Northern Arizona University Top Questions

I would tell myself to research exactly what I wanted to do more thoroughly. I am 27 years old and I am graduating this December. Having said that, if I would have known more about what I wanted to do sooner, I would have saved previous time and money. I do not completely regret taking so much time deciding what I wanted to major in, as it allowed me the opportunity to learn and take other classes that I would not have normally taken. I would also tell myself that time flys in college. When I was a senior in high school, I know I was worried about not only paying for school, but also the thought that I have to go through another four years of schooling. But once I was in school, it all goes by so quickly and before you know it, you will be soon graduating. I hope this would help to alleviate concerns my high school self had about college.

If I was able to tell my high school senior self anything about college, I would say to be patient, and do it right the first time. After high school is over, it is very easy to want to live a life free of school. I would tell myself to wait a few years before starting, that way I can fully appreciate, and focus on my future goals. Starting immediately after high school would not be the best idea for me, because I would not yet be in the mindset I needed to be in to reach my full potential. I would tell myself to really think about who I am, who I want to become, and what I want to accomplish, and do everything in my power to become that person. The reward of staying focused, putting in the time and effort, and being patient is worth more than I could ever imagine. My high school self would be very surprised at how much I have accomplished today.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school senior self I would tell her that college is a challenge. It is not a challenge so much academiclly but more on a morals and values way. College will test you on every level. But you will be able to get through it because you are strong and know what you want out of life. The academic part will be the easiest, the hardest will be sticking true to who you are. But with your friends and family you will be able to get through it. All the worries you have about college will really never be a worry, just stay true to you and you will get through it!

No matter what your personality type is, going into college, be outgoing. This will help you make new friends and form study groups. Being an engineering I know classes can be time consuming but, doing extra curricular activites help with time manegment and get your mind off of school for a while. Also study groups are a big contributer to academic success.

If I could go back I would tell myself to stop playing video games and go live life! I had a group of friends through high school and the first few years of college that were major video gamers. So much time was spent staring at a screen and letting life flow by. I am not saying there is anything wrong with video games, but since I have quit playing I have found so many better uses of my time. I now have ample amounts of time to complete homework assignments which gives me time to help friends, family members and my local soup kitchen. It is hard to think about what I could have accomplished if I was not entangled in the world of video games, but I have to put the past behind me and focus on the future! I am now set on living life to the fullest by acquiring healthier habits and heavily concentrating on my studies!

I wouldn't say much, other than it gets better and don't believe what your teachers tell you, they didn't prepare you well for college.

The advice I would give myself would be to take more challenging courses. I am pretty good at college right now but if I took Advanced Placement Literature my writing would have been much better and I would have been better prepared for my Honors Writing class.

Do not rush into making any decision. It is YOUR future. Wherever you decide to go, or whatever path you choose, is entirely up to you. If you make the wrong choice, you are the only person to blame. Don't stress yourself out about making decisions though. Always compare your choices and make lists of the pros and cons of each choice. There is no rewind button in life, so be careful in deciding what is best for you. Listen to your heart. Don't let anyone try to persuade your decisions, and most imortantly, don't let anyone make choices for you. Only you know what is best for you. Take as much time as you need to make a decision, because there is always tomorrow.

Dear Kelsey, College is a wonderful experience, if done right! Make sure that you take all dual enrollment classes offered during your senior year in high school. If you do this, you can spend more time focusing on classes that deeply interest you, and you can avoid the possibility of boredom! I highly encourage you to apply for scholarships. You do not want to end up in 20,000 dollars of student loan debt because you were too lazy to complete scholarship applications. This will open the door to you to purchase assests when you start your post college career! Lastly, I encourage you to become involved in as many things as possible. The beauty of college is that every indivdual has something exceptional to offer towards your college experience. This is the same for every activity that is offered. You will learn more about yourself, and the world around you if you get plugged in. Stop and appreciate how privileged you are to attend college in the first place, and utilize this opportunity to its maximum capacity! You never know when your freedom of education may be taken away. Best Wishes! Sincerely, Your college graduate self

Get involved in study abroad, internships, and clubs early on.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self, there would be several things I would say. First, I'd tell myself that getting a college education really is as important as everyone says it is. I'd mention that by having a college education you can get a great job doing what makes you happy. I'd also say that the money you make from this job you could purchase a home, buy a car, and/or even decide to attend graduate school. With having that knowledge, I would tell myself that when applying for colleges, pay attention to details, listen to your heart, and moreover, don't hesitate to ask for help. Applying for and attending college is a scary thing and will determine your future. Most importantly, I'd tell myself this, "you are in charge of your future, you decide what it will look like".

I've actually thought about this numerous times ever since I moved into college and I realized how expensive everything is. If I could go back to my senior year I would defintely tell myself to start applying for scholarships way sooner. Also I would tell myself to start being more responsible about my studies and being mature about what's to come in university. Knowing now that money is the biggest concern for me at the moment I wish I could've told myself to look for money anywhere so that I wouldn't be stressed out about not having money to pay for books or enough to pay for tuition. Another piece of advice I would give to myself would be to stay focused in college because everything is your responsibility to get the grades you deserve.

I would tell myself not to stress out about the little things because there are other things that are so much more important. It's hard growing up and making that transition and I feel like it would've been easier for me if I had learned to control my anxiety and really listen to people who said that certain things are a waste of time because they won't matter in a few years.

If i could talk to myself as a senior again, I would have loved to me to relax having to go to a community college. I remember my life as a senior student. I was always on edge about wether I should go to ASU or Glendale Community College. Although I knew GCC had all of the qualifications of a real university, I wanted to go to ASU for the prestige. I cared more about my image than my education. I was bent on going to ASU, and ruining my life financialy , because all of my friends were going to ASU. I eventually decided to go to GCC because it was the smartest choice, but I my first semester was emberassing for me. However, now I'm glad I decided to go to GCC instead of a well known university, because I have done all my required pre-requisites with no debt to my name because of the Scholarship that i had recieved from GCC. So i would love to tell my senior me that GCC is great, that it turned out to be better than i had ever imagined it to be.

It's an out of body experience going back in time to watch myself walk across that stage, shaking the principals hand again, and waving to my family. I don't know what I was thinking getting that haircut. I walked up to myself. Very weird situation. I say, "Teresa, you're going to go through tough health prolems that could potentially get in the way of your education. Don't allow it to! College is an adventure, life changing, worth the time you're going to put in. The transition is going to confuse you. Seeing your nephews on Skype will pull at your heart strings a little, too. However, after all your health problems have departed and you slam the door to those exeriences, there is going to be nothing you want more then to be the best nurse you can be for all your future patients. You will want to confort them and won't allow them to feel alone during their time of sickness as you went through. Finally, don't freak out! Stay calm, enjoy yourself, and make new friends. Don't look back. Look forward. NAU is just where you're suppose to be."

APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AND CHEAP COLLEGES

I would tell myself to start earlier and take my time when making important decisions. I would tell myself to decide my career path at an earlier point and prepare for the workload . Another piece of advice I would give is to be part of the school events that are held and find ways to integrate myself as much as possible. The most important piece of advice I would give myself is to choose a school that has a strong focus onmy chosen major. Class availability, repected professors, and quality of campus life are all important aspects of making a decision. If a person is educated enough, they can make an informed decision as to what makes most sense for their future.

If I could go back in time to talk to myself I would tell myself to apply to colleges early and apply for scholarships. I would also tell my high school self to stay more focused and drop classes in college if you think you might be getting a low grade. If i would have done this my GPA would have stayed high, but no one warned me about this. I would also advise myself about how I could have found cheaper books and found a better job to help pay for college. I probably would encourage myself to go to a university right away instead of going to a community college first.

College will bring about new, scary and exciting changes, however, being prepared for them should start from high school. Apply for all the scholarships possible; you will need any amount as it will go a long ways. Everything in college is expensive, just one book can cost one hundred and eighty dollars. As a result, make close connections to teachers at school because they will play an important role in writing letters of recommendation for scholarships and college applications. Obtain grants by submitting the FASFA application soon, thus learning how to fill one out is essential as a high school senior. In addition, it may seem that separating ways from friends or relationships and going to college is the end of the world but it is not. Maintain the mind open because college will bring long lasting friendships and having a social life is needed to stay sane with the college coursework. With this thought in mind, attend a college that has the degree you would like to achieve, do not enter a college just because you do not want to be apart from your friend. Believe in yourself and you will be able to achieve anything.

If I could go back to High School, I would tell myself to take as many dual-credit classes as I can. I would tell myself to do research to see the course outline for my Major so I would not waste time and money on dual credit classes that would not count toward my degree. I would apply for more scholarships and not buy as many things for my dorm because I did not need them all. I would convince myself to join a sorority because it is where I have made most of my friends. I would convince myself to pay the extra money for a double room instead of triple dorm room so I could avoid conflict with my third roommate. I would tell myself to make more time to spend with my family instead of friends and to make sure they all know that I love and appreciate them because I will no longer get to see them everyday. Lastly, I would tell myself that NAU is the right place for me and that I am going to have a blast.