Georgia Southern University Top Questions

What should every freshman at Georgia Southern University know before they start?

Alexis

I would tell myself to look at all of my options before choosing where I want to go. Dont just choose it because of the varsity sport I play but look at other factors.

Amanda

If I could back to high school and talk to myself, I would tell myself to learn how to study. Explain that while friends are great and imprtant in their own way they are no substitution for an education. Stick with it and work at it. Ramen noodles are good and there is nothing you can't cook in a microwave. You need a roommate who is serious. If you have a roommate with the same personality it will not work out at all for education. You will end up quitting after your first year and when you go back it will be harder and it will be your money, so do it now and try hard. You need to be busy and it is a good idea to work. I would also tell myself go to the doctor, you have ADHD and once treated you will function a lot better and be able to pass your classes easily. You will exceed everyone expectations if you try just a little and it is worth it.

Kellie

Make the decision based on what you want to go to school for. Do not base it off what your parents, family and friends want you to do. It is your decision; not theirs. Money should not keep you from being what you want to be. Believe in yourself and everything will fall into place from there. College is nothing like high school. It is so much better. There is more opportunities, friends and freedom. Live your social life to the fullest. Study hard from week to week and party in between. College is suppose to be the best part of your life, so live a little.

Madeline

I would advise myself to not attend Georgia Southern. I love the university and do not wish to transfer anywhere else but I have decided to pursue an art major and need to go to an art school. I am very sad to leave because Southern is an amazing school that is growing everyday both in number of students and prestige. I would not change the path I took because I learned so much and confirmed my need to go to an art school. I will miss the university and I advise others to attend!

Kristen

If I could go back in time and change anything about my high school senior year, I would, without a doubt, get more invoved with my school clubs and athletics. I was already a cheerleader and one of the captains of the team, but I think that joining more clubs would have prepared me more for trying to get involved in college. It is very important to be involved in high school, not only because it looks good on applications and resumes, but because it encourages you to interact with other people and to take on some kind of leadership role. The people who get involved in high school are more likely to get involved in college and studies have shown that a lot of the students who are involved in various organizations have a tendency to do better in there school work. It also encourages students to make friends which makes the transition from high school to college easier than one could imagine.

Tanner

I would tell myself that going to my local community college was a GREAT decision even though I really want to go to a major four year school. I am so much prepared now than when I was during my freshman year. My only other advise would be to study, study, study!

Jami

If I had the chance to go back and talk to myself as a high school senior there are only a couple things that I would want to say. First, I would want to tell myself how important family is. I love my family and we are extremely close, but I wish I would have known how much I was going to miss them. I would tell my highschool self, "Spend more time with them and embrace the moments that you have with them. Senior year is fun and there are a lot of events and celebrations that occur, but don't get too caught up in them because when you arrive at college you will miss those random hugs or random game nights. " Also, I would say, "Breathe." I stressed out a lot through the transition from high school to college and I should have known that it was going to be okay and worrying about it would not fix anything. Those were the two key points that I needed to hear, but there's so much that I am still learning and hopefully what I learn from my mistakes now can help others transition smoother later.

Benjamin

If I could go back in time and give my younger self some advice, I would tell myself to study for just one extra hour each day and try to join and be active in at least one other club. I would also advise my younger self to take the hardest classes and stay organized, because compared to college; the hardest classes in high school are the really easy ones in college. By taking these classes and staying organized, it will have better prepared me for the future, not only in college, but also in the work force someday.

Asea

College is not as hard as professors make it seem. If you stay focused and dedicated you can achieve your goals. Varsity sports in college are not the same as highschool. Coaches are not guaranteed to stay all four years. If they are not bringing in championships then they could be up to lose their job. Make sure you ask about that on recruitment visits. Off campus living is cheaper than on campus. Make sure you find a place early in the spring your freshman year to move your sophmore year or sublease. Rates will be cheaper. Meal plans are only required freshman year. If you want to save money consider only getting 3 or 6 and just eat at home the rest of the time. The food is overpriced. Always spend extra meal plans at the Market Place. That will save money on groceries.

Michael

Do not stop at just earning your college degree. You may look back and see that you graduated but could have accomplished so much more with a more dedicated study and club activity in your field of study. Spend time earning a minor or accompanying major in a completely different subject so that you can differentiate yourself from the other graduates. Find a way to gain experience through an internship as it will provide education and experience in your general or specific field of study that you cannot receive in your course work. Exploit the opportunity to study abroad because it exposes you to the world outside of the US and will help you understand the advantages you have, further providing a perspective not available at home. Lastly, remember you will fail, but only the truly successful turn failure into success. Good Luck!

breanna

education is important. not something to joke around about, focus on your career, stay focused and work hard it will pay off in the future

Meagan

If I could go back and tell my high school self anything it would be to focus on my classes and use every tool at my disposal to get the best grades. Had I known then what I know now, I would have studied so much more. Absorb as much knowledge and information as possible. Hey, don't worry so much about being accepted, popular and liked. If only I hadn't spent so much time socializing and more time doing homework and studying I would have increased my grade point average. Making friends is very important, but too much social interaction can prevent you from being highly successful. It's also important to take time for reflection and study. I would tell myself to get more sleep and feed my body healthy food. Oh and please read more! I would remind myself of that and spend my Sunday afternoons reading and resting for the week ahead. I would also ask myself to look down the road at the path ahead of me and decide what my goals are for the future. Don't wait until your in college to decide, start now!

Amber

Looking back there are numerous things I wish someone had told me before I started college. I think that, given the opportunity, I would go back and tell myself how important it is to set a scheduled time for studying. College isn't like highschool where one can get buy studying for a test the period before. If you want to excell you need to study ahead of time (and over time) and classes should be reserved strictly for listening to the lecture. I think I would stress the importance of a schedule and of reading the textbooks, It's easy to tell yourself that you have time, but eventualy that time runs out.

Walter

College is fun and you will do well. But you also need to listen to the rest of my advice: You can’t scrape by without studying anymore. It doesn’t cut it to just glace over the notes five minutes before class starts now. Once you get done with class for the day, go to the library, and read or recopy your notes. Spend 30 minutes per class. That’s a fair amount of time without being too excessive.

Tamika

As you head to college there are some things you should know. You are a very smart girl, although you have breezed through high school excelling in all your courses, you NEED to learn some study habits. You never had to study before, but you are now entering into a world you know nothing about. So reading and studying are going to be your new hobbies. Ask as many questions as possible and write down any notes that you have. Develop a note taking method that you will understand. Also, don’t be in so much of a rush to be included in the “cool” events. Trust me, there are always going to be exciting events that you can attend later. Make sure you have all your work completed before stepping out. Create an agenda that will help you create an internal schedule so that you will have a format on how to get things done. Show discipline and stick to the schedule. This will later provide you more structure on how you run your life. You have to start taking things seriously. Grab the bull by the horns and stay focused on what you want. You can do it!

Danielle

College life for me has consisted of working full-time and going to school full-time. Not exactly what I had in mind when I was a senior. The first thing I would tell myself is that this is reality, not some dream world where senioritis should take over my life and school is simple. I would tell myself that it is hard to look back on my high school career and know all the things I would and should have done differently. I would encourage myself to take those honors or AP classes and to even do joint enrollment with a college. I would encourage myself to apply for more scholarships and work harder to get an academic scholarship so I don’t have to work as hard as I do now to pay for college. Lastly, I would remind myself that there is a better life out there waiting for me too. If there was a way for my senior self to see how much I’ve matured and succeeded, all of my decisions then would be different.

Evan

You can still have a good time in college while being able to concentrate on your work. TIme management is very critical is having the optimal college experience. Most of the time, your weekends are your best bet for being able to go out and have a good time. Unless, of course, a project or test is coming up that following Monday or Tuesday. Having a good balance of your school work and free time is the key to success. Also, do not be afraid to go to teachers for advice. Many of them are willing to help students, but many students are afraid to ask. This can come in handy, especially for tests. Sometimes teachers will give you hints or extra help on the parts of the class you don't understand. Take any opportunity you can in order to further your learning, and know there will be plenty of time to have fun throught your college career.

Daron

Knowing what I know now there are definitely a few things that I would tell “my high-school self”. The first would be to be proactive. In high school there are constant reminders, explanations, and check points to keep you on track with whatever you may be involved with. In college however this is not the case. You are on your own and this is the time to teach yourself the true meaning of taking responsibility. Another piece of advice would be to know your requirements. Throughout my college career I have gotten myself into classes and even organizations that have had an adverse affects on my academic career. Being able to correctly identify what is required of me would have helped me to build a more balanced college life, and would have left me in a slightly better position than I am in currently. My last recommendation would be to have fun. These will be some of the best years of your life. Handle responsibilities while still allowing time to enjoy this amazing privilege and experience.

Shakoria

We have heard parents tell us, “You do not attend school to make friends, but to get an education.” As much as we do not like to listen or agree with what our parents have to say at times, they are absolutely correct when it comes to the purpose of school: to receive an education. There were so many distractions in my senior year-the coursework, college scoping, applying for scholarships, as well as preparing myself for the end of high school and for the beginning of being on my own away from home. Yet, the biggest distraction was my friends. Some of the friends that I had in ninth grade were no longer attending school with me; there were people I believed were my friends, but we no longer spoke; lastly, there were people whom I never spoke to, and we were becoming the best of friends. Saying all of this, you cannot allow yourself to fret these little things in college, because it is not what really matters. Trust me, it’s great to have a circle of friends that you can have fun with, but you are paying for college, it isn’t to be taken lightly.

Natalie

Stay focused on your school work and don't have too much of a social life.