Iowa State University Top Questions

I would tell myself to make more connections with people in high school. I would advise myself to get more involved with sports. I would tell myself to try and be different and do things that would allow me to stand out. I would tell myself to go straight to Iowa State and not transfer from a community college. I would advise myself to apply for even more scholarships and save more money.

Stick with your strengths and don't go after a career that might have a higher earning potential. You'll just be miserable. That, and you'll wind up not going to class, which will result in having to take time off to figure out what you really want to be when you grow up. Happiness in a career is much more important than money. Besides you and organic chemistry do not get along very well! You're going to be a single mother trying to go to school, but whatever you do, DO NOT max out your student loans! I promise you'll regret it! You're going to get a good job after graduation, work for a while, get your master's degree, then work for a while again before going after your PhD. Make sure to save up, because you're not eligible for tuition assistance and will be paying out almost 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of your monthly salary income to cover tuition!

Keenan, Iowa State is definitely the school for you! The friends you will meet, and the experiences you will have are irreplacable. However, I know you are struggling with choosing your major. Your summer job at the Forest Preserve will be what you always dreamed of as a first job, and this is your passion! If you are truly stressed about completing a degree in four years, then get out of Civil Engineering. Do not pay attention to what anyone says, this is your life! Everyone will love and respect you even more if you stick to your guns, and follow through with what you love and believe in. However, your past will determine the person you are presently; not changing immediately to Forestry would afford you valuable learning experiences that go beyond academia, and extend in to your personal life. My biggest advice to you is to do what you desire, and do not have regrets. You will find what is right for you when the time is right. Sincerely, Keenan

Take more AP classes! It will help the transition based on the difficulty level that college brings. And also to be more involved in clubs or organizations so you can get in the habit of being involved.

The advice I would give to my past self would be to relax. I was so stressed out about what college would bring and its difficulties that I was not able to enjoy my first few days. I was so nervous not to make friends that I psyched myself out. College actually comes a lot easier than I thought. I had at least 10 new friends within my first week here at Iowa State which was more than I was hoping for for the whole year! Chill out Jessica!

Take as many college classes as you can in high school, so that when you get to college, you can focus on the classes directly related to your major. It also allows for more time for the activities college has to offer, such as the many clubs and student organizations!

As a kid in high school I was very independent and hard working so college was not that different for me. But I guess one thing I would say is that you will meet people that fit your personality traits that you will not find in high school. With your major you chose that major because of the kind of person you are and the other people in your major are very alike that personality as well because they chose the same thing for most of the same reasons. So don't worry about the transition it is very simple and not that different.

I would advise myself to look at other school options. Although Iowa State has proven to be a solid choice of schools, I still wonder what other schools would have to offer. Maybe Michigan or Ohio State or one of the military academies would have been the actual school for me... They're each definitely cool in their own way... Alas, I will never know what it would have been like to go to any school other than Iowa State because that is all I looked at.

Do what you think its best, always trust yourself. Don't look down at people for being different, that's what is magic about the world, the huge diversity.

The biggest lesson I have learned is that strong relationships are improtant but they can change no matter how perfect I thought it was before college. I learned this through my boyfriend. My boyfriend and I dated all four years of high school and he is my best friend. We had a relationship that I thought was unbreakable but two weeks into college I was proven very wrong. He was driving to visit me from his college in Minnesota and he never showed up. A couple of hours later, I learned that he had been in a car accident and a couple days after that I learned that he crashed due to being hungover. He lied to me and let me down, I carried a lot of anger with myself for weeks. Besides telling my relationship story, I wanted to tell what I learned from this. I wish that I would have known that people make mistakes and college is like a fresh start and can hinder new relationships or change the old ones. It is not fair to expect all relationships to stay the same with anyone when you or the other person are in a whole new environment.