Kent State University at Stark Top Questions

Dear "My 2008 Old Self". I am now living my life in 2014 and I must say i miss you. There's so many things I know now that i wish i could've told you back then. For instance to avoid college loans, and apply as hard as you can for scholarships, i even wish i could have told you to save your money and maybe even invest it. I really wish i could have told you to eat better and excercise more for now I am a type 1 diabetic, and balancing school and my health is not easy. O and by the way "My 2008 Old self" living at home with Mom is more of a gift instead of a curse trust me, because working full time and paying rent is not all cracked up as it was suppose to be. Though it is now 2014, I can no longer wish upon my highschool years I must focus on my future, and everything that I've learned has not only made me stronger but i am a much wiser young woman. Which is why im wise enough to pursue my education and obtain a College degree.

Knowing what I know now about college life and the transition, I would tell my high school senior self, " Don't put anything off" Do the reading from the books because you will get more information from them than what you normally do from the teacher. If you have to, work ahead so you don't fall behind. The most important thing I would tell myself would be to join clubs and activites so you can meet people who share an interest similar to mine.

If I could go back to college as a high school senior, I would have quite a few things to tell myself about life after high school! If I had the chance to do it over again, I would have taken advantage of the post-secondary option that my school offered-- where I could have taken college classes while still in high school for free-- and would have recieved credit hours that would have made a difference in the time it takes to get my four year degree. Another thing that I would have told my high school self is to enjoy being a child for the time being because once high school is over, and you are an adult, you have to take on a lot more responsibilities! I think that I have made a good transition from high school to college, and look forward to the next chapter in life and what it brings!

BENJAMINWARSAW-ADVICETOHIGHSCHOOLSELF Knowing what I know now about college and the transitions that are required to be successful, I would advise myself not to worry too much and to continue doing my very best. I found myself worrying too much about what the new expectations would be; college was a whole new lifestyle change for me. I thought that I might have problems taking notes in class and keeping up with reading assignments. To add, I worried that I might get lost on campus since I was in a completely new environment. So my suggestion to my past-self would be, “Establish a daily routine and stay organized by keeping a separate notebook for each class. Also, take one day at a time and focus on what needs to get done that day. College isn't as 'hard' as you are perceiving it to be; you are more prepared than you realize. Just believe in yourself.”

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school student I would tell myself one thing that would have changed my whole high school experience. I would tell my high school self that it is ok to not have a best friend. I always felt like I needed to hurry up and make a best friend in high school so that I could tell everyone when we were older we have known each other since high school. It is okay that I did not have a group of friends and was a “loner” because when you get to college you are going to find your best friend and you are going to have that close knit group of friends. If I could go back and tell the high school me one thing, I would tell me to not stress over being a loner, you’re going to make friends in college!

Save your money.

First of all be a better student. Listen to my parents more. I would study more to ensure my grades were always the best to strive for scholarships/grants for college. Have goals and some direction on being successful.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior the advice that I would give myself after knowing what know now is that I should be more responsible for my learning. Now looking back, I regret not taking the time to study prior to any of my exams, I would usually wait until the last minute to do it. Another thing that I would tell myself is that I should apply for scholarships early because you never know what's going to happen meaning that I had to take time off after high school for a semester since I didn't have the money to attend college. The last thing that I would tell myself is that I need to be able to communicate with other teacher if I'm not understanding the subject matter. That was my biggest problem in high school, I would just pretend that I knew what the teacher was saying even if I really didn't. That's why teachers are there, they are willing to help beyond the extent so that the students understands what's going on.

Dear My Senior Self, I know that you are nervous about graduating and continuing your education by going to college but you are making a great decision. The advice that I wish we would of known earlier is that the ACT scores are very important when applying to colleges. The ACT determines what colleges I get into and what scholarships I can receive. Study, take practice tests and be prepared. College is very different from high school. You are expected to learn more information and at a faster pace. The tests in high school are over one chapter but not in college. The tests in college are ususally over five chapers. Make studying a habbit now because you need to study in college. Take harder classes and challenge yourself because that is what college is going to do. If you follow this advice, you will do great in college just remember to never give up. It is easy to become overwhelmed as graduation is getting close but just face one challenege at a time. I promise we will get through this. -Our College Self

I did not graduate from high school. I did receive my GED in May 2013. However, if I could go back, the advice I would give is to not drop out of high school no matter the challenge.