Kent State University at Kent Top Questions

I would tell myself as a high school senior to stay focused and avoid procrastination. It is easy to get behind in your coursework by choosing to sleep instead of going to class or staying up late with your friends. When you get behind it makes you feel overwhelmed. It causes you to do unhealthy things like pull all nighters and drink energy drinks. You'll beat yourself up inside when you have to retake a course because you didnt apply yourself. Get this nonsense done in good time so you can be a big girl. Also, remember you are paying for this! Maybe not now but eventually you'll have to pay and the loans add up quick. Be sure to research and register your classes with highly rated professors. Good professors are those who are interesting enough to stay awake through lecture and those who are willing to give one on one time with students. Remind yourself every now and again why you are putting yourself through this torture. Theres a light at the end of the tunnel. That light is your dream. Its the what you'll be doing for the rest of your life.

I think about what I should have done differently very frequently. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school student, I would tell myself to actually try. I have been blessed with the ability to not have to sudy much at all. I graduated high school with a 3.7, but I could have easily had a 4.0 GPA. I just told myself back then that it wouldn't matter, and of course I always had better things to do than study. Now that I am a college student I see the real picture! I could have tried harder on the ACT and had a full ride to college. Boy would it be so much easier on me to not have to work a full time job and study through nursing school. I had to take out a personal loan through my bank this semester just to pay for school. I am currently paying that off. My school doesn't offer student loans, and all of my savings paid for my first two years of school. If only I knew then what I know now!

I would say to myself: Look to the future. Consider where you want to be in 5,10, 20 years. College is an opportunity to help you become the best you can be. It will open doors for your future that otherwise will be shut to you. A college degree out weights the effort put forth and the cost that is involved. Someday in the future as you accept the diploma and you are looking forward to starting the new position you have just accepted, you and your family will be proud and thankful that the initiative you have shown is providing the rewards not only to you but to your community. Since you want to become a nurse, you will become a positive influence in the community and to your family. The nursing profession is an honorable profession and I hope I have learned that it is an attainable goal.

As a high school senior, I know that it is difficult to make the big decision of where to attend college. Go with your gut- not with what any of your friends or family members say. If you follow that feeling, you will end up right where you belong. I love this school, and I have absolutely no regrets about choosing it. Once you get here, embrace your new surroundings. Don't sit in your room and only go out to parties on the weekend. Experience college the right way- attend school-sponsored programs, join a student organization, make new friends everywhere you go. Another equally important thing is that while you went to college to achieve your dream of acting on stage, know that sometimes it is okay for dreams to be put to bed. Dreams change, mine did, and I am so happy that I changed my major to accommodate. I love where I am in my life now, and I hope that you can appreciate where you are going as well. Good luck on your months to come, may they bring you excitement, new experiences, and most importantly, utter joy.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself while I was a high school senior I would tell myself college is not all that it is made out to be. College is portrayed as a partying place where you go to school hungover from the following night of drinking and having easy classes that you do not need to study for just like in high school. Yet, for me that is not the case. I am a nursing major and it is not like this at all. I came in to college knowing it would not be easy but I did not think it would be as hard as it has turned out to be. If I could go back I would tell myself that I will not go out partying or pass an easy class even if I do not study. I will tell myself that I am going to have to study and work hard even if I thought I did not have to. I would show myself that college is not all fun and games like I originally thought it to be.

I would tell myself to look at more schools in depth. Don't pick the school that most of your friends are going too, pick the school were you think you will be comfortable. Pick a school that puts an empahsis on family and community. Fill out alot more schalorship applications because most schools are expensive. Consider some schools that are out of your home state. You've been in Ohio your whole life, try something new for a change. Pick a school were you think you can grow into a better man, to mature and gain self awareness. Pick a school that helps you get involved and where the general population seems to be friendly. Pick a school that actually cares about you.

The first piece of advice that I would give myself would be that college is an important part of life, but it isn't the most important part of life. Getting stressed out about homework is pointless and a waste of time. I would tell myself to forget the stress, sit down, and do the work. The second thing I would say is that college is hard, but not impossible. With good time management skills and determination, the work will get done and everything will be okay. The third thing I would say would be that there is a difference between being the best and being my best. I would tell myself that as long as I'm trying my hardest I should not get discouraged because I am doing the best I can. The fourth thing I would say would be to remember what is important. There are a lot of things in life that matter, and there are a lot of things that don't. I would tell myself to think about the importance of something before worrying about it. Lastly, I would tell myself to remember who I am and whose I am.

If I could go back to my senior year I would definitely change the way I approached senior year. Once I became a senior everyone said it was a blow off year and it kind of was in the beginning because I wouldn’t really have to try and even if the teachers tried to talk to me about trying harder it didn’t matter because all I needed for me not to take finals were all C's. A thing I wish I could change would have to be being more self-dependent on myself because the hardest transition for myself in college would have to be how I didn't really have anyone here for me at school. There were no longer anyone there to tell me to do my homework or to make sure I end up doing this. It was all up to me to complete all the things I needed to do in order to become successful. Not preparing for this in college was a wakeup call for me but I was able to strap down and do all of these things but I definitely had to learn it the hard way.

Hello, younger self. I know that you have been anxious to be apart of the college life as you are shy and somewhat of a hermit, but don't be afraid. Your passions that others thought to be bizarre in high school are shared by many in college. Check out the student organizations and wear your favorite shirts that say, "Hey world! I love anime" because chances are someone will feel the same way. That foreign fashion style you like? Don't worry, you will end up meeting a girl decked out in it. The dolls that you collect? A large handful of students on and off campus collect them too. You are so full of creative ideas that should be shared with others. I know you have always wanted to start a costuming club to share your love of sewing and craftsmanship, so now is the time to go out and do it! Be true to yourself and let the world (or campus) see who you really are.

I would tell myself to take more college credit classes so it make the transition to college slightly easier by not worrying about as many classes and taking as many credits. I would also remember to create and establish good study habits so that when you get the freedom of getting away from school you still have to maintain desipline and work. Other good habits would be to develop a hard work ethic to keep up with work and being able to focus even though there ismore of chance that you would be able to become distracted.

If I were to go back in time and give myself advise, I would urge myself to continue my education beyond an Associate’s degree. I earned an Associate’s Degree in Small Business Management in 2006 and entered the workforce. If I were to travel back in time and speak to myself I would congratulate myself on the accomplishment but also explain that the degree I earned would not be sufficient for competing in the job market down the road. Having a Bachelor’s degree is very important in today’s job market when vying against many other qualified applicants for a limited number of positions. I feel that this would be the best contribution that I could give myself several years ago, to continue my education. I only wish today that it had been possible to receive this information from myself. I believe that it is the only way I would have found it to be credible.

Start looking for scholarship money now. It costs too much money to go to college. It is easier to have someone give you money than to take out loans.

After experiencing collegiate life, the advice I would give to my high school self would be to attend a smaller university closer to home. Upon graduation I chose to attend the one of the largest universities in the country 2,000 miles away from the small community where I grew up. It was my hope after graduation that I would be able to escape the unhappy memories of high school by attending a university far from my home. However, I was blissfully unaware of the hardships that I would experience in my new environment. I was naïve to think that I would be able to adapt and find ‘family’ at college. While others flourished among the other thousands of student I struggled to find my place at such a large university. I realize now that in my desperation to fit in I made many mistakes. By being at a smaller university closer to home I would have been able to adapt more easily; avoiding many of the problems I encountered. As I have since transferred to a smaller university closer to home I can tell myself that I did not need to move away to have new positive experiences.

If I had the chance to I would tell my high school self to calm down. There is not much need to stress about college because academically I am prepared for the work. On the other hand, paying for college has been tough, so I would have told myself to try harder to find a job. I would tell myself to work nonstop at it because eventually it will help decrease a lot of the stress that I now feel. I would have told myself that all those times spent sleeping in on the weekend could have been used more wisely and that all though I understand the job search had been hard, in the long run it would have definitely helped.

What I would say to myself is, "Hey man, you really need to start taking your school work a lot more seriously, ESPECIALLY MATH! I know you think it sucks right now but all this is a cakewalk compared to what college is like. If you're not paying attention now, how do you think you'll do in a class like INTUITIVE CALCULUS, which is a requirement for your major by the way. Yes, I know you've heard this all before and you're going to keep hearing it. Trust me though, you need to listen. Doing good here in high school will also help you on that ACT exam your teachers are making such a big deal about. Also, you need to be more responsible with your money. I know it's cool having your first job and some steady cash flow, but college IS NOT cheap. It's ok to buy a few nice things, but don't over-do it. In college you'll be intorduced to the wonderful world of never-ending BILLS and also SCHOOL EXPENSES (books being the main expense). You need to start saving now! Listen to my advice, please.

If I only knew then what I know right now. I think most of us have had that thought from time to time. If I happened to stumble across a time machine and had the chance to meet up with my high school self, there are a few words of advice I would give. Firstly, I would tell myself that it was alright to feel afraid and that college was something strange and foreign to many people. To me, it was a whole new world, one I had never explored before. I feel like fear held me back from doing a lot of things. Things such as joining new clubs or going out of my way to befriend classmates. Secondly, I would tell my past self that it was alright to not know what career path to take and not to worry so much. College is meant to be the place where you'll decide. I spent so much time stressing out about finding a major, I forgot to have fun sometimes. These small pieces of advice are words I know I would have liked to hear at eighteen. Even so, my college experience has been one amazing journey.

If I could go back in time to talk to myself in High School, I would give myself Financial, Educational, and Self-Help advice.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself not to worry so much about trying to figure out who I am while still in high school. Just because you go into college not knowing what you want to do with your life doesn't mean you're not going to graduate on time. I would tell myself I don't have to know what I want to do with my life. I spent so much time trying to pick a major I have already changed, but it took me until college to realize that was okay. I would tell myself that it's okay to try new things and that I shouldn't be so scared to try those things. In high school, I thought college would be difficult so I had to be perfect. I would go back in time and tell myself that it's okay to explore and realize you're not in the right place. Because it's not until you reach that moment that you actually find out who you are. I think, as a high school senior, I just needed to hear that everything would turn out okay. And it has.

I would tell myself to make sure you know who you are before going into college. It is a big adjustment, and most people will do anything to just fit in. If you know who you are before, you will not fall into peer pressure and get dragged in all different directions. Make sure to get a planner and in the beginning of each semester, take the syllabus from each class and put everything in the planner. The best way to do this would be to mark the exams in red and the homework in black. Time management is key because there is a lot more time in college than in highschool. It is better to do the assignment right away even when it is not due for awhile because you will end up forgetting.

Dear Kelley Boatwright (Age 17), Listen up and take the SAT and ACT, or you will regret ignoring this advice. Do not let your grades suffer from stress at home. Please don’t get caught up in whether or not somebody cares about you. Care about yourself enough to realize that this isn’t the time to pine over someone; this is the time to set yourself up for everything you want in life. Do not look for others to help fill a void within you, instead improve and prepare yourself for the future. If you want someone see you differently, you must first change yourself. Stop being afraid and realize that you have more options than you think. Do not dwell on the life and mind altering events of your past, they will paralyze you. You are the only thing that will hold you back. Do not become complacent and stop striving for more from yourself. You are better than that and you know it, just don’t forget it. Most importantly, don’t lose yourself. Keep your neon rainbow aura of quirkiness and never, under any circumstances, stop creating. Sincerely, Yourself at age 27 (with two kids)