Michigan Technological University Top Questions

The biggest thing I have gotten out of my college experience thus far is the confidence and motivation for my future career choice.

So far I have learned valuable life and work skills. I have made many friends which is excellent for future networking. The ability to download teacher lectures onto my ipod is a huge help. The relaxed atmosphere makes it easy to approach professors and upper classmen. Everyone is willing to help each other.

I love learning new things, and in college here, a lot of that happens. I know Michigan Tech has ties with several large companies such as IBM to where students can often get internships and receive jobs before they even graduate. I believe this will be very valuable to me later.

I have learned how to live on my own. I have also learned that it is important to apply yourself and value other's opinions. It is important to know that you are not alone in this world. Take the time to help others and put your best skills forward to promote others.

College is about having the chance learn about the things you love and a time to enjoy being challenged in school. Always make the choices that you know will make you happy but make sure it is a choice that you can look back on and be proud of. Though college can be fun it is best to come up with a schedule when it comes to studying, cleaning, & fun and stick to the schedule. Keep your eyes open to the many amazing people that you can and will meet at school, and though its good to stay in contact with friends back home don't let them hold you back. Most important have fun, study hard, and call your family everyonce in a while, they love and miss you.

The advice that I would give myself about making the transistion into college is to get more involved. The first couple weeks at college, I didn't go to a lot of the things going around on campus because I felt like nobody wanted to have freshmen around. I ended up realizing that the majority of the upperclassmen and faculty are eager to help and be friends. They made my transition into college very easy once I decided to be involved.

The key piece of advice that I would give to myself if I were able to go back to when I was a senior is simple. I would tell myself to talk to and get to know my teachers. I believe I could have excelled in college if I would have taken a little extra time doing this. When I went to college I had a hard time conversing and feeling comfortable talking with my professors. I understand now that this is a very important piece to college success. Professors in college can be quite intimidating. However, as intimidating as they may be, they are the direct connection of information in your college courses. To excel in the coursework it is important to feel comfortable to approach that direct source. If I created a habit of conversing with my high school teachers then I would have had more practice to feel most confident talking with my college professors today.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself i would say so much. When i first started looking at colleges i did not know where to start. I would tell myself to look into private colleges that might be able to give more financial aid and i would have to take out less loans. I would tell myself to do more research on the programs and classes that must be taken in order to graduate. Another big thing would be to look at more colleges in state would hopefully be less expensive that the one i am currently at. Before starting college i would tell myself to relax and manage my time more efficiently and spend more time studying and stop watching tv. I would also tell myself to go to bed earlier and do healthier things. I would suggest to get out and learn to socialize more and get involved on campus with activiites that would be enjoyable and help build my resume. There is so much more that I would tell myself when I was at that state. There is a lot of information that does not get to high school students.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior knowing what I know now I wouldn?t say much. Part of the transition between high school and college is learning how to deal with things that come up. I would give myself encouragement that I am on the right path and that the biggest thing is to trust myself. I would tell me that no matter what people say it is still my choice where I go and I don?t have to have a concrete reason as to why. So in the end all I would say is that things will come up and I have the tools to deal with them and all will be well.

If I could go back and give myself advice about the college life I tell myself to try harder in Calc 1 and 2 so that Calc 3 wouldn't be so hard on you. Getting a better study habbit in high school would make the transition a lot easier and not to have my mind so focused on one certain major but go in with an open mind about what you would really like to do for the rest of your life. I would also say that don't just go to a school because they have a good reputation but to look for one where the people are easy going and maybe one that you have a friend going to because having your close friends with you makes the college life a lot more enjoyable and you will find yourself more out going at times too. The last thing i would tell myself is have a good time too because after this is work and really this is your last time in life that you have no big worries other than just a couple tests.

If I could go back in time, the first thing I would tell myself would be to go where you want to go no matter the cost. When I first went to school I went somewhere because it wasn't expensive, not because I wanted to go there. I was so unhappy that I switched during my freshman year, and now I am happier than ever. I would also advise myself to be prepared to study more than I ever have before. The school I go to know is difficult, and studyig makes my life easier and my time worthwhile. The last thing I would advise myself is to be outgoing and do thigns I wouldn't normally do. My first semester I sat in my room and didn't socialize and I wish I would have. Now that I socialize, I have friends to hang out with and friends in class to study with. I also enjoy my time at school more than ever.

Stay focused and buy your books from upperclassman or online. Listen to upperclassman advice with a grain of salt and don't be afraid to ask for help. Call your parents more. (You're beautiful and wonderful.)

Shifting from high school to college includes taking on much more personal responsibility. Having experienced college life for a semester, I would strongly encourage myself as a senior in high school to strive to take on more responsibility and leadership roles in order to prepare myself. I would also assure myself that making new friends and adjusting to harder courses and new professors is nothing to be afraid of. Everybody goes through it, and almost everyone becomes a better person because of the experience. Finally, I would tell myself to make every effort possible to find activities that I not only enjoy participating in, but that would provide me with marketable skills and abilities once I graduate from college.

In high school, anything seemed possible. I had chosen a school my family could afford, the program I wanted to attend looked perfect, and everything seemed to be falling into place. However, it wasn't until I was actually at Temple University that I realized I may have just made the biggest mistake of my life. Of course, this sounds a little dramatic but to this day I am kicking myself for not going to other schools and really seeing what the school could offer me. That is the advice I gave to the underclassmen at my old high school when I went to visit over winter break. There is no reason that anyone pursuing higher education should have to compromise a great education because of financial issues. Asking important questions and talking to upperclassmen who went to that university will give you the most honest feedback. And on an unrelated note, make sure to talk to your future roommates before deciding to live with them. This advice will not necessarily guarantee a stress free first year, but it sure would have helped!

Don?t worry about it! Although the kindergarten games they make you play during your orientation may make you doubt the mental stability of your school, it will only last a couple of days, and afterwards the majority of students will return to their natural personality. However, there are a few that never seem to fall off the ?away-from-mom? high; they are easily identifiable by the mohawk eloquently dawned on a shiny scalp as they race around campus. You will most likely wish to avoid these characters, but fret not; there are plenty of other humble students just like you who will make your stay comfortable and enjoyable. Utilize the recreational activities the campus has to offer. Normally a night bowling or a gym subscription may seem like an excessive expense, but you may be surprised to find out what is available to you and your friends free of charge. The most important piece of advice, however, is to listen to your teachers and writing coaches. No matter what major you are, you need to learn how to write properly in order to be successful at school and your future career as a college graduate!

I would tell myself to get over the drama and start really thinking about what I wanted to do with my life. I would become more involved in volunteering, JROTC, and working out. I would tell myself to get my head in the game and really learn some good studying habits. I believe that I made a lot of right choices in high school and found myself to be very down to earth but most kids are just too busy with a social life, parties, and not working hard to prepare for school. Basically, give back to the community and learn from it because once you start college it is hard to learn how to balance homework, volunteering, working and a social life.

You must develop a better work ethic and realize that you and only you are responsible for any learning and life experiences that will come your way during college.

Don't take yourself so seriously. Learn to laugh at yourself when you fall and make sure to learn from your mistakes. You only live once so live it up. Study hard, but don't forget to have fun. College is an adventure. Enjoy it while you can. Good luck!

When you are at home you may have your parents or guardian to tell you, "You should get your homework done now so then you can go out later." When you are living on your own in your dorm room, you have no one there to tell you what you should do, its your own judgement and no one elses. You have to be able to know what you should do and only you can make yourself do the right decision. Also, you should always go to class even if you think that you don't need to. There is always some sort of information that you will miss if you don't go to class. Whether its about an exam or something that may be on the exam, there is always something you can take home from class.

Aggressively purse all learning opportunities. Yes, it's GREAT to be well-rounded and have fun however; for 4-short years place the emphasis on education first! Be a sponge, learn as much as possible. Be open-minded and cherish other peoples way of life. The college experience can't be duplicated - the opportunities you have are priceless, make the most of it. View it as a sprint, it wont last that long, but the wealth of knowledge and experience that can be ascertained is limitless!