Grand Valley State University Top Questions

If I could go back in time I would not go back to senior year. I would go back to freshman year because going back to senior year would be a waste of time travel. If I wanted to make a difference in my future I would tell myself that I need to actually try to get better grades. In high school I attained all A's and B's but I did not have the motivation to try to only have A's. If I had gotten better grades I would have more of a chance to get scholarship money to go towards my school. The more scholarships that I have means that I need to work less to pay for my schooling.

The best advice I could give my high school self, is that the key to college is time management. There is going to be a lot going on around campus, and you will have a new sense of freedom, but the primary focus should be on academics. Although college is all about experiencing new things and self discovery, there is a time and place for this to happen. One of my favorite sayings is that there is break like a break earned. Knowing that your academic obligations are taken care of, makes eveything else more enjoyable. Take care of business and the fun will take care of itself.

Dear Lindsay, Stop taking life so seriously! The IB dipolma program will help prepare you for college, but the individual assignments wont matter anymore. French? Don't worry about it! So what if languages aren't your thing? You have many other skills! You are a great student and a great writer, continue to build upon those and just get do get through the other stuff. School is a great distraction when things aren't going well at home, but there are other good distractions too, so dont get so stuck on one thing. Spend more time with friends and doing things you love because you are waaaaaay too stressed out. I know you are shy, but dont be afraid to talk to people. You will be so much happier when you have people in your life who can support you when you ares struggling Things are tough right now, but college will be better, you are almost there! You got this girl! Love, Lindsay

I would enroll in college level math and english classes while in high school so I could focus on the classes I need now in order to get my degree and possibly take fewer classes each semester to help keep my GPA up and be able to work more hours.

If I could go back, I would tell myself to spend more time with my family. In college they're the people you miss the most. I wish I would have realized that it's cool to hang out with them, even if your friends don't think that it is.

College is serious. This is the start of your independent life. You have to make good choices. Mistakes have consequences. You don't need to have to deal with consequences. You have to use your time doing important things. First, you need to worry about school. Then you need to worry about work. Everyhting costs money, and you are going to need it. Then work on getting involved. You need to build a variety of different relationships. You need to make connections. You need to discover what you want to do as a career, what you want to do with your life. Don't be shy, don't be anxious. You can do this, you need to do this. Lastly, breath. If you do the best you can, everything will be great. You are intelligent. You are capable.

You need to prepare! Take those extra hours at work! Find another job and begin saving before it's too late! You don't want to end up without money for school. It's very stressful when you do not have money for school or your future. Plan. Plan. Plan.

Since I could remember, I always had my life planned out for myself. I knew what career I wanted to pursue by age eight. I knew what I wanted to go to college for and what I was going to do with myself once I graduated. I never had to worry about my future because I planned it all. I came into college confident in myself and my educational goals, yet that quickly changed after my first two months of college. I began to question the path I was taking. Am I satisfied with want I want to do and who I want to be? College is filled with various programs, organizations, and opportunities, and I began to overwhelm myself. I told myself to forget the future and create moments here at school. If I were to go back and time to my high school senior self, I would say to forget the future and enjoy the ride. Take new paths and explore different interests. College is about finding yourself and it is okay if your plans change. College is not just about making the grades, but making the moments

Megan, This will be a lot harder then you thought. I know those words sound scary, but they are true and we need to accept it. This isn't the kind of hard that we've been facing. This isn't about hospitals, doctors or health. This is about studying and retaining knowledge. This is the stuff that we've missed the past two years, so it's going to be difficult. I wouldn't ask you to change anything you're doing at this moment, all I would want to say is to be prepared and when college comes around. The first week, pay attention to the classes. Pay less attention to the new faces you're meeting, the stories and backgrounds you're taking in. Listen to the professors, learn how to take a college test because we haven't been taking high school tests in a while. Things will work out, enjoy your senior year. Regards, yourself.

Live in the moment. This single phrase is what I would tell my senior self over and over again. I would scream in my face, "SLOW DOWN." There is nothing I wanted more than to get out of high school. I hated it, boy did i hate it. I funny thing happened to me the other day, I felt a longing for high school and simpler times. In college, you either do or you don't. No one will come looking for you. What you do and how far you succeed is all on your shoulders. Ultimately, you and only you can make the choice to succeed.

I had to learn more about time management. I wish in high school I was taught more of how to organize my schedule enough to where it wouldn't stress me out during the school year.

I would tell myself to be more outgoing and talk to more people during the first week of school. Everyone else is just as nervous as me and I should not expect others to approach me.

Going back to High School days, I think of how scared I was to begin a new chapter of my life. Moving from familiar faces and the comfort of my own bed would be a challenge. However, if I could go back I would tell myself all the wonderful blessings that would await me going to Grand Valley State University. Have an open mind, get involved and allow yourself to find the inner strength to accomplish goals. I would also tell myself to believe in dreams and know that hard work can take you so far. Such an amazing experience and friends that will last a lifetime.

Change. This is going to be a hard and fast time for you, but do not worry because you will get through it and it will make you stronger. I know right now, you feel like you have it all, and then when you leave home you will feel lost. Being lost is part of being found for if you were never lost you could never then be found and on the right track. Do not worry about the people you left behind, because trust me, there are more wonderful people waiting for you on your path. The best thing is, they're on the same path as you and can help you along on your journey. College is about finding yourself, and becoming a stonger person. Now this strength is not physical but mental, throughout college you gain information that you can use in every situation. Creative problem solving is not a pain anymore but a joy. So remember, you will get through the first couple months and come out new and ready to take on the world. The world is waiting for people like you to make a difference.

Change is difficult, but it’s also what keeps things from being static. Without change there would also be no progress. High school provides us with a foundation of skills within a framework based on routine. Upon graduation, that framework is taken away. Change is scary when you’ve become so comfortable with a framework. Now, you’ve graduated high school, earned your associates degree, and transferred to a four-year university. I’m telling you, you can do it. It takes time and effort, but you have it in you. You are capable of change, you are capable of progress, and above all you are capable of becoming the person you want to be in all facets of your life. School is just a tool that you can use as a catalyst for that process and you should’t be so afraid to use it and try your best to reach your full potential. It’s not there for competition, or to emphasize the things you are good at versus the things you are bad at. It’s there to help you grow. Hold yourself accountable, and don’t be afraid of change, because change is necassary for progress.

Your high school really didn't prepare you to do well on the ACT and SAT or to handle the rigor of college level academics. Take a little bit of time out of your social life to study more. It will prepare you more for college so you have more opportunities to socialize in college, which is much more dynamic and fun then hanging out in high school. Focus on your math skills so you don't fall behind. Most importantly though, don't sacrifice yourself. Stay true to who you are and what you were taught growing up. It’s those morals and that character that will get you farther than any college acceptance letter or GPA. Also, don't forget to make friends as soon as you get to college. Otherwise it takes a much longer time to integrate. Everyone during your first weeks will be in the same position as you with not knowing anyone. Prepare yourself and when you get to college focus, study hard, stay true to yourself, and have some fun.

The advice I would give to myself would be to not take it easy senior year and to take as many advanced placement classes as possible. Passing the AP tests save lots of money and they are definitely worth taking. I saved over three thousand dollars alone by taking advanced placement biology, so work hard while you are in highschool because it will definitely pay off, literally.

I remember senior year in high school as being the most stressful time of my life. I didn't know what school to go to, I didn't have money to go to that school, I didn't know what major I wanted to choose, and I was afraid of moving away from home. My life was essentially a mess, and the funny thing was - I wasn't doing anything to fix it. The main thing that I found out through all of that was all that worrying was useless. In fact, if I would have spent half as much time preparing myself as I did worrying about my future, life would have been much easier. If I had to tell my high school self one thing - it would be to slow down for a second and think about how to make things work out, instead of being afraid that they're not going to. Everything has worked out just fine since then despite the fact that I knew nothing, but a little more preparation on my part would have been nice. I have this same advice for any highschooler. Stop worrying, get preparing - and everything will work itself out.

I would LOVE to be able to go back and talk to myself as a high school senior. I would say, "You better kick your butt in gear and raise that GPA so you can be admitted directly into the nursing program, or else!" At least that was my first thought. I'm actually conflicted. On the one hand, I want to say things like work harder than you ever have, keep developing good study habits or your going to be failing real quick next year, and senioritis is a real thing but pushing yourself will pay off later! On the other hand, I've realized college is a lot more stressful then most make it out to be. So, I also want to tell myself to enjoy this last year, make lots of memories, and don't worry about things in the future because I can't control them. Transistioning into college life isn't the harderst thing I will ever have to do, so don't stress. I guess I can narrow it down to one thing. Nobody has life figured out so just do the best you can do always, and don't worry about the rest.

If I could talk to my high school senior self, I would tell myself to be more courageous. As a young girl, I was always extremely shy, especially when it came to talking in front of a large group of people. I was the worst at public speeches. I never even liked having much attention brought to myself. I usually knew the answer when a teacher asked a question, but I was just too shy to raise my hand for fear that my armpit sweat stain would show from how nervous I was. Up through my senior year, I had learned to gain confidence in myself, but I still was scared of taking risks. Now that I have spent over a semester in college, I find myself even more talkatvie and outgoing that I used to be. I don't mean to say that being shy and not wanting to talk all the time is a bad thing, I just mean that being confident in yourself and not being afraid to say something that you want to say can open up so many doors. I've joined new organizations and made more friends than I thought I would.