Iowa State University Top Questions

My transition to college life was quite smooth and easy to get acquainted with. I would tell my self to no stress so much about roommates, dormrooms, and friends. You can't control where you end up and who you are going to be with. Everyone is in the same position. Hardly anyone knows anyone and you have the opportunity to meet new people. It is great! Introduce yourself to everyone. Give everyone a chance. Who knows, your next door neighbor could become your best friend. Being away from your friends and family can be a bit daunting, but you can call them, skype them, write them, or facebook them whenever you are feeling a bit homesick. I would to look for more scholarships. There are so many out there. Just apply! You never know what you can get. Your parents and your future self will thank you.

Do not burn yourself out in high school because college seems to have a higher impact and effects your future than high school does.

I grew up in a small town, not knowing what to expect in college. If I could go back in time I would have done less extra-curricular activities and would have taken more college-credit courses. I knew that I did not have the skills to play college sports, but I was told that they help with scholarships in college. This is my third year in college and I have not yet found a scholarhip that depends only on high school activities. Coming from a small town I was not used to diverse cultures. My first year of college I attended a University and I was stunned at how different people were from eachother. If I could go back in time I would have created more chances for me to learn more about diversity and be able to get involved. Now that I am used to such a diverse environment I absolutely love it and I am learning more about people every day!

Self, now you know it is important for you to apply your self in school so you can get ready for transitioning to college. You don't have time to be lollygagging around and not focusing on developing your study habits. College requires a lot more comittment and you are the only one that can dedicate that time, so get it together and stay focused. I want you to represent yourself in a positive manner and be able to deal with the change effectively without being overwhelmed. It is so vital for your to be able to manage your time effectively because basketball is going to make a huge demand on you that will impact your education. Don't make up excuses as to say the teachers are not being compationate enough, just do what ever it takes to complete assigned work and prioritize your daily task.

Dear Senior Self, In order to make your transition from high school to college a bit easier, I listed a few simple steps to follow. First off, make sure to plan out your financials on a monthly basis to make planning next quarter easier. Next, don’t be afraid to ask questions. This sounds cliché, but this your career we are talking about not just another class. Third: take every class seriously because the end products are what go into your demo reel/resume; It’s not just a grade anymore. Fourth: make friends! Whether it is your teachers or classmates, having a wide social network with others is a big benefit in the video production field! Additionally, if someone offers or asks for help on a video or set, take the opportunity! The more experience you have the better! Plus, it gives you more confidence when you enter into the job market. Fifth: keep applying for scholarships throughout college. Trust me; you need the money for parking, books, among many other things! Finally, don’t stress out! Be happy and always remind yourself that this is what you are passionate about and that it isn’t just another chore.

I would first start off saying, not to worry. Moving away to college is a natural transition. You will easily meet the most interesting people in your life. You will be able to experience more knowledge than you thought possible growing up in Brighton, Iowa. Don’t worry about being “just a number,” at Iowa State, you will meet and stay in close contact with some of the greatest Apparel Merchandising professors in the country. Don’t be apprehensive about putting your thoughts and ideas out there, you will soon find that your peers are finally on the same page as you. You won’t be different because of the way you dress or how you design; you will be equal because you chose a college and a major that appraises individuality. Finally, prepare for success, through the projects you do, the organizations that you will be a part of, and the people you will network with. Don’t worry. That would be the advice I would give myself. There are too many “what if’s “in your life and worrying won’t solve any of them. Just take ahold of your life every day in a positive way.

The single most helpful piece of advice I could have used going into college would be to take responsibility for my own education. As a high school student there are numerous safety blankets, lifesavers, and second chances that will help to ensure you graduate. Your parents monitor your grades to ensure you are staying focused on your studies. The teachers remind you to turn in your homework and start studying in advance for the test next week. Your parents even attend parent-teacher conferences to talk with your teachers about how you are doing in school. In contrast, for a college student there is no one monitoring your progress, no safety blankets, or even lifesavers. When you fail a test there are no retakes. When your grades turn south in a class, there is no one there to keep you working hard. But there are some advantages to this new style of learning. If and when you graduate college, it will be because you took responsibility for your own education. You will be able to take pride in knowing that it was you and your hard work that got you through 4 years of school to finally acquire that degree.

I would tell myself to follow through with college, that there are resources available to help young mothers succeed in college, whether single or married. I would say that life has a way of taking over and carrying you too far too fast in directions you never considered before, and of hiding your dreams from you. There will never be anyone right there telling you how to do things and make your dreams happen. You need to get busy asking questions and seeking out the answers. Trust in your ability to learn and grow, and to handle what life throws at you. Get back into church, keep in touch with family, do not get so tied up with the day-to-day routines that you forget to stretch yourself, and learn new things. You can succeed and be somebody, so get busy.

I would tell myself to relax and that's its going to be fine. I would advise myself to have more fun in high school, because in college if you want a 4.0 and a sufficient amount of sleep, you can't have much of a social life. You have to make choices. You have to prioritize and start making decisions that are going to affect you for the rest of your life. I would also advise myself to become more involved on campus right away. It's so easy for time to get away from you, and before you know it, ALL you have is that 4.0. I would tell myself to make memories, not just a GPA. I would tell myself not to sweat the small stuff. To keep everything in perspective. But also to remain driven toward my goals.

I would definitely tell myself that college isn't all fun and games. I remember when I was in high school, all my friends who had already graduated would talk about how much fun college was and how great it was. No one ever said anything about how hard the transition was, how homesick you'd be (no matter how much you couldn't wait to leave), and how school was still school, just on a bigger campus with harder classes. I would go back and tell myself all this so my expectations would've been different coming into college. I think I had such high expectations about it being awesome, and that I'd be having so much fun I wouldn't miss anyone, that it made the transition harder when I realized that it wasn't all like that at all. It's a lot of work. I would also have told myself to study harder for those AP tests, because coming in with a few more credits would've made my life a lot easier.