Middle Tennessee State University Top Questions

College is a time of transition into adulthood. Take advantage of the opportunity, and pick a school where you can blossom and grow into the young woman you want to be. Don't be afraid to be social and adventerous. Keep God, family, and grades first, but allow yourself room to do something different, grow, learn, and have fun. Don't let any of the stress that comes with change discourage you. Instead, let the idea of change fuel you because it is only drawing you closer to reaching your ultimate goals in life.

I actually have had the opportunity to do this with my little brother, he is a senior in high school. All last summer he was telling me how easy is senior schedule is. so i told him that he needed to bust his butt to in school while he has the chance. take harder classes to prepare himself for college. college is a different kind of school. all classes are hard. for those students that are like me and took the easy way out of high school and did not have to study will make extrememly hard on themselves, becuase youwill have to study in college. you can bet on it. If you want to be as prepared as you can for college. then you should take harder classes.

I would tell myself to relax. College is not as stressful or hectic as it is played out to be on television. I would tell myselft to get involved in high school to prepare myself for the social college lifestyle. I would also teach myself good study habits so I wouldn't have to relearn them upon entering college.

I would say: 'The longer you procrastinate, the harder and more expensive school will become. Get real with yourself and do something with your life. It's no more difficult than what you make it and you're capable of doing this! Trust me, i'm you, only 50 lbs heavier and still working a dead-end job. By the way your pregnant and this baby needs a future!'

I have heard similar questions as this proposed through out my life, but it is only now that I am having difficulty managing my words. The conversation would probably begin with a lot of encouragement and congratulations. Never have I panicked at the thought of being alone in a dark world. I chose a good, safe school with wonderful opportunities abounding within. There is one subject that is repeatedly coming to mind though, and the advice that I would stress is the importance of scholarships. I slacked my senior year, and neglected all applications. Life came along and harshly knocked me out of my dream cloud. Loans can be really hurtful in the long run, and my family does not hoard copious amounts of money in the mattress. I used to consider any scholarship under 1000 dollars beneath me. I was wrong. Every dollar helps, and I would make sure to remind my past self of that. The essays and applications are well worth the amount of time spent filling them out. My much-humbled future self will never forget significance of a scholarship.

Parents- Support your children and their decisions even when they don't correspond with your own; this is ultimately their decision and it is going to set the foundation for the rest of their lives. Let them dream, don't make them live through yours. Offer your strength and encouragement; ensure them that no task is too large and that they can do anything they set their minds to. And lastly, don't be afraid. Let your children go; more than likely they'll come back anyway. And to students, do your research. Tour a variety of campuses and ask as many questions as you can. Participate in campus related activities and talk to current students. Figure out what YOU like and what YOU want, not what your friends do. Ask yourself where you want to be in five maybe 10 years from now; will the college you're looking at support that outcome? When you choose a college, don't over-do your course/work load; take your time, you have plenty of it. Also, GET INVOLVED! Make new friends and don't be afraid to try new things. That's what college is all about anyway, right?

When searching for a college that best suits you it would be better to not do the following things. Don't rely only on what you hear about the school. Everyone is different and just because it doesn't satisfy your best friend doesn't mean it won't satisfy you. It is not wise to enroll in a school without having a major or minor. You want to attend a school who's graduation rates are high in your field. Do not follow your friends!! College is totally different from high school and has many different requirements. Sometimes it's best to be in a different environment so you can try new things. I advise you to study ahead of time, prioritize, and stick to a master schedule. If u fail to plan, then you planned to fail! -Aliah Billingsley

When deciding on a college consider the size of the campus and its population. A High population school may mean a much larger campus size and class room size. Try and decide whether or not you would want to have to walk longer distances between classes and also consider how much teacher/classroom interaction is best for you. Most high population schools accomodate to the size by building classrooms the size of an auditorium which in turn means less interaction with the teacher. One other thing to consider is how far you are from home. At first you may think you will never come home but after a month or so away you begin to miss those people you call your family.

A big thing i would have to say is to check out the size of the campus, whether a campus is too big or too small for a student can really make an impact on how comfortable they are, which in return makes an impact on their grades. You should also check into what types of programs they offer and see how well people who have been in those particular programs enjoyed them. The opinions of other people who have previously attended that school could always be a big help. The biggest thing is to just try new things and enjoy yourself in college. Be serious about your education, but don't let it get to the point to where you have no free time, you will need some time to get away from the schooling and just have some fun.

Selecting a college is a decision that takes a lot of thought, consideration and the ability to look into the future. Each prospective student should be drawing from themselves, considering both their passions and talents. Their personal big picture will reveal an organic selection.