Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis Top Questions

Always look ahead to the future. Often times you will run into obsticles that it seems have nothing you can learn from them and no way to get past them. However, you just have to keep your goals in mind and work for them. No matter how pointless it seems apply to every scholarship that you can. Don't go into living on campus scared. It is a very fun experience and its true when they say you can't judge someone as soon as you meet them. Go to the social events until you get your bearings and have made a few friend. Likewise after you have made a few friend don't quite meeting new people. Lastly make sure that you make time for fun and not just stay in your dorm. Its easier to cope if you have balance in your life. College is about finding yourself, learning to spread your wings, and makeing a start to your life on your own.

I would tell myself to be more open to new ideas and to get involved in anything that sparked my interest. I would also tell myself not to be shy or afraid of trying new things, since I waited too long to get more involved, and when I learned how much fun it was, I was disappointed that I had wasted time previously. It is also very important to know that it's OK not to do an extracurricular activity that you do not enjoy. If you try the activity and don't like it, fulfill your remaining obligations but then find something else you would like more. There is no point to sticking with something that you do not like, not even to put it on a resume. It is much better to spend time seeking out something you will truly love doing so that you can speak about it with genuine passion.

I would tell myself to not be so wrapped up in trying to get away from home. I would tell myself to focus more on the purpose of me going to college and not the perks of college life. I wish I could tell my high school self that I need to do as many college visits as possible, because had I done that, maybe I wouldn't have transferred three times. I would let myself know that "everyday smarts" wasn't going to be enough to make it in college and that I was going to actually have to study and apply myself. I wish I could go back in time and start my college journey over, knowing the things that I know now. With this newly acquired knowledge, I believe my transition wouldn't have been so rocky had I known it then.

If I could go back and talk to myself I would encourage myself to get more scholarships. In high school, I would look at the scholarships listings that our counseling services gave us and most of them were for minorities and athletes or for the very poorest. It was very discouraging especially because my grades were so good. I felt like all that work was for nothing because others got in for being poor or being born black. I would have told myself to look harder because there are some opportunities out there and college was a lot more expensive than I realized because I didn't get enough aid from IU. I also would tell myself to listen to my parents and just stay home and go to IUPUI to save money. When you really look at it, the "college life" isn't worth the money. It's not about the social scene, it's about learning.

College is going to have it's ups and downs and you may not want to be there most of the times because things don't always go according to plan. However, you just have to remember why you're here and what you intend to accomplish in the future.

I would tell myself to continue doing well and trying my hardest. Do not slack off at the end of the last semester of high school. As hard as some of your high school classes may seem, college courses take much more time and concentration. It is not going to be an assigned chapter and answering questions at the end. It will be lectures and a lot of reading and studying on your own time. Rarely will you have assigned homework. And most important, you have freedom. No more asking to go to the restroom, or having mom and dad call in for you when you are sick. You will finally be treated as an adult. So do not slack off and when things get tough, just remember, it will all pay off in the end.

If I were to go back in time the advice I would give myself would be to study hard and stay focused the first 2 years of high school and get your basics for your graduation credits, and the last 2 years expose yourself to different facets of education. This type of early experimenting with education will broaden your exposure to careers available to you in the real world which will give you some idea of the direction you would like to pursue in college. Most importantly, when you commit to something, anything, stay focused and do your best to succeed.

If was could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, there are many things that I would advise myself on. I would definitely have to inform myself of the current financial situation that I am in, and to work as many hours as possible before starting IUPUI in the fall due to the lack of ability to work enough and keep up with my school work. I was always under the impression that I would be able to easily balance the two out, but that was wrong. I would also try to convince myself of exactly how much harder it would be, especially without making enough money to pay off everything that isn't covered by financial aid. I would make sure I was fully aware of exactly how much the textbooks would really cost, and what the fee's are like when you don't get tuition paid on time. I would also give myself the web address's for several of the scholarship databases that I have found so that I could get to work looking for scholarships earlier on, as opposed to when I have no money to pay anything with.

I would tell myself that college is extremely different than highschool. Also I would say that it's up to myself whether or not I want to achieve in all my classes, nobody tells me to wake up and go to class. It's very self disipline. I would also tell myself to start being organized and never ever procrastinate because that can hurt you in the long run. Always get your assignments done and study study study. It's not like highschool where you go to the class everyday, you have to be able to make sure you know the material and get help if you need to because you're not going to see your professor everyday. It's important to make sure you get to know your professors and ask them for help because that's what they want you to do. Also, apply for a lot of scholarships because tuition isn't a joke and so aren't student loans so make sure you get any free money people offer. College can be fun you just have to be on it with everything.

I wish I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior. I've always had such a plan for my life and when I realized that plan wasn't workin out for me in college, I forced myself to stick to it and I was truly unhappy my first semester. I have realized now that sometimes plans change and that's ok. It doesn't meen I made a mistake or that my future won't turn out as successfully. It meens I'm working on a new plan, and this one is making me happy. If I could talk to myself my senior year, I'd advise that part of college is about making discoveries and growing. You can't "plan" for every part of life, but if you do what makes you happy, then changing the plan and going along for the college ride will be an incredible experience.