Metropolitan State University of Denver Top Questions

My adivse would be to see a counsler as soon as you can and figure out your classes. Counslers can help in many ways including helping you figure out your classes and schedule. You need to know what classes you are going to take and having a layout of which classes you will take and when to take them, this is important. There are certain classes that you have to take before other ones and classes that you should take in seperate semesters. You do not want to take classes that you think you might need but in reality you didn't need them. A counsler can help with this confusion.

Have fun, try everything you can, step out of your box, and take this one chance to be a kid. There is no advantage to behaving like an adult when you are in school, you have the rest of your life to do that. With that being said, your studies are important, take them seriously and put in the effort to be successful. You will thank yourself for the work you put in when you look back. Cherish those that are good to you, and know in your heart, who makes the cut on your true friends list. Those will be the people you call when you get engaged or pregnant, and they will be happy for you then, just as they celebrate your current successes. And last, but certainly not least, tell your family that you love them, and appreciate all they do for you. Just remember, mom did not have to take you to school with your tuba and pick you up late because you missed the bus for football practice. She supported you in all you chose to do.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior in high school, I would give the following advice: follow your heart. Know who you are and trust your insticts. There is a lot of pressure to know what you want to do in your life right now as you transition out of high school, but you are still young and have a lot to learn and it's okay to make mistakes, but if you listen to the outisde influences more than you listen to yourself, you will fail. In taking the time to realize who you are and what impact you want to make on the world, it will benefit you more than any degree would. Be patient and humble. Take time to breathe and don't overload yourself because you think you have to or because others do it. Be responsible with your time and your finances. And more than anything, have fun!

Some advice I would give myself would be to stay focused. Stay determained and remember your goals.

There are no limits to one’s courage and determination. The advice I would give my younger self is to remain unattached to outcomes and learn to live in a state of unconditional, childlike wonder. There is an inner strength and an inner peace that can be found within us all, both of which the world cannot penetrate and the hypocrisy and incognizance of mankind cannot poison. Embrace that inner source of strength and you will become fearless. Laugh and dance as much as possible. Do not be afraid of heartache, but prepare yourself because tragedy will undoubtedly hit. When this happens, all you can do is keep your chin up, your head held high, and your faith going strong. Life is about learning and you can learn the most through unpleasant experiences and difficult times - do not forget the power in the struggle. Never leave room for regret, while always remaining open to new and different ideas. Embrace life with all of its quirks, surprises, and disappointments, and always be thankful for life experiences and opportunities. Attitude is everything.

When I was a senior in high school, I had an idealistic view of what college would be. I expected to have the perfect college experience like you see in the movies, where the main character is able to balance a perfect social life with new friends and relationships with a perfect academic career. I truly felt that this is what my college experience would be. I felt like I would be able to conquer the world. Once I started college, the reality of it all slapped me in the face. While we all need a social life, it took me until my sophomore year to realize how it is nothing compared to the importance of academics. If I could go back and talk to my high school self, I would let him know that he won't have that idealistic college experience, that college is hard work. I would let him know that the great social life he will find in college is not nearly as important as staying on track for his future. I would want him to know straight-up that the friends worth keeping are the ones who will be cheering him on at graduation.

Dear Helen, I know you are making some major decisions in your life at this time. I want to say, “Be patient, keep searching, everything will work out just fine, and trust your instincts.” You desire to be in the health field, but what you quest after is not readily accepted now, however it will gain popularly as Western Medicine losses its glamour. Western Medicine and Alternatives work well together and you will be part of helping it grow together. Be patient as the world catches up to you and in the meantime find out what your other interests are and act on them. Everything will work out just fine as long as you keep focused on what you want. Trust your instincts, they are trustworthy and will lead you to the knowledge you seek. Again, “Be patient, keep searching, everything will work out just fine, and trust your instincts.” With Love, Your Future Self, Helen

If I could go back in time to talk to my high school self the most important thing that I would tell myself about college is to work as hard as possible. When I graduated high school I didn't really know how to study and it was a very sharp learning curve during my first semester. That advice to "work hard" would really mean that I shouldn't underestimate the work load that is required to succeed in college. Just because I didn't have to do much to get good grades in high school does not mean that the same applies to college at all. I would also tell myself to be as open to new experiences as possible. I have a tendency to be shy and if I would have been more open to new things going into college, I think that it would not have taken me as long to adjust to college life.

The biggest advice I would give myself is don't get frusterated about the little things and don't get lazy. Transitioning to college from highschool was rather easy for me because it was in my home city, and my high school prepared us greatly for college. The hardest part for me was the fact that I would get frusterated about not being able to find a certain book in the library, or the fact that I had to walk to school from the lightrail (which is maybe 10 steps from the first door). Getting frusterated with these types of small things kept me from going to school sometimes, or kept me from continuing to look for that certain book. After attending college for a couple of years now I have realized things like that should not be something that keeps me from moving forward in my education and working as hard as I can to succeed.

If I could back in time and talk to Nya the high school senior, I would tell myself that the college process is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I would tell myself to make a list of everything that I need for financial aid. I would definitely talk to my advisor more about where I can go to apply for scholarships from my university and what requirements that needs to be met. I would also tell myself not to buy books for class until after the semester has started and I know whether or not if I need a book for that specific course or not.