New Mexico State University-Main Campus Top Questions

If had the ability to go back in time and give myself advice in high school I would tell myself one thing, take a duel credit class. Duel credit classes are classes that allowed for a college course to be taken, and assuming you pass, you gain a credit toward the local university and a credit toward high school. These classes would have been helpful in kickstarting my college education not only because it would have allowed for me to get some of my prerequisits out of the way, and possibly even more helpful is they would have been at no cost. Other than this advice I believe that the classes I had taken in high school and the dedication I had towards these classes helped make the transition to a college level much easier. For the most part it was easy to go from a high school level of work to a college level. I do not feel like there is much other advice I could give myself, just keep working hard and don't slack off.

I would tell myself to do better in high school grade wise and not focus on sports. Grades are what help you pay for college when you cannot afford it. I also would tell myself that college is going to be the time of your life. Show up to class and take notes on what the professor is saying. Get a job in high school and save for college because its hard to pay for everything college requires. You are going to make different friends you never thought you would make, and they will be even closer to you than your old friends.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself not to study harder, but to study smarter. I can remember highlighting entire textbook pages, which defeats the purpose of a highlighter. I am now a high school English teacher and my mantra with my students is "audience and purpose." This works for reading and writing, regardless of major. Identify what you need to take away from a lecture, reading assignment, or problem set. This will help you disregard the extraneous information and focus on what is important. For writing assignments, consider your audience and purpose in order to stay focused on the topic and make the task less arduous.

The first thing I would advise my past self, would be to be confident in my dreams and hopes for my future. Know that the plans I had for myself are inlaid deep in my soul and to maintain the path toward that dream. I would let myself know that the path isn't necessarily going to be easy. It will require great strengh, perserverance, sacrifice, and security beyond my imagination. I would also advise myself that I need to have fun and make new friends, unlike high school, these friends are life long and will shape and change my life. I would let myself know that laughing is the best medicine. To keep strong in my adherence to no drugs or alcohol, but to go out on a Friday night! Lastly, I would tell myself to guard my heart. Don't allow boys to have full access to my soul, to the very center of my being, until they have earned it. Love is out there, don't try to force it and be pateint. Mr. Right will be there when the time is right.

As a high school student I was very quiet and not very outspoken, even though I longed to speak with and make friends with the other students. So the first piece of advice I would give my high school adolescence would be to speak up. "Don’t fear what others may think of you, for no one is perfect and there is absolutely nothing wrong with be different from everybody else. Since in reality everyone is different, people just act as normal as possible for fear of being judged." The second piece of advice would be, “Friends will come and go, so do not fret if you do not end up going to the same school as Katherine. If she is a true friend to you, distance won’t matter.” The last and final piece of advice is "Learn to love the library and computer lab they will be your best friends when no one else can. Also APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS!"

After completing high school, I have gained immense experience not only in upper level schooling, but also in the real world, which opened up my eyes to the life I was leading. If I could go back in time and talk to myself in high school, I would offer some helpful insight that would guide me toward a fulfilling future. First of all, I would tell myself to be more of a free spirit and follow my own individual dreams. Far too often did I strive to please others when making decisions for myself. Reflecting on the past, I've realized that this held me back from fully understanding who my true self was. Life is not about making others happy, but trusting your instincts and following your heart, is what everyone should be able to experience. So if I had to revisit myself in high school, I would declare that I place enough trust in myself to follow my own path in life and make myself happy; because as we all know, nobody else will do it for us.

I would give myself the following advice: Beginning fall of your senior year, apply to as many scholarships and grants as you can. There are never too many scholarships to receive. Secondly, once you graduate leave options open to attending a public college and private college--explore and take advantage of programs offered. Once you choose a college, get to know your advisor. Become comfortable with asking questions about degree plans and follow through with class registration. Don't be afraid to ask questions about financial aid, internships and especially classes.

The advice I would probably give myself is to start applying for scholarships because it has been really hard to figure out a way to earn money to pay for college. I am grateful to have my parents to support me but I know that they are having a hard time themselves and with the scholarships, college would be more easier. I think that would be the best advice I would give myself if I could go back in time.

Start exploring things that interest you early. Try to sample as many topics of interest you can if the opportunity presents itself. It helps tremendously to discover early if you can, what you think you would like to do with your life. Being prepared Before you start taking classes helps eliminate wasted time, money and possible scholarships or grants you may have earned. Also, talk to people who are in fields that you think you might be interested in. They can tell you what their line of work is really like and give you some pointers, or let you see for yourself what they do. Sometimes we have an idea in mind of what we think we like, until we actually try it out and find it really isn't what we imagined. So preparation and exploration are two big factors I would tell myself to do

I believe I would've told myself to be a bit more involved in many school activities. Whether it be sports or clubs, or even some mentoring or tutoring. Any way to get involved would help out with scholarships and other clubs that one might want to join in college. It's honestly worth the time when you enter college because there is so much to do that it takes a well rounded person to be able to enjoy all these things college has to offer. I know I would be telling myself to do more with my high school instead of just being a student.