Iowa State University Top Questions

My transition and first semester went well. I was confident in my choice, so if I were to go back in time and speak to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to keep up the good work and to never give up.

As a high school senior, I was very involved in sports, music and my education. My biggest regret when I came to college was not getting more involved in activities and leadership positions right away. If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to not be afraid of new opportunities when you get to college, to take chances and to join anything that sounds interesting. I already knew that I would work hard in my academics, but I really believe that encouragement to get more involved within the university initially would have helped me to get to be the leader I am today sooner and would have opened up more opportunities for me. I am now a Community Advisor, which is similar to a Resident Advisor at other schools, in the residence halls and a supervisor at my job on campus. I am extremely involved and am thriving in this wonderful college environment. I believe that if I would have gotten involved sooner I could have grown even more as person and leader. Nonetheless, I will continue to grow in my leadership skills and will love every minute of it.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would definitely tell myself to take advantage of all the college classes available to our school. We had access to all the Kirkwood Community College classes, and we were allowed to take them at the college itself, off campus of our high school. This would have helped prepare me a little better for the college atmosphere and would have helped with college tuitions cost with the transfer credits that would have decreased the amount of classes I would have had to take through Iowa State. I would also tell myself to fight what everyone konws as "senioritis" and work as hard as possible in my classes to avoid the homework shock everyone has the first semester of freshman year. That would have allowed me to use that extra time that I had to learn how to study, to already know good study habits, create a schedule, and earn better grades right off the bat.

I am a compilation of lessons and experiences that have shaped my perspective. I am twice the age I was as a high school senior. Looking back, I know that I was immature, I lacked empathy, and I was naive. That young man was emotionally stunted, felt compassion but lacked the ability to show it, and was not ready for the world ahead of him. I have been through many painful experiences and I have been the cause of pain for others, but it all has allowed me to develop into a man that is much more thoughtful, aware, and reflective than I was then. I would not have developed those qualities without lessons learned through many sturggles. I needed those struggles so that I could become a man that is pursuing a path which includes addressing injustices and being aware that the world around me is not always as it seems. For this reason, it would be unwise to try changing much by giving advance warning to my younger self. If there anything I would say to him, it would be that he should keep his eyes open, be more emotionally available to others, and stay grounded in today.

Do not rush it. If you do not feel ready, do not rush it just to please your parents. If you need time to explore other options, do so, but keep in line. If you have the aspirations to attend college, it is much better to do so at a younger age so try not to put it off when you are raising a family. Though, do not pass other opportunities that you see fitting just because they are not the social norm. Follow you heart and listen to your mind, together they can achieve the greatest possibilities.

To my younger self, if you can spare a moment in time, there are some things in life you need to know. Wherever your journey of life takes you, don’t follow in the footsteps of others; highlight your differences, individuality, and interests. Focus on these qualities to mold you into an independent adult who can actively think for herself and take pride in the fact of the ability to do so. Live life to the fullest without any regrets. You can achieve this by refraining from hasty decisions and impulsive behaviors, think things through. Heed the advice of some and learn from the mistakes of others. Don’t let people tell you what you “should” do. You have a voice, use it to assert your needs, use it to communicate your opinions, use it to express your feelings, and use it as a tool to carve your way through life’s imbalances and rocky terrain. Challenge yourself every day to be greater than you were the day before. Do not be afraid of failure, because failing means a chance was taken, and sometimes you have to fail in order to succeed.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to just relax. I used to stress a lot about college when I was in high school; way more than necessary. I would just tell myself to stay focused and put school as my number one priority and everything else is pretty easy. I would tell myself to develop good study skills, and to surround myself with people that are supportive. I would also tell myself to start looking at the bigger picture and not worry about small stuff. The transition from highschool to college can be a little difficult, but as long as you stay focused and calm, everything usually just falls into place. I would tell myself not to worry about what my friends are doing, because a lot of them don't make it with you to college and you soon make a new circle of friends. Lastly, I would tell myself to enjoy it! College so far has been great. Way better than highschool. Instead of worrying, just enjoy everything it has to offer you. It's going to be a pleasant experience.

I would tell myself its okay to go to a community college and follow your dreams. Don't get discouraged by what others say about wasting your time. Picking a local community college first isn't a downgrade of education, but a smart way of saving money and staying close to family so renting isn't needed. As you began your journey on this choice, remember there is nothing wrong with asking questions, only stupid question is one not asked. Keep a positive attitude no matter what, God bless you to make it this far to use your special talents. You know yourself very well and know what career you want to pursue in, dont let others convince you its a waste of time. Give everything a hundred and ten percent and a positive attitude and you will succeed! Take on challenges with an attitude of a winner and claim it! You have everything you need to make your dream a reality and keep God first always, to direct your path. Your family also will have ups and downs but what family dont, keep pressing on and love them no matter what. Live life with no regrets.

College life isn't difficult, coming across money is. I would tell myself how to fix my scholarship applications and especially double check my essays for typos to give me a better shot.

Learn to make decisions for yourself and be confident in them, they may not always be wise or what is best but you need to be able to own up to the things you've done. You have to be passive to an extent, especially when living with someone, not everything is worth a fight. But you also need to be able to stand up for yourself when the time comes, people don't get to walk all over you, you're a human being with rights that deserve to be respected. Be financially responsible, I know the shoes are cute but you don't need them. Everyone is important and you can learn something from every person you meet, don't be judgemental or dismissive, pay attention, listen when people talk to you and think before you respond. Go to class, you're paying for school so DO school. Get involved, you're going to meet more people that way and be happier in general. Don't complain so much, it doesn't help anything and it won't make you feel better.