Duquesne University Top Questions

I know you are very excited about starting college. But just remember to not burn yourself out with all the things you want to accomplish. You have 4 whole years ahead of you to accomplish all your goals. Take your time do not rush and do not panic. Remember to take time out for yourself to do absolutely nothing, just relax and enjoy that moment. Try your best to live in the moment, with so much going on around you I know it's hard. But trust me you will appreciate it. Also never let someone tell things will never be as you plan them to be. When you have a Plan A and Plan B, one of them will happen. Trust me I know. Believe it or not the steps in your plan are actually falling right into place.

The main advice I would give myself is to apply for more scholarships before you graduate highschool. There are so many out there for highschool seniors. Instead, I am sitting here as a collgee freshman trying to keep up with my coursework and pay for college which is not the easiest thing to do. Apply ahead of time. Don't burden your family with financial debt because you want your senior year in highschool to be easy and enjoyable. We all know you will have free time. Use it wisely!

If I could go back in time to when I was a high school senior, there is alot of advice I would have given myself. First, I would have told myself to apply for as many scholarships that I could. Knowing now what I have to pay back in student loans already that is one regret that I have is not taking the time to do that. Another big thing is to take more time to study and not worry about personal life.

Don't waste your time on music education and start off with a music technology degree. This way you can graduate in 4 years NOT 5 becasue of transfering/working on the side.

START EARLY. There is no way of knowing what you want to do with the rest of your life right now, and the people who tell you they do are just plain lying. But it doesn't hurt to explore. Figure out the basic things you want in a college and start your search as early as possible. Everything will work out for the best so don't start stressing your freshman year about what college to apply to, just don't wait until the end of junior year either. It all happens for a reason though. And always remember who you are and where you came from.

You want a small, libreral-arts or technical visual media school. You want other creative-minded people. The people are Duquesne are not the type of people you want to go to school with. Look at more schools. Find the one that suits you, not the one that gives you the most money.

I would tell myself to get involved in all of the clubs and organizations right away, and to take advantage of any and all opportunities provided. Clubs and organizations are a great way to make friends who share common interests and to become more familiar with your school. I did not get very involved in school programs until my sophomore year, and I made a lot more friends, and got more out of my education the more involved I became. Also, opportunities do not last forever. I had the chance to go to Africa for a month out of the summer to study medicine in third world countries and then go on a safari. It was a costly trip and I put it off too long; the school no longer does that trip. Lastly, I would tell myself to never be afraid to ask for help. College classes are difficult and at times it can be very stressful. There are many resources here that can really help you transition from high school level work to college level work. There is nothing shameful about getting a tutor for a class or asking a teacher for extra help.

Listen up! I’m only going to say this once: I’m you from the future. It’s a little freaky but deal with it. I can’t tell you what path you’re going to go down (it would interrupt this whole space-time paradox we have going on here), but I can tell you that if you just stick to your heart, love every second of your life and stop caring about what people think about you, in 2 years, you will be the happiest person you’ve ever had the pleasure of getting to know. Take a second to breathe, retreat and meditate because college’s fast pace changes your entire life. It flips things in perspectives you thought were nearly impossible – don’t worry, you’ll like whatever outcome it throws at you. Do what makes you happy and don’t let anyone stop you, not your family, not your friends – no one. Deep trusts will fail but in that dark shadow of betrayal, other relations shine brighter than before. Stay true to yourself; true ties will follow. Also, your girlfriends breaks up with you; deep down it's not true love. You find someone better.

Dear High School Me, Dump your boyfriend. Save your money. Don't study on Fridays when the rest of your friends are going to the movies or a party downtown. Get to know your roommate, you may need her to be there for you one day. Be yourself and don't try to fit into a crowd that you don't belong--just focus on you! You only have four years to enjoy your life before the real-world will get in the way, so enjoy yourself. Some of the people you meet today will become your best friends. Just get out there and talk to someone! The next four years are going to go faster than you will ever be able to imagine. So, cherish every moment you have and remember: "If you aren't worth his time, then he isn't worth yours!" Good luck! Love, Me

I would remind myself to work harder when it came to applying for scholarships. Although my school is on the smaller side, it is still rather expensive and our financial aid office isn't the most helpful when looking for outside scholarships. Applying for scholarships in high school was quite a bit easier; while in college, you have to balance your schoolwork, your social life, and your job, which makes writing essays for scholarships hard to fit in.