list a ton of examples of how learning something every day will help you but I know that isn't what you want to hear. Take my word for it and think it over with yourself. You will soon realize how good of an idea it is. You will be able to acheive your dreams with a strong commitment to learn new things. It is a changing world and employers are not looking for the ability to do a task, they are looking for an ability to learn how to do the task. There is too much information in this world to not want to learn at least a little bit of it. Regards, Nick