Iowa State University Top Questions

I would warn myself about always saying yes. It's a dangerous word that holds great power, and is so easy to use. It's important that no is another powerful word that helps keep you inline. I would remind myself that schoolwork is very important, and sometimes you have to say no to your friends to actually study for the upcoming test, or do the homework that is probably due tomorrow. It's so simple to just say yes, and forget about studying for that test because my friends want to play games. But that test is very important, it has the power to raise your grade from a B to an A, but it also has the power to drop your special B to a C- if you don't study. There is an important balance of yes to no answeres, and it is important to find it. College is about having fun, and meeting new people, but it is also about studying and making good grades to go onto medical school. It's a hard balance to find, but it is the most important thing to know, friends are fun, but studying is superb.

Knowing what I know now, I wish my high school senior self had spent more time doing actual in the fieldwork. In high school, my interests spanned the spectrum of careers. One month I was devoted to the runways of New York with sights in fashion merchandising and the next I was mesmerized by nutrition blogs with my prospects set on being a dietician. Now, in my second year of college as a pre-med student majoring in Nutritional Science, I am scouring the locals for job shadowing opportunities in hospitals, volunteer opportunities in food pantries and clinics, all in search of the spark I feel in the classroom. If I could, I would go back and tell myself as a high school senior to get out in the world and do something. Hold my future in my actual hands and test it all out. Go out in the world and meet the real deal in person. You can love what you learn in a classroom, but only when you are able to stand in the prospects of your future and put you hands in the your prospective work will you know truly what you want to do. Thank you.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior in high school, I would tell myself to not worry about the future. Yes, college is a big deal; however, after experiencing almost two years of it now I would simply tell myself that I am prepared for this, and no matter what life throws at me, I can handle it. Change is one of the most beautiful things life has to offer, and I should embrace every moment of it.

All I could say to myself is to stay open minded and keep exploring. Don't get attatched to anyone particular thing too early because you will want to explore. Never be afraid of the variety and diversity but rather consider it an adventure. Find things you want to learn and then learn them. Lastly, wherever you go, friends will always be there to be made and support you through your adventures in college.

Study more effectively and complete homework in a timely manner. This is the advice I would give myself as a senior. I have realized, in my first semester at college, that if I had studied for my classes like I do now, I would have been so much more successful. Being lazy and slacking off seemed easy in high school. I should have worked harder and studied more. Those skills that I could have easily started in high school could have turned into habits that I could then utilize more soon in my college career, rather than struggling trying to adjust to college life. In all, my idea is a simple one, but even the simplest of ideas, can make the greatest difference.

Get involved with more things sooner! You'll have more free time than you expect, so go to clubs, work on hobbies, do something!! Don't worry about trying too hard with friends, they'll come soon enough. Most of all, have fun! There's so many things to do around campus, you should never be bored!

Learn good study tips! High school was very easy for me in which I did not need to study often nor did I spend a lot of time focusing on school. When I entered college I found it to be a bit challenging and I had to learn really quick how to study and what study habits help me learn most.

I would tell myself to get in gear, and get into a habit of doing homework much earlier than the night before it is due. College is a HUGE step from high school, and it is going to take much more commitment to have that 3.8 GPA in college than it did in high school. You might have once been able to do your homework the night before it was due and barely study for tests before big exams. But in college, you will have so much invested into your education that minimal effort is no longer good enough. You are going to really start focusing on your education, because your next 30 years may be decided by how well you perform in college. So suit up, and get ready for a wild ride!

In high school, thinking about the next year starting college seemed like a large feat in itself. Thinking even further into the future, as far as college graduation, was the last thing on my mind. In high school, I argued that I had four full years to figure things out before I graduated. However, knowing what I know now about college, I would advise my high school self to continually think ahead. To start thinking about study abroad a year before I want to go, to plan my classes two years in advance, to attend the career fair and start practicing for interviews long before I actualy apply, to start scholarship applications as early as October... In high school, it's easy to think only a few months ahead at a time. However, in college, there's no such thing as too much planning. Even though you can still get by with a short-term attitude, planning in advance sets you above your peers and prepares you for the next few years. The next four years may seem far away, and it may seem difficult to think about where you'll be, but don't wait. The future is now!

I'd tell my high school self to expect the unexpected at Iowa State. I'd tell myself to do what I did when I first got to college -- jump right in to opportunities and see if you sink or swim. If you sink, jump into the next opportunity that presents itself. But if you swim...swim as far and as hard as you can. Jumping into opportunities helps you discover what kind of person you are and who you hope to be by the time you finish college -- not taking advantage of every open door could, in all honesty, determine your future. Take those open doors seriously, but know it's okay to have a little fun at the same time. Also, know it's okay to close some doors after you've taken a look around and realized you wanted something different. Getting involved is also a chance to meet some fantastic people -- people you want standing beside you during important milestones in your life. There is no better way to embrace your future than getting involved with the limitless opportunities at college.