Metropolitan State University of Denver Top Questions

Wake up, young lady! Your potential is greater than you know, and today is a great day to start realizing that potential. Ask yourself, 'What do you want out of life?', 'Where do you see yourself in ten years?'. Answering these questions now will help you decide what you want for your future, and what steps to take to get you to that future. Be true to yourself and what you want, don't follow the pack just because you think it's 'cool'. Great things are waiting for you, but it's up to you to get yourself there.

Believing is acheiving. Many times in my life it felt that I was set up for failure. My siblings and I were the raised a single parent who struggled to support our family financially. Although it is fairly common now, the judgement associated with the circumstances seemed to limit my ability to succeed. Throughout my senior year, I attended high school in the morning, beauty school in the afternoon, and worked in the evenings and weekends. I supported my family much of the time. It was the life of constant survival to stay afloat. However, it did not weigh down my spirit. If I could look into my eyes the day I graduated, I would say that all the hard work and effort is worth the struggle. Find that centered place and focus on the ultimate goal when times are hard, then plan accordingly. Research the teachers, review their syllabus, and schedule your time to allow yourself success. You are only limited by the perceptions you allow yourself to hold onto. The demands of college are great, but the believe in yourself to succeed is much stronger. Accept your limits but never forget that your acheivements will last a lifetime.

I would recommend that kids go to college right after high school. It is so much more difficult at 40 with life being so much more complicated. Transitioning from high school to college is much easier. Also I would focus on the importance of doing well in school. Parties and friends are important but keeping schoolwork first and then allowing for everything else. Discipline within yourself and having goals are the key to being successful.

SAVE MONEY!!!! I definitely underestimated just how expensive college would really be. I do not think that i was financialy prepared for the burden of gas, parking, and various other expenses that I have had to pay. This means that I have been very strapped for cash during this first semester. I would definitely tell myself to save a lot more money than I did. I would also tell myself to take more AP classes and try to do better on the AP tests. These often times give credit for classes in college and it would be nice to not have to take some of the general studies classes that I have learned the information from before. This would also help out with the financial aspect that i have run into, meaning that it would help to lower the costs of tuition by getting rid of classes I have already taken. Finally i would tell myself to try to live closer to the school. The hour drive I am making now is attrocious and it would be nice to have more free time due to a shorter commute.

I would give myself the advice of finding out what it is that I really want to do in life. I would set up a strategic personal plan that would allow me to be able to see what it was that I wished to accomplish. I would then take my time to find the college that had the best program that fit in with the career goals that I had in mind. I would inform my high school self about how life will be different when I get to college. I would make the necessary adjustments to my behaviours so that I could succeed in college. The most important advice I would give myself if I could go back in time is to be persistent, flexible and honest.

If I was able to go back in time and talk to myself, I would actually go all the way back to Elementary School in New York. That's where things started to go awry. My mother (a single parent) moved to FL when I was 7 and left me with my grandparents until she could secure a job, residence, and future for us. I felt abandoned and started to change. By the time I got to move to FL with her, the damage had already been done. I would tell myself that no matter what other circumstances are happening in your life, an education is very important. Take every advantage that you are given in the educational system and run with it. You will have time to be social later in life so focus on your studies NOW. Try different things. Join clubs. Even if you find that you don't like them, at least you will then know and can try something different. Embrace your individualism and utilize your talents to forge a career for yourself. Most important of all . . . don't quit or give up because you're not "perfect" at something. Keep going.

If i could go back in time and talk to my self as a college student, I would say to my self work harder, take things more serious that where come from success in life. More than anything else education is so valuable. There is no better way to succeed in life other than to choose the way of education. I can go higher, I can do greater if I am a lover of education. Nothing can stop my dream of becoming true. I can fall but i will never stay down. I can get beat, but I will learn. I'll fight stronger, smarter, and I will win.

Do extracirricular activities. Volunteer a lot of your free time. Develop an identity and a strong opinion. Research and learn the techniques until you could research while sleeping. All these things will help you. Apply to scholarships often and early. Don't be lazy because laziness will you get you nowhere other than the other side of the couch. Have fun, but don't have so much fun you forget your obligations to yourself and school. You may be having fun now, but never forget about the future. Don't forget who you are and never doubt yourself. People are going to question your views on politics and life - never cower.

I would tell myself to be more focused about my future. Every since I was five years old, I always wanted to become a nurse. My mother inspired me to become a nurse, she's been a Licensed Vocational Nurse for twenty-five years, and she always took care of her patients. After I graduated high school, I really didn't have any motivation to return to school. I guess after being in school for twelve years I needed a break. The following January after graduation, I decided to attend a community college. I was paying out of pocket for my classes but I couldn't finish the semester because my money was tight. Then later on that summer, I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. I knew right then and there, its was time to get serious about my future. Becoming a parent has given me strength and motivation to continue my education instead of working dead-end jobs for the rest of my life. So I decided to follow my dream and return to school to become a nurse. The only is keeping me from going is money.

I would tell myself to seek as much involvement as possible in the college community, and to make as many friends as possible. To make sure to be aware of the opportunities available to myself, and to follow through on my convictions and plans. Also, I would tell myself to construct a schedule that consists of early days, and no evening classes.