Iowa State University Top Questions

Make sure not to join too many clubs your first semester here, by overbooking yourself you will spread yourself thin and not make as tight-knit groups of friends and you will also sacrifice some of your academics to the extra work. When you come up here, it is very important to get an agenda and make a schedule so that you don't forget about your commitments, both social and academic. By being organized you will ensure that you are managing your time in a smart and efficient way.

If i was able to go back and speak to my high school self. The first thing I would tell him is to make sure you do great on your school work and make sure you study and take school serious. The very next thing I would talk to him about his taking his SAT serious and make sure to take it multiple times if you don't receive a score you like. Make sure you narrow down the schools you would like to attend before your second semester.

I would tell myself that the irrational fears of getting lost and having bad relationships with professors are just slowing me down in my transition process and that if I continue to dwell on them, I won't have a good time at orientation or during my first week there. I would tell myself that orientation would elimate those fears and would have me going to different places on campus so that I would know where the engineering buildings are and where the dining halls are. I'd tell myself that I'd make friends and would already have a close relationsip with my roommate before even moving into the dorm room! There's nothing to worry about, because in a year, I'll be a pro at this whole college thing and freshman will be asking me for advice just like I did when I was a freshman. College is a first step, and I have already taken so many first steps like a first job or driving for the first time, and I turned out to be just fine...college shouldn't be any different.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would defiantly tell myself to not believe in fear because its not really, to not be afraid and to try new things. Trying new things is what’s going to spark your interest in what you like. I would also tell myself to start becoming a regular reader and start self-developing. College does not do a good job at teaching you how to make money, you have to learn that yourself. In order to do that you have to put yourself head of everyone and gain some skills that others don’t have. A great way to gain some of those skills is to read. Some advice I would give myself is to talk to more people, and to try as many new things as early as possible. Especially talking more during the first week of school when people don’t really know each other. You could meet a friend as easy as saying “hello my name is Rafal”. Having a bigger social circle would allow you have more opportunities for yourself.

I would simply tell myself to schedule things out. When I first came to college, I felt like there was going to be no time to do anything fun. I had heard all these rumors about studying 3-4 hours outside of class for every hour you were in class. I felt like I was going to have to spend all my time studying or else I would fail. This put a lot of stress on me and made college unenjoyable. After some experimentation, I came to the realization that I could set aside time to study and time to do the things I wanted to do. My second semester of college followed a schedule. I took four more credits that semester, but my GPA still jumped up. I went out and played sports with my friends and was more involved while still maintaining a higher GPA. The biggest piece of advice I could give myself would to be have fun but have fun in moderation. Make time to study and take care of school related things, but don't forget to make time to have fun and explore everything college has to offer.

Preparing yourself for college is pointless, the ride you'll be on for the next four years will be a great but unpredictable one. Don't develop tunnel vision and forget to look at the big picture. There are a plethora of options for you while in college so don't limit yourself to what you think you know. Go with the flow and have a fun educational and social experience.

Relax. Senior year is stressful enough with finals, scholarship deadlines and graduation. You have all summer to get things in line for your new adventure at the college of your choice. Just make sure your transcripts are sent and you are registered! Also don't shoot done the idea of a two year community college. A lot of the time you can leave there with the tedious, required for every major, classes out of the way with little to no debt. Also it is a great stepping stone for those that don't like the thought of moving to the 'Big City' and University life. Once you’re at college join a club or two, go out on the town, get to know the people on your floor and do a midnight dodge ball tournament! Just make sure you make it to all of your morning classes. Professors have a set number of classes you can miss before you fail it all together! Also get a campus job for a little extra roommate-date night cash. Remember you are only at college so long before you enter the 'real world'!

I would tell myself to not be so stressed about friendships and making friends. Friends come and go, and anyone who was truly your friend in the first place will stick with you. Also, the relationship with high school friends will change and that's not something to worry about. Classes will be harder, you won't get As in every class, but celebrate the work you put in and remember that it will all work out in the end. Develop relationships with professors as soon as you can. It will help in so many ways and most of them will bend over backwards to help you with anything you need. Most importantly, remember college is only 4 years, classes only last 16 weeks, even when you want to give up, push through and you'll get through just fine.

SCHOLARSHIP!!! Be more serious about scholarships.

Take your time when you enter college. You have all the time in the world to better yourself, and patience is key. If you rush, you will only cause yourself stress and anxiety. Take your time and your future can be amazing.