East Tennessee State University Top Questions

First off dont skrew around. You might not think that high school is very important but trust me when you start applying for those scholarships and schools, what you did in high school determines if you get that money or if you get into that school of your dreams. It really prepares you for the classes you have in college too. When you get to college the teachers dont want excuses they dont care if you missed the homework, no second chances. Your in college and you have to be responsible. Secondly learn to get involved and be outgoing. I came from a private high school with about 300 kids to a public university of 13,000. I knew 4 people on the entire campus. If you dont make friends and get involved in things on campus you will be miserable. Making friends and joining clubs is so much fun and one of the easiest ways to make friends are by joining clubs because those people are going to have similar interests or beliefs. But even though it may be hard at first because you dont know anyone it is totally worth it to put yourself out there.

I would go back and tell myself to study harder and worry about having a family latere. I would tell my self that life is already hard don't make it harder by just doing enough to get by. I would tell my self to talk to more people and get more information so I would be in a better place now. I would tell myself to try as hard as I can now why i'm there so when I get to college I wouldn't have to repeat some of the classes. I would simply tell my self do the best that you can and relaxe and enjoy life because it goes by faster than you think one you leave high school.

IF only I could go back to high school! The first thing I would tell myself is not to worry about popularity but focus on being a friend to everyone and doing the best I could in school. I would have been involved in more clubs and organizations because in high school there are so many opportunities that you may never get a chance to participate in again. If I could go back to high school I would also be more involved in my community and get to know my teachers better so that I could get one on one help if I needed to. A big problem I had transitioning to college was all the partying and independence, so I might have talked to my guidance counselor and parents about good decision making and balancing school and fun. I guess hindsight is 20/20 but I definitely have learned so much through my college experiences!

Never second guess anything. College life can be imitating for some people, it can be different changing your lifestyle. Change is what we experiance everyday, college maybe has some downfall or consquences when attending college, but the benifits are worth wild. Once you go to college you might lose some friends, but the people you meet in college are truely the ones you'll enjoy, while ur school only had a class around 500 to a 1000, you will meet aleast half of the college students that you would attend, imagin at least 5000 students, you'll meet aleast 2500 of those students, and least 50 of those students share a commom interest with you who share another common interest with a different student that you dont know who you can now meet. Also colleges work with students to achieve and succeed in college. So college is not only a place to learning and to get an education but to be socially involved with people that share that same common interest with. Overall college is a great place to get ahead in life.

If I could go back in tine and talk to myself as a high school senior I would of stressed the need for being more eager to start my college education. Having a small child at the age of sixteen caused me to think I should postpone on my education and continue after my daughter had become old enough for school. I have realized that education is very important material for life if you want to succeed and that you should never delay it. I would stress that I needed to continue straight on from high school to college for my daughters life as well as my own.

When making the decisions for your major think about what you enjoy doing even if you didn't get paid and the follow what you are best at. Also do you best and don't stress over things. Not only do your best but have so much fun because when school is over then is when the real hard work begans. Life was not meant to stress over.

The advice would be to STAY IN SCHOOL -- DON'T GIVE UP -- NO MATTER WHAT!! It will be hard at first but I can overcome all the obstacles. Even if I have a family or need to work for more money, I need to stay in school. I don't want to be middle aged and working for minimum wage just because I didn't stick with it. There are so many options now for financial aid. You can do it! Keep your chin up and move forward. Night school is an option too.

Make sure you study hard. Since your going into engineering make sure you know alot of math and chem. Keep in mind that the higher your ACT score is the better you wiill be. You could even get a high enough score to knock out some of those English courses. Learn everything you can about the things your interested in. Keep up that grade point remember if you get all A's and work hard you may end up on the dean's list. Remember to also take time to learn the basics, laundry, microwaving, and basic housekeeping. You and only you are reponsible for you. If you make mistakes and fail at something don't be to hard on yourself . Pick yourself back up and try again. It's all part of the learning process and we all learn from our mistakes. Keep up the good work your worth it!

If I could go back and to being a high school senior, I would have attempted to graduate a year early and begin taking college courses. I graduated one semester early which allowed me to "get ahead" for a while but then since I chose Special Education as my major, my program was small and certain classes were only offered once per academic year. This left me with a basically wasted semester. I would recomend high school counselors warning students thinking of early high school graduation of this because it came as a shock to me and a tremendous let down. Also, I would have applied for scholarships as a high school senior. I did not do this and am sure I missed out on available resources. Some scholarships are only available to students who are seniors in high school and you cannot apply after graduation.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would advise myself this way. You just finished high school and what a time you had. College is just on the horizon. College is a time to get serious. Make sure you have a plan and work your plan for study, for projects, for fun. Know what is required of you in each class and if you are not sure, ask! Get to know your professors and take advantage of the time that they make available to you. Prepare to put your whole heart, soul, mind and strength into the task at hand, staying focused and fixed on the prize ahead of you and you will be successful.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself, I would tell myself make sure to spend all the time I could with my family and friend because a person never knows what is in his/her future and no telling what tomorrow may bring. Cherish your friends and family; time is short. Also, make new friends and acquaintances and enjoy your college life. I would also tell myself to take harder classes that will benefit my future and to pay more attention in school and study harder. If I knew then what I know now, I would have done a lot of things different. I would also tell myself that if I wanted something to go for it full force and do not look back because a person only lives once in this world and may as well make the best of it! The transition will be a lot different too, I will have more responsibilities in my life from rent payments, tuition, and cost of food and books. But most importantly learn all that I can and be what I want to be! Thanks, Brian Matthews

Pay closer attention to my grades and to my Act test scores and try harder to keep my GPA as high as possible

If I could go back and talk to myself in high school, I would have told myself to work more on my study skills. My high school did not prepare me enough for college as they said they were. I was not prepared at all when I got to college. I would have had myself research everything a little more and see how colleges operated as far as how much studying was needed and so forth. I would have also had myself research my college options a little more instead of setting my mind on one college just to have to change my options at the last minute and go into a college that I knew nothing about. I would also have told myself to apply for a lot more scholarships instead of just the few that I did.

If I could go back in time to give myself advice about college life, I would tell myself to not hold back. I would emphasise the points of getting envolved and getting envolved early. I would also tell myself that everything will always work out so spend more time enjoying college and less worrying about how to pay for it. But most importantly, I would tell myself to always be me and never change for anybody.

The advice I would give to myself would be to never turn down a challenge because it can be helpful in the long run. Back in high school, I was the girl that tried my hardest in everything that I did but I never seemed to challenge myself. While my friends were focused on passing their AP exams, I was studying for a test in a regular math course. It never did occur to me that I should give AP classes a try so that I can prepare myself for the college world, however, I was scared that I may ended up failing my AP class or the exams. After finishing my first semester in college, I realize that if only I took the chance to take an AP course or college class that I would do better in the classes I have now, particularly chemistry. In a way, I believe I was in a phase where I didn't take me heading off to college or the idea of college so seriously. Nevertheless, the advice I wish I was able to tell myself, I tell my siblings as they head off to high school.

You need to work hard the first semester of school and get a 3.0 so that you can get the lottery scholarship. Dont quit track this year either!

I would tell myself not to wait or to be afraid of leaving home. College is an adventure where you can learn about who you are and what your passion truly is, you don't have to create a life then try to add college to it. If I could go back, I would have went to school straight out of high school instead of waiting so many years. It is hard to be older than some of your teachers are. But it does make you humble and realize just how much good you could have achieved. I would also tell myself that no matter what anyone else thinks, you are smart enough to make it through and with the guidance of teachers and faculty at this University you will make it. Let go of who you think you are and become who you were meant to be.

I would tell myself to apply for as many scholarships as possible because money is very hard to come by. I would also inform myself that being involved is very much worth the extra time it takes out of the social scene!

Apply to multiple schools even if you think you are not interested at the time. Don't miss scholarship deadlines and apply for whatever you qualify for. Don't follow everybody else. Go where you want to go and be who you want to be. College is your last chance to become you. It goes by fast so enjoy it!

I would tell high school self to get a set routine in place or I will have problems with completing all of my tasks. High school is a fun learning experience but college is more serious since most of us are here upon choice. I would tell myself to be ready for a long and exciting experience and to not bring so much junk into my dorm! I would also tell myself to have saved money because having student loans pile up is not a good thing.