Illinois Institute of Technology Top Questions

If I could go back to give myself advice, I would tell myself to apply to as many scholarships as possible in order to help pay for school. I would say, "do not stress the little things." College can be overwhelming and i would tell myself to just take it one day at a time. There is no need to stress out about everything. I would ultimatly say to myself that i need to have fun and not spend so much time worrying.

Thinking back on the past few months of my college adventure thus far, my high school self definitely could have used some advice from my older and wiser college self. If it could be done, I would tell myself not to fret. Breathe. Relax. Now is not the time to be a perfectionist anymore; this will only create more stress. Do not belittle yourself because of one bad grade, because honestly, you are tougher on yourself than anyone else is. Move on. College is an experience that not everyone will be able to have. Always be thankful that you have this opportunity. While you must take college seriously, it is absolutely okay, if not necessary to have fun as well. You will only be young once. Embrace this and try not to act like the old woman that you sometimes do. College is what you make of it, so make great memories. While all of this may sound cliché and you would probably roll your eyes, take my advice. Trust me, I've already lived through it and learned from experience.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school senior self, I would tell myself that college is much better than high school. I would tell myself that I need to buckle down in school and let myself know that I am not going to have anyone to hold my hand throughout college. I was a poor high school student, so I would tell myself that I need the best of grades in college to be able to transfer into a four year college. The last thing I would tell my younger self is to not give up on myself because college can be stressful, but there is a better outcome waiting for me at the end of it.

I moved from Egypt to the United States two years ago after the Egyptian Revolution started. As a new student, I was not sure what high school in the US was all about. All I cared about was going to my classes, getting the best grades I can, and just graduate with my high school diploma. After achieving all this and going to college, I found out that there were many steps that I skipped that could have made my college experience not only easier, but also more fun and enjoyable. First advice I would give to myself would be to try and take electives that relate to my major in high school because, essentially, it will be of much benefit to my college career. One thing that I do now in college and I have not done in high school as much is being involved in my community. I am currently a member of four different organizations on campus and I volunteer on weekly basis to help people in need. This is the most thing I would say every high school student should consider engaging in; extracurricular activities because it will defnititely make their transition better.

First, I would have told myself to fill out scholarship applications!!! I thought that my grades were not good enough to get any. I think now I missed out on a lot of money because of my doubt and my laziness. I also would have told myslef to write my homework down. One of the main reasons I did not turn my homework in on time was because I would not write my home work down. I would turn it in a day or two and get everything right, but I would recieve half credit because it was late, which hurt my grade. At the end of my school year I started going in to ask my teachers for help with rasing my grade and completing assignments. I should have been doing that at the begining of the year so I would have told myself that too. Lastly I would have told myself that hanging out with my friends is not that important. I spent most of my time socializing when I should have been studying or doing homework.

Given the possibiility stated above, I would strive to inform myself to take the future more seriously. At the time of high school graduation, I had no positive outlook on my future. I spent three years at a community college, where I frequently changed my mind on what career I should pursue. It wasn't until late in the fall semester of my third year that I met a few individuals who changed my outlook on life. Fellow classmates showed me the wonders and endless possibilities of engineering. I was entranced by the theory which they spoke of, as if a spell was cast on me. These conversations shaped my future and I am now entering my final year at an engineering school. Although my future has brightened considerably, there is still a presence of bleakness. I used up all available funding from the government by exceeding the amount of credits students are allowed. This poses quite a conundrum, as I am currently without means of recouping from such a loss. Therefore, if time travel was possible, I would ensure my future self knows has a clear perspective on what field to study before taking all the subsequent courses.

There are quite a lot of things I would tell my high school self. Most of all, it would be to not procrastinate! I'd tell him, "We entered the college life as ignorant as possible, not knowing what to expect. But now, I realize that when we have questions, we need to get answers. I used to be so quiet, not asking questions even when I didn't understand something; make sure you don't do that, or you'll definitely regret it. I know college life seems like a lot to take in. It may seem scary or complicated, but running away from it isn't the answer. You just have to dive in as fast as you can, and before you know it, the worst will be over." Then I'd pat him on the head and say, "Oh, and don't be afraid to talk to people. You'll make a lot of friends in college, and it's going to be a blast. Just relax, and you're going to be fine. I would know; I'm you from the future, after all."

If I could go back in time and talk to myself, I would tell myself to obtain a goal and focus. There are alot of things that may advert your focus but stay strong. Life happens and unfortunately there is nothing you can do about it. Just make the best of your situation and keep at it. Use 'that' situation as your motivator to drive you to work even harder of obtaining your goal which is to finish school. Look for the end result, it's very rewarding.

If I could go back and talk to myself when I wa a senior I would have a lot to say. First off i would tell myself that I really need to develope better studying skills so that i would not have such a difficult time with classes. I would also tell myself about the endless amount of resources that provide me with help with my classes and other things, and to really take advantage of what is being offered and put out there. One of the more important things i would tell myslelf is to spend the time to fill out a lot more scholarships. Money in my family has gotten very tight since I have been in college. Life for my whole family would be a lot easier if i had filled out and recieved more scholarships. To end though, I would tell myself to make the best of my college years and really enjoy them, and grasp the life long lessons that arise and truly utilize them.

I would tell myself to not worry, and to not procrasninate. I worked slightly harder in my AP Physics and Literature, I would have been able to get a little bit more ahead. I was lazy as a senior, and I should have worked harder. That way, I would not worry too much about which classes I should take to graduate, and focus on learning. Other then that, I believe that I have no other regrets.