Georgia Southern University Top Questions

I would have worked during high school and saved money to help pay for college!

It's August 2010, my last first day of high school. Thinking about all of those who came before me, it seems surreal that it's finally my turn to be a senior in high school. I feel great and my expectations are set high with hope that these expectations are met. Time passes by and it is now April, 2011. I have one month until graduation. Senioritis has been in effect for a long time now and I'm just counting down the days. I'm slacking on work and my grades are shifting. Knowing what I know about college life and making the tradition, first I would tell my high school self to learn how to study. Then, I would tell my high school self to not let senioritis hender me from having a strong finish. I would advise myself to take advance placement classes more seriously. I would also advise myself to not accept doing enough just to get by because that will get you no where in college. Lastly, I would make sure I was aware that making honor roll all years of high school doesn't ensure good grades in college.

If I could go back in time as a senior in high school to myself advice about college life. I would first tell myself to prep harder and boost my G.P.A. Then I would say to me, apply to as many colleges and unversities as possible and that I should not limit myself to being hung up on getting in to just one school. In addition I tell myself about getting a game plan for paying for college without racketing up a bunch of debt, as I go to school so later I to can praticipate in change the world after gettting my degree. Also I tell myself to tell someone that is in the profession that I believe I want to do for the rest of life. Sometime we find we want to do something else with our live but we go through the motion of trying to make the things that is making us miserible work first. I tell myself do not this. If it makes you unhappy, try another profession and do not take a brunch of courses toward one degree. Leave your options open until something grabs your attention. Then say this is it.

If I could go back twelve years and talk to myself when I was a high school senior, I would tell myself: “Do not to be afraid of facing the challenges ahead. You might feel like you cannot meet the demands of school and work, but you are more capable than you realize. You will worry that you can’t afford to go to college, but you will find aid from many sources and find a way to make your dream of becoming a nurse come true. Be an active participant in your education by asking questions and conferring with others as you learn new concepts. Go beyond the desire to get a perfect grade and rediscover the joy of learning. When you move out of your parent’s home and transition into the life of an independent adult, remember to keep believing that dreams can come true, even as you struggle to pay rent and college tuition. Life is not easy, but it is neither hopeless, and it is up to you to persevere in your studies so that you can achieve your dreams. When you make mistakes, learn from them and move forward with renewed confidence in yourself.”

Dear High School me, I am writing you this letter by taking advantage of a space-time continuum malfunction. I do not have much time so you must listen carefully. You are did fine freshman and sophomore year. In September of 2009 you will move to America. American High Schools are nothing like the movies. Junior year, do not get side tracked with the idea of fitting in with the cool kids, when you reach my age, you will understand that none of them will matter. Trust your gut with the people you are first going to make friends with. You’re new; they can either be nice to you or take advantage of that. Senior year you are going to move to California, once you decide to take AP Calculus that is the point of no return. I cannot stress enough how much every minute spent memorizing and reading can save you a lot of trouble. Just suck it up and stick with it bear in mind that it will pass. I shall go now, like I said I do not have enough time! Remember Ali, suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.

I would sit myself down and tell myself to forget what anyone has ever said to her about not being successful. I'd say forgive them for what you feel they've said to hurt you so that when you graduate with your degree in Psychology you can say it was for YOU. You feel like you have something to prove to the world, when you really should focus on how to give back to the world. I would hope and pray that my 18 year old self would relax and know that she would end up focusing on serving her community instead of holding in her bitterness. Now I can see that I've gotten over that stage, but it would have saved time if someone sat me down and told me what really was important in life.

There is financial aid available for college in the form of scholarships, grants, work study programs, and loans. Maintain the high G.P.A. you have in high school and throughout your college years to be eligible to apply for merit based scholarships. To keep a high G.P.A. in college you will have to develop independent study skills, balance your social and study time, get enough sleep and eat healthy. Unlike high school, in college there are grants available for low income students that can be used for tuition, books, school supplies, campus housing and meal plans. To be eligible for low income grants fill out the Fafsa application at www.fafsa.gov and the college's financial aid office will mail you an award letter. Student loans and work study programs for college expenses are also obtained by filling out the Fafsa application and through the schools financial aid office. Limit the amount of student loans you apply for as much as possible by working. The debt and repayment of student loans and the interest can accumulate very quickly and become a burden to the borrower. Develop a budget and manage you money wisely.

Knowing where I am now, with the experiences I have been through so far in college, my advice to high school self would be a few simple things. Most importantly I would advise myself to go with my gut instinct, to not to second guess myself about which college to attend. This is my education and this is where I am going to be for the next few years of my life, make sure I make decisions for myself and no one else. Additionally, I would recommend figuring out what field I would like to major in. By going into college “undecided,” I feel as though it somewhat set me back a bit. If I had taken more time in high school to assess my interests and options, I could have saved myself some time and pressure to decide in a hurry. Ultimately, I would advise myself to focus more on myself! On what I want in my future, and what will make me happy during my journey there.

I would tell myself that I need to learn relaxation techniques. I love college, and I wouldn't be as happy as I am now if I hadn't gone, but I stress over school more than anything else. Being able to make myself relax and gain more joy from my college experience would make my life even more fulfilling. Knowing what I know now high school was easy compared to college, but the challenge helps me become the person I want to be. Comparing high school to college is like comparing riding a bike to growing a plant, and I would rather grow a plant even with all the stress that comes with it. However, even without the relaxation techniques I wouldn't change anything about college because I know I am doing the one thing I need to satisfy my doubts about my future and make a great life for myself.

I would take AP classes in high school, junior and senior years. My friends from high school who took AP classes are already sophmores in college. Taking AP classes in high school and doing well in those classes speeds up the college process. I would also prepare better for SAT/ACT tests because there are scholarships awarded for scoring well on these tests. I would take these tests more times to try to improve my scores. Wasn't aware in high school what an impact these two things, AP classes and high tests scores, would have on my college career.

High school is not that big of a deal. Teachers did not prepare me for college, you prepare yourself. Nothing is that serious or that difficult that you won't be able to handle. Have fun, sit back, and enjoy the ride.

Advice I needed dearly in high school can be summarized in two simple words: start early. I was always a procrastinaor in high school, mostly because I could get away with it, but if there's anything college has taught me, it's that if you want to get anything done, you need to start on it right when you find out. It started with my application process. I waited far too long to apply to Georgia Southern University and when my application finally arrived, availabilities were slim, especially in freshman housing, which is why I was placed in housing that I didn't find satisfactory. Also, the first semester of college taught me the importance of studying instead of cramming which is what I used in high school. College exams are far more complex and comprehensive and cramming is ineffective for me. My first semester of college has taught me that I need to take initiative instead of waiting till the final moment before I begin something.

The advice I would give myself is to learn great study habits. Do no depend on your high school teachers to prepare you for college. Prepare yourself! Have fun - make new friends - take risks! Try not to be too hard on yourself or stress too much. If you do the best you can do, then that's enough. Most importantly, don't forget to pray.

I would tell myself to take the classes that I knew I was going to take in college just so I would not be starting from the beginning with the classes I am taking now. Just because I did not want to take the classes in high school does not mean that I should just save them for later. Taking the classes that I am taking now would have been smart.

One thing I would stress to myself as a senior in highschool would to be to actually care about my classes! I think I did not take class as seriously as I should have and did not evelop proper studying habits and I'm definitely paying for that now. Everything is not as big of a deal as it seems and I need to focus on the important things in life like family and friends.

I would certainly tell myself to stop considering any other college beside Georgia Southern University. Not only have I begun to expand my education vastly from what it was not one year ago, but I have grown roots in the community of Statesboro and developed a network of friends and classmates that have changed me into the adult I want to be.

I would tell myself that going to college really can make a difference. It is a lot easier to go to college fresh out of high school then it is to try and go back 10 years later. Having a college education will make things so much easier. It will allow you the pride in knowing you finished your degree, it will help find a job that you not only like but that you enjoy going to. No, things won't always be easy but with strenght and deadication you will be able to graduate. Once you finish no one will be able to take your degree away from you. Graduating from college is a honor, one that should not be taken forgranted. After all is said and done you will be happier with your life and the choices a college education will allow you to have.

Going to college is fun and not as horrible as you imagine. Don't procrastinate for the next few years because it is worth the time and effort of getting a head start on a failing economy. By now you could have already had your Masters degree in whatever field of study that you were interested in. There is so many opportunities out there and it's important to get ahead early. Once you have a foot in the door with education the rest comes easily. There is little to be said about work experience without a degree these days, so get on the ball!

You should really push yourself to do your very best. College is a place when you go to set a career goal for your and have a better life for your future. Not going to college is not an option, because education is key. In this economy today, you can not afford to settle for a low-income job. You should not want a job, you should want a career and always push yourself to do better. Your parents have very high standards and expectations for you. My mother always says, "I want you to do better than I did, I want you to be someone, I don't want you to have to struggle." College and even life itself is not designed to be easy. Things are always going to be difficult and as you progess and start to find your way things are going to get harder. If life was made to be easy everyone would be rich and there would be a lack of order and balance in the world. You can do anything you wish, even though things might get challenging, everything will be fine as long as you keep in control of your actions.

Be sure to spend time with those who matter to you because the distance you put between the two of you when you go off to college will make things difficult in seeing them. Let go of the relationship with Josh because going into my freshmen year with a boy at home makes it harder to interact with others. Having him still in your life makes it harder to be away from home, by the time Christmas break comes around you'll be done and the first semester of college will be over and that time you spent reserving yourself because of him will be wasted. Go to college to have fun and do well in school, you will actually learn how to study so you do well in your classes, and enjoy the time you have with those who you choose to surround yourself with because those are the people that will be there when you need them.