Georgia College and State University Top Questions

Focus on school, and not friends. Know what you want to be, and make sure you are on track to be able to get to that point at all times.

Honestly, I would tell myself to develop better study habits, apply for scholarships, and that college isn't how the media makes it out to be. Since you are in class less, strong study habits are crucial to college survival. Even though grades do not seem important, every single one in your college career will be looked at for federal aid and graduate school. Good study skills can help you pay the bills! Speaking of bills, scholarships need ot be a very large part of your life, as college does not come cheap. Student loans are frightewning enough as just an idea, but actually having them lurk around ominously in the back of your mind is another story. Lastly, remmeber that college is not what the media portays it as! It's not party all day and all night, moer like study all day and maybe party later. It's just important to come into college with an open mind about what coudl happen to you and the friends you could possibly make. Sit back, relax, and prepare yourself for a truly exciting four years!

I would tell myself to relax. It isn't as big of a deal as everyone makes it out to be. Have fun with the transition and the new changes. I would also tell myself not to get too bogged down and worried. Enjoy every moment of every day because the college years can never be gotten back. Don't take a single moment for granted and help the people around you if you can. Make friends and be kind to everyone you meet. Don't be afraid to get involved. Always be yourself. Shine bright on your campus.

If I could go back in time and talk to my younger self about college, I would definitely convince myself to go for it. I would assure myself that I could accomplish anything that I set out to do. I would make sure that I would apply on time and continue on right after high school graduation. I'd let myself know of all of the fun I'd be missing out on, and the lifelong friends I may never meet if I continued on with my decision to skip college. I would let myself know that without higher education, life will turn out to be pretty tough. I would have a serious talk with myself and explain that without that education and degree, it will be very hard to find a well paying, steady, decent job. I would tell myself what a good example I'd be setting for my future children. I'd also tell myself how proud I would feel once I accomplished my goal of graduating with a degree, and embarking on a whole new adventure in the career of my own choosing. I would definitely implore myself to take my own advice.

Hello Terrell, I do commend you on crafting such a stunning resume that has helped enhance your potiential for being a prospective candidate for your acceptance into Georgia College. Your many consecutive years of voluntary service to your community and school system has had a positive influenced on several students from your very impoverished hometown. You have certainly served your community, which also influenced your continous strides to achieve acadmically as well as your willingness to stay involve. However, the enigma used to advance the lives of others should have been used to benefit yourself as well, Though all those qualites are exceptional, you unfortunatly strayed away from focusing on your next step, the Post- Secondary experience. Granted, acceptance into a University was not the problem, financing it was, that desire to be free of loan debts should have been a greater reality. Now that you are in the University of your choice it is a challenge worrying about financial security for the next semester. Being a first in your family was strong variable, however I wish that fresh new experience could have been transformed into an advantage by investing more time into scholarships. Sincerely, Your Collegiate Self

When I was in high school, I remember being very ambitious, rebellious, and stubborn. I was so set on getting out of town and experiencing the world that I jumped at the first opportunity to do so. I was excited to get away from home. I wish that there had been someone there to talk to me on MY level and warn me of the world. If I were that person, I'd tell myself: "Take it slow and analyze your situation and ask yourself if you are really making the best decision that has been thought out all the way through. You can be in your home town and still have the same college experience as if you were 100 miles away. Be cautious of who you let influence you because it is easy to get in with the wrong crowd and not realize it until something bad happens. Be your own person and surround yourself with people that accept you for being you. You are an awesome person that will go very far in life, but set yourself up for success early and you'll get there faster." - Sherry Jenkins 5/16/2013

I would tell anybody that you might as well take all the classes you need in high school. So therefor you want have alot to do in college and you can jump right into the classed you need for your major. I wish a thousand times i would have listen to my mother and i would already be started on my major classes. But now i have to get the easy high school classes out the way.

I would tell myself that it's ok to fail. I was so used to succeeding so easily, it was hard for me to deal in college with less than perfect grades. I also would tell myself that I am not the only one nervous or lost in being on your own and not knowing what to do with your life. I would also tell myself to enjoy the college experience and the freedom it provides. I would also allow myself to experience lots of new things so I can find out more about myself. More than anything I would tell myself to relax and to not despair for too long. The bad times always pass.

If i could talk to my high school self, i would tell myself to go to all sports events. Stuff like that makes you take pride in your school, something I never really came into contact with. I would also tell myself to not get so hung up on guys and the drama they bring. Girls lose their friends over guys every day and i really don't think it's worth it. When you're young, you don't know about the feelings that are involved in your high school relationships, and you can get really hurt when you start dating. So just relax, spend time with your friends and family, get involved, and most importantly: study! if you do this, you will be more prepared for college and study habits that are required. You need to spend these few years improving rather than slowing down and settling with people who don't have real goals. You only live once, & high school is where you set your foundation. When you apply to colleges, you're going to need to have good grades in order to get into great schools. So have fun, but get ready for takeoff after graduation!

I would still choose the same college, just perhaps a different major. As I started out an accounting major, I was intimidated with the course load, but I shouldn't have been. I learned this the hard was as a middle grades education major, which is said to be one of the most intensive majors one could take in the university. Unfortunately that proved true. Not only did the work load intensify, it didn't make sense. It seemed at times that we would have to do things just to say we did them, which to me was redundant and illogical. The professors weren't always true teachers in my opinion and, if anything, they weakened my resolve to get through the course load. So, if I had it to do over again, I would tell my high school self to stick with accounting or else go into the medical field as I am now and go to another college that focuses on that.

I would have a nice talked with myself about how difficult the proffesional ambient is. That the best way to be succesful in life is going to college and study what I like the most or Im passionate for. Studying will give me the skills necessary to get a job according to my carrer. I would tell myself also, that college experience is the best, you will learn a lot and You will appreciate that because that is what you will become in a future. It worth the dedication that you provide to the studies because the hard work and dedication will pay off. I lost many years of my life without being studying and now I appreciate that more and more. i cameback to study and I love it.

Do more. Put yourself in situations that might not be comfortable because that is the only way you can grow. Sure you might mess up, but mistakes help make who you will become. Take everything in moderation, including moderation. Find a balance between your school, work, and social life, while remembering that sometimes it's best to just let loose. Forgive. There is an important difference between bad people and good people who have done bad things. Know that sometimes things really are accidents and that a happy life cannot be lead with a heavy heart. Making money does not equal success. Being successfull is accomplishing what you set out to do. If that is only to be rich, fine. But if that is to be happy, live accordingly. And finally, put others before yourself. Life is short. Life is hard. Life can be unfair, but no matter how bad you have it someone else is having a worse day. Try to make one person smile per day and your will be happier by proxy.

Dear High School Emily, You’re about to graduate high school, and head off to college. So, here’s a little advice I wish I would have known going into this. First, don’t let anyone decide your future for you. It’s your future. Do what makes you happy, and don’t take anything for granted. Second, you are not perfect. Allow yourself to make mistakes. This is the time to make mistakes and learn from them! Third, remember to breathe! College can be stressful, but that doesn’t mean you have to let it get the best of you. A little bit of stress is healthy, but don’t let it take over. If you let it take over, it will ruin some of your college experience. Trust me, it’s not fun. Always remember your favorite quote, “It’ll be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” Last, but not least, have fun! College is your time to be yourself, make friends, and enjoy yourself! Just remember these few things, and you're college experience will be all but boring! See you soon! -Emily

Going back in time to myself as a high school senior being a college senior now, I would tell myself not to worry and to let loose a little bit. In high school I was a teacher's pet, brown noser, suck up, whatever you want to call it. I was so worried about what older people thought about me that I tried to grow up before I was ready. During college, I've realized how to be comfortable in my own skin. I came to understand that the only opinion of me that really mattered was my own. In high school, I was so focused on perfect grades that I didn't allow myself the time or luxury to invest in relationships with people. In college, I now understand the value of others, and while maintaining decent grades, I have gained friendships that I know will last. Lastly, I'd tell myself to smile, laugh, and have more fun. I used to take myself so seriously, I couldn't even laugh at myself when I messed up. Now I cherish the times that I can poke fun and kick myself for mistakes. It's all about perspective and experience.

I would make better grades in high school. I slacked off a lot and didn't care. This affected my hope scholarship. I was .02 points away from recieving it and I wish I tried harder to ease the financial burden off my parents.

I was one of those strange seniors who picked a harder schedule for myself on purpose. If I could go back in time I was reassure myself I was making the current decision because many times I doubted my thought process and thought I was crazy for actually having to study and work hard last year. Turns out it paid off because I entered college with more background work than most of my peers. I was already taking classes that do not count homework as a grade, teachers don't give study guides, and most of all teachers don't outline exactly what needs to be read.

I would tell myself to not worry so much, and to ultimately put your trust in God's overall plan for you. Everything happens for a reason, and whatever happens was meant to happen. I was rejected from the University of Georgia. But now I am thrilled that I was. If I had been accepted, I wouldn't have gone to Georgia College and State University. I wouldn't have met all these amazing people I know here, nor would have gotten the truly enjoyable experience I have had while I've been here. I feel like this is where I was always meant to be, and God was putting things into motion to help get me here. I feel so unbelievably blessed because I really don't have any complaints about my life. Of course I've had plenty of down moments, but many more joyous ones. I would tell my high school senior self to not worry too much on the future, and focus on the present. Because everything happens the way it was meant to, and I truly beleive it has from where I am in my life right now. God Bless!

If I could give myself advice about college I would tell myself to prepare to brave and outgoing. I would tell myself how difficult it is to meet new people and how much courage it takes to go out and get involved when you do not know anyone. I would tell myself to spend less money on college supplies and dorm items because college is more expensive than you think. My last piece of advice for myself would be to prepare for cafeteria food. I thought I would love our cafeteria but it got boring really fast.

Dear Joseph Swearingen, We meet again. I am you from just a few years down the road. Today, you are just a boy with no desires or life goals, but in just four short years, you will become a confident, motivated, and inspired man. You will go to college. Your transition will be tough; you’ll leave your home for the first time, go live with three complete strangers, and you will have no other friends there. You will start over and through the hard times of finding friends and figuring out your life, you will build this foundation up within yourself to be someone better than you are now. If you don’t leave and suffer through the hard times then you will always be missing part of yourself that you never knew you could have. My advice: Be up for anything and always take the bad experiences with a grain of salt. Understand that every step you take the next four years is a step in the right direction. You will learn more about yourself in college than all the information in every textbook you’ll ever buy. That’s the path you will take, so start walking!

My advice to seniors in high school would be to be outgoing and friendly. When you get to college, you may not know anybody, but nobody else knows anybody either. Go around and meet as many people as you can. Go to events that your building puts on and don't be shy: talk to people. The more people you meet, the more comfortable the transition into college will be. Also, stay at school over the weekends. All of your friends may be going home, but you get a chance to meet new people or get to know people better. Staying over the weekends will also give you time to be productive with school work. Study even when you think you've studied enough. Most college students lose gpa-based scholarships in their first year, don't be one of them!