Illinois State University Top Questions

If I could talk to my senior self, I would emphasize the importance of applying for scholarships. Even though jobs are said to be available on-campus, it can be very difficult to obtain one. This is for the same reason that all of the other students need money too! Whenever you see an opportunity presented to you (such as a scholarship) go for it! There is no reason why you should not give yourself the chance to apply for it. Of course, you may be lazy to write the essay for it but trust me, your future college-self will thank you later. If you apply to scholarships at the beginning of your senior year, you just might not have to be worrying about money while you are in college. Think about all of that time and energy that you will save by not working while you're in college, and how you will then be able to use it all towards your academic performance!

Life Goes On.

Things I would tell myself: Take a deep breathe and stop worrying so much. Don't be too hard on yourself. Grades are important, but embracing the college experience is even more important. Get to know your professors very well. In the end, those people can be some of the strongest networking tools you can have. Immerse yourself into campus community; join clubs, and a lot of them. This will only make your college experience that much better. Make mistakes!! This is the first time away from your parents. Skip class, change your major 7 times, sleep all day...This is the best time to figure out who you are as a person and what you are interested in. Don't be shy. Put yourself out there. Introduce yourself to anyone and everyone. This will only help you once you get out of college and into the real world. If I could tell myself one very important thing I would say, "you don't get these moments very often, so stop and enjoy them!" Most importantly, have fun!

Be all in. Join every club that interests you, but only stick with the ones you love. Say hello to strangers, they might be your best friends tomorrow. Smile even when you don't feel like it, because one day you'll realize these really were the best years of your life. Talk to your professors. They're a well of practical knowledge that you can't get from textbooks. Follow your instincts. You don't have to know what you want to do with your life, just start with what you want to learn. Don't be afraid to change your major. Figure out what and who you believe in. It's important. Be with people who push you to be better and do better. If your dreams don't scare you, dream bigger. Don't be content with living a good life. Prepare yourself to live a great one.

Trust your gut. High School Senior Madeline questioned everything. She questioned what others thought of her. She questioned whether or not she was making the right decisions, and she questioned what she wanted for herself. However, in retrospect I knew that this old version of Madeline knew what she wanted. I was once so consumed with making the "perfect" choices that I ignored the only thing that could guide me in making all my decisions: my gut. Having completed a semester in college, I've learned that I know what I want, and when faced with tough choices, I learned to take a breath, think about what I wanted out of my college experience, and realized I knew exactly what to choose. Whether the choices affected my relationships, academics, or my extracurriculars didn't matter. College is a time to figure out who I am. In keeping with that, I have to trust that my gut feeling will guide me in the way I'm supposed to go, allow me to learn from my mistakes, and enjoy what the next four years have to offer me.

Life is about to get weird. People are gonna be a lot different than you, and are going to be in your face about it on occassion. You don't have to give in to peer pressure, but don't be afraid to have a good time. Make sure to call Mom and Nana every two weeks or so. Make sure to get a job on campus, because you'll need all the help you can get. College is a sink or swim environment, where the people high up don't care if you sink; as long as they get their monthly pound of flesh, they'll "support" you. But hey, Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.

Work harder. Get a better GPA. Study constantly till you get that A. The ACT is no joke, study for it and try your hardest. Make wise choices and your education in high school really does determine your life so act like your straight A's is all that matters.

If I were to go back in time to give high school me advice, I would tell myself to do what I love to do. I have recently been looking back and realizing that I was wasting a lot of my time taking class in school that did not interest me. I wish I could have taken other classes that were more appealing to me rather than taking what my family and friends recommended for me to take. Looking back on high school, I really did prepare myself for college by knowing what I am interested in. Throughout high school I completed every business course my school had to offer. After taking those courses I realized that I loved the business industry and want to work in some aspect of it after college.

I would tell myself that all great things take time. The person that I am now in highschool, is not the person I will be when I am older. I was not happy with myself when i was in highschool. I was unmotivated and didn't have a plan for my future. I would tell myself that before I worry about my future, I should work on myself. I should become a better person and persue my interest. Anything worth having is worth working for. Good things will come my way but not all at once.

The only advice I would try to give myself is to not worry about anything, that I am still young and have time to find myself and who I want to be.