Iowa State University Top Questions

If I could go back and give advice to myself, I would have told myself to have gotten a job during the summer and started working on applying for jobs around campus sooner. As I have spent time on campus, I have seen countless events near by that would have been lots of fun to be able to attend. Unfortunately, I was extremely short on money. Also, having a job over the summer and during the year would help earn money to pay of loans from college sooner. The bills add up quickly and having a head start on being able to pay them back would have been great.

If I could go back in time to tell myself as a high schooler, I would tell myself to stay focused,THe road is not going to be smooth but you can do it so stay focused.

Going back in time I would have to tell myself that I need to make a list of pro's and con's of what I want from my life and how I could achieve it. If I didn't know then I would want to get all of my general education classes out of the way. That way I would have them done when I decided what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I would tell myself to be outgoing and get more involved than I already am because it makes time go by so much quicker and it helps you experience what you don't like and what you do like. Organization is a very important tool to have in life and starting and practicing good organizations skills is a very helpful life tool.

One of the best things I could have done shortly after moving in to my dorm would have been to go around and introduce myself to people. I've met some over time and a few that first move in day, but there are people that live two doors away and I've never met them, now its gotten to the point where it'd be somewhat awkward to be introducing ourselves, later on in the school year. Another great thing is to always leave your door open, even if people don't take it as a time to walk in and talk, the more people on the floor with doors open, the more you can feel connected with the other people on your floor.

Strive for the higherst grades and study every day. Lay out a schedule and PLAN when you are going to hand in the assignments. Try to work a head, so that you are not over whelmed by too much work. Look for scholarships. Go for tutoring when you need to. Be assertive and less timid.

I would tell myself to work harder at not procrastinating; it's a horrible habit to get into!

As a college student, I would advise my high school self to really branch out. This was a problem for me when I first came to college because I was extremely shy. Talking to people in class, in your dorm floor, and not being afraid to join clubs and teams is a really important thing when making the transition. It eases the issues, such as missing home and being nervous for a big test, because there is a support system to hold you up. All the activities also make you more focused in school and look fantastic on a resume. Get involved is a phrase you will hear over and over again, but really taking it to heart is the thing that counts. It will improve academics, build a circle of life long friends, and ease every part of the transistion period.

I would tell myself that I was going to miss the carefree lifestyle I was living and to not worry about the small things like who I was going to prom with. I would order myself to get a job and plan my schedule around my job so that there was no conflict. I would try harder to get scholarships and other financial aid. I would tell myself to be prepared for everything to change, but not to sweat it because I’ll have people to help me through it all.

“17 year-old me, please don’t continue down the path you are going. I have been there. Lose your boyfriend, you always put his needs before yours. Soon everything will revolve around him and you will have no joy in your own life unless he is around. When you break up you can’t seem to function because you have no one to give your everything to anymore. It takes you 4 years to come to the conclusion that you need to live for yourself and put your focuses first and everything else will fall into place. In that four years that it takes you to realize that, your friends from high school have graduated from college. It is difficult and you feel like a failure.”I suppose that is the advice I would give to myself as a high-schooler. High grades and learning was always important to me and I began to let that slide as I grew deeper into my relationship with Mike. Currently, I am excited to begin going back to school, however there will always be the regret that I gave up my hopes and dreams because of a silly boy.

I would tell myself to make sure I get enough balance between school and a social life. Being in high school, it was very easy to spend the whole night after school just studying and not hanging out with friends during the week. In college, it's ok to socialize and be even more involved than in high school during the week because your friends are literally down the hall from you. I also would tell myself when beginning the transition to make sure I do not overschedule myself. After finding out the 18.5 credits was too much, I wish I had never gone through that stress and instead just knew not to overload like I did.