Iowa State University Top Questions

Dear Catherine, You are about to journey towards college now and there are a few things you should know. One, do your registration early. Do not percrastinate. Two, keep up with your own records, the college may misplace them. Three, get a good knowledge on what classes you want to take and what you need to take before registation, this will make the process easier. Four, do not register for a class just because your friends are in it. You will not pay attention. Five, study as much as you can. I know it's college so you want to do the things you couldn't while in High School, but college is more important. Finally, know that you are smart enough to do this. Do not get stressed out to much, you can do it! Sincerly, Catherine

Try your best to know what you want to do for a profession in order to save time and money on classes. But if you change your mind as you mature throughout college, do not hold back. Try to save money and work through college in order to avoid debt. Get involved and do more than simply go to class! Join clubs that interest you, step outside of your safety zone, and meet people who are different than you. Studying abroad is the single greatest gift you can give yourself as a maturing student. Give back to the community and volunteer; it will make your college town feel like home. Eat healthy foods and don't fall into the trap of eating college junk food. Enjoy the scenery; hike around your campus and the surrounding area, paddle in a canoe, or go for runs that help you relax and enjoy the beauty around you. Don't waste your time binge drinking like many of the other students, and never drink before you're 21. Many bright students have lost their careers due to this. Don't fear judgment. Call your parents and love the life you live!

The hardest thing about going to college is figuring out what path to go down and what you'd do with your degree after college. You will change your mind about this many times and that is normal; be flexible and open minded. Think about what really matters in life and where you want to be at the end. Work backwards from that point. Don't forget to submit your FAFSA before its deadline and apply for as many scholarships as possibly. It is vital to avoid debt so you are not paying back your school loans for decades to come. Exerience life and don't be afraid to make mistakes on the way. Do not fear the judgment of others. Ignore casual relationships and focus on the relationships that are worthy and lasting. Call your parents from time to time to tell them how much they mean to you, and thank them for shaping you for 18 years. Eat healthy even if everyone else eats the typical college junk food; it will energize you and pay dividends later in life. Finally, take the time to play outside like a kid; adults too often lose their sense of playfulness!

I now know that high school was not as hard as I thought it was. I would have told myself to quit stressing and enjoy the freedom. College is a mental challenge. My first semester I learned a lot. I met people and got caught up in the social life. I thought I was busy, but I was busy doing nothing, like napping and snacking while I should have been studying. I was not utilizing my time and I did not realize it until midterms and had C's. I was straight A in high school and I realized I needed to find balance between education and social life. My C's went to B's first semester and I ended my freshman year with an A- average. I treated time like gold, took early classes, studied and did homework in the afternoon, and had nights free. Instead of hitting snooze I woke up and used weekend mornings/afternoons to do homework. Weekends were some of the most valuable time. If I could tell anything to my high school self it would be, "College is much harder than AP classes! Start learning time management, time is no longer endless."

I would have to say that I would have started college after graduation. I feel I would have been more prepared in my studies. The sercumstances were not being able to do so, getting married after high school and had my son, which ment working and takng care of a child.

If I could go back and talk to myself before I started my first year of college, I would tell myself to find assistance for classes that seem like they pose a threat because if you wait too long to notice a problem class, it may be too late to save the grade for the class.

I came to Iowa State University as an out-of-state transfer student and there was a lot of pressure from my friends and my finances to stay in my home state to attend school. If I could go back, I would tell myself again to "follow your dreams" and to do what I believe is right for me, regardless of what others think. I went to a smaller two-year school right out of high school and I already knew people from my area who were going there so I spent most of my time with them; but if I could do it over I'd tell myself to be more outgoing, to break free from my comfort zone and meet new people. I feel like I missed out on developing some great relationships because I didn't do that. And most importantly, if I could go back I would give myself a financial reality check! I knew that college would be expensive and it wasn't going to be easy, but I would tell myself to be a bit more frugal my freshman year and to save up because I've quickly learned that every little bit counts!

When you get out in the world, you want a job that will pay your bills, but most importantly you want to be happy in your job and be doing something that you absolutely love. HAPPINESS is the key to SUCCESS, if you are not happy doing what you do then you WILL NOT SUCCEED!! I learned this the hard way, after high school I tried to pursue the dream that my parents wanted for me, I didn't like it and I quit!! Now 12 years later, I am pursuing the career that I have wanted to do since I was a little girl and I am succeeding tremendously!!! I will graduate in May as a Registered Nurse!! Life is not always easy and sometimes we must take our own unique paths in order to find success!! NEVER GIVE UP, NO MATTER HOW ROUGH THE ROAD MAY SEEM!! Nothing about college is easy! You have to be willing to make sacrifices!! This means you can't always hang out with your friends, you may not be able to attend every family event.....but when it's over, it will all be worth it!

I would be as prepared as possible with my schoolwork, because college academics are definitely not as easy as it was back in high school. Also, I'd really appreciate my after-school job more, because it gave a little more financial stability when it came time to spend money on books and tuition. And lastly, it's not the end of the world if you don't exactly know what major you want to study -- just go undecided, and sooner or later you'll find the career you want to pursue!

Knowing what I know now, " Taniisha you need to take summer classes (Intro to Nutrition and Math 115); SAVE MONEY FOR A CAR (you need this the most), and do not help out his mom-she is using us."