Iowa State University Top Questions

"It's not the grade you make, it's the hands you shake." Getting all A's in school doesn't help as much as meeting people in the industry through internships, community service, or social events. Break out of your shell and talk to people. That random person at your job that you are making a sandwhich for might work at a big engineering school and could have some tips for you. The woman that you are in front of in a line might know of an internship. Making friends with other students is key, because most likely they are studying the same thing you are. They may have notes for you if you miss class, or you can study together. Maybe they have heard of a new scholarship that would apply to you. Networking is key to success.

Make your own path in college. Don't worry too much about keeping up with your highschool friends or going home every other weekend. Get involved on campus and start new friendships with new people.

One of my biggest struggles in college is studying. I would go back and tell my past self to quit being lazy and start studying. Although I was successful in high school with little effort, I never developed decent study skills. Another piece of advice I would give would to be ready to talk to people you have never seen before. You are going to a college that none of your friends are going to so be prepared to make friends with people you have never seen before in your life. The last thing that I would tell myself is that you can survive without mom and dad. After 18 years of depending on mom and dad, you will be able to adapt to independance.

Rachel, you do not need to panic about what is to come. Iowa State has so many opportunities that you will feel truly welcome. The music education program has many passionate and wonderful teachers who will come to know you personally. You don't need to feel alone because these teachers have your back. CALL MOM! She is going to miss you so very much now that all of her children are out of the nest. Please remember to call her often because she loves talking to you.

I would tell myself to learn to say yes more. Say yes to going to dinner with people on the floor, to trying a new club, to a person asking you to join them to study. This will get you out meeting new people and trying new things. You'll make new friends which will make the tranistion into college easier. By trying a new club you'll gain a new experiance that might impact what you choose to study. Having a study buddy is a good thing because you can learn from them and review information by teaching them. Even if the thing you said yes to doesn't work out you'll have gained a story to share and knowledge of what you do and don't like. College is about experiances and by saying yes more often you're more likely to have them.

If I could talk to the graduating senior I was nine months ago, I would tell myself to not procrastinate and not assume that college is simply another four years of high school, because it is not. In college, it is important to keep up with your homework, quizzes, etc. because once you fall behind, everything will continue to pile up and there will be no time to catch up on your academics. In addition to the advice of not procrastinating, I would tell myself to not be afraid to socialize with your peers and not be shy. In college, it is important to have a social life in order to balance out your academics and ensure that you are not always fully engaged. If you do not take a break from academics every once and a while, you will quickly overwhelm yourself.

The first thing I'd tell myself would be to not freak out. Yes, it's a very big transition from high school to college, but it's just a normal part of life. I'd tell myself not to worry about keeping in touch with your best friends from high school because they'll always want to talk to you first. Don't stress about your parents either, because they'll be just fine. On the plus side, you can see them on weekends if you'd like. Another thing I'd tell myself is to branch out and try different things. The ISU marching band really helped with this, but you could definitely do more things in your free time, like joining different clubs. Try to put yourself out there and make friends, because chances are your college friends are going to stick with you for a long time. Last but not least, always try to keep a balance between school work and having a social life. Many times you'll want to study inside and do homework a week earlier than it needs to be done. However, it's also important to have a social life.

I will tell you that packing light was a good plan. You can definitely have too much stuff in your dorm room so pay attention to any packing lists on the campus website. I would also say that the summer between high school and college might seem like a big deal, but it really isn't. You can see high shool friends during breaks and such. Also, be patient when it comes to your parents. Every parent will react to their child leaving differently so it is best if everyone can act like adults and avoid conflicts. One last thing, if you do not make friends right away, do not be concerned. You will meet tons of people throughout the first semester alone and these people are also looking for people to befriend. All in all remember that almost everyone is in the same boat as you.

As a high school senior, I thought I knew it all. I thought I could tackle college just as I tackled my way to the state playoffs. Looking back, college cannot be tackled with just your body, or just your mind. College must be tackled with both mind and body. The first year is going to be tough. It is going to tear you down becasue that is what college is designed to do. The core idea of college is not to graduate and have nice stuff. The core idea of college is to learn deeper than the books go. Go deeper than the lectures. There are many hidden life lessons in the next four years with one of them being time management. College does not give you time because you have to MAKE time. Make time for homework, social activities, and workouts. Life is not going to slow down and neither should you but break time is critical to time management. In conclusuon, most people go through college half drunk and get a piece of paper but if you want the most out of college, go deep and embrace every moment.

Cultivate better study habits earlier rather than later.