Northern Arizona University Top Questions

After experiencing the trial and error period of my freshman year in college, I would offer some important suggestions to myself as a senior in high school. First, I would tell myself to begin developing good study habits in order to prepare myself for the work load in college courses. Next, I would encourage myself to become more sociable and develope positive communication skills. These communication skills will be extremely helpful in just about every situation a college campus offers. Also, I would encourage myself to begin learning and developing logical note taking techniques. Finally, I would tell myself to stay focused on my school work and start filling out applications for scholarships as soon as possible.

I would say do some research on the major you choose. Meet with the department heads and makes contact with them, get to know the instructors that you will have when you start school. Most of meet other students that are doing the same thing as you. Make friends that way you will not feel all alone and left out. Most of all apply early to scholorships and look into internships if you all ready know what you will be doing. Also look into study groups and learning centers that the school provides. Most of all stay in touch with your advisers, tell them of what you want to do because they do not read minds. You have to tell them what you want to do after you get your degree. Next most important thing is be wise on what you do with your money. There will be times when you have to spend money on books and its not wise to go on a spending spree. Make sure if you have loans see what type of interest rates they are offering. My next advise would be to get that classes you want early, before they fill up.

I would tell myself to take more Advanced Placement classes and try to get as much credit as possible. I would also tell myself to relax, it doesn't need to be as stressful as I made it because everyone is so helpful and are willing to make things right. I would also suggest taking a Physical education course, just to mix things up and relieve some stress. When talking to myself as a senior, I would stress that I need to relax and have fun in every situation- college is about finding yourself and you can only do that when you are relaxed and having fun. Also, don't eat the food at the Union everyday- mix it up and have a salad and fruit, which is much healthier than greassy pizza. Enjoy life, and don't stress about the professors or the little things!

I would say something along the lines of, " Please for the love of Pete, pay attention because a lot of this "crap" actually means a good deal and is worth something. Grow some balls. Try to get some sort of part time job and live off campus. Oh and maybe actually dating a girl or two might be a good idea. But please wear a condom, herpes is a real drag. Buckle up soldier, you got a long ride ahead of you and it's not all shits and giggles. Oh and FYI, we finally voted in a black president !! "

In high school I was very apprehensive about going to a four year university right after graduation. I would first tell myself that it is going to be blast living in the dorms freshman year and meeting hundreds of new people. However, I would be sure to encourage getting involved more in activities such as clubs, organizaitons, or intramural sports. I feel that these types of activities are where you meet life long friends, simply because you all share the same interests. As an education major, I would tell myself to try and volunteer in the public elementary schools more often, simply for the enjoyment and the experience. Lastly, I would tell myself to make sure and try new things such as snowboarding, and only using my bike for transportation. I would encourage myself to take advantage of all that NAU and Flagstaff has to offer in order to create an unforgettable college experience.

If I could go back in time and be a high school senior all over again I would let myself know that anything is possible as long as you set your mind to it. You just got over one hurdle by graduating and now its on to the next which is college. The advice I would give to myself would be not to stress out over tests or writing english papers back to back because the more stress out you get the more you can not focus. It is better to write down when papers and assignements are due so you won't forget to turn them in becasue your professors will not remind you. College is a time for growth, so regardless of what others may think of you it is your time to accomplish your dreams and accomplish all your goals. It is okay to take breaks and have fun, but just remember what you came to college for which is to get a college degree.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior I would definately tell myself to study a little harder, but most importantly to not look some much at the name of the college but what the college has to offer and whether or not I can see myself there. I thought the only good colleges were the ones that were well known around the country, like Harvard, and Brown. However I am completely happy with my decision to go to Northern Arizona University, and although I may not have known it at the time, this is the place that I am meant to be. I am getting a quality education, and although the courses are much more tough than they were in high school, they are more beneficial. I am getting the chance to be on my own, independent but also close enough that my parents can visit on the weekends. I have met new friends from around the country and the world, and I am going to get the chance to study in another country as well. In all I would tell myself to stop worrying, everything will work out in the end.

If I was a high school student senior and I have had the college experience, I would tell myself not to stress so much because I would be accepted somewhere. I would also tell myself to strive for higher grades, and probably would have tried to have done better in my academics. I also would have taken my Advanced Placement Spanish exam, because it would have benefited me tremendously in college.

If i could go back in time and talk to my self when i was a senior in highshcool, i would first tell myself to leave those fast girls alone, and to not let what they did to my self esteem happen. I would then tell myself to be more serious about my education. Having a focused goal on the future was far from my mentality back then. I would walk right up to the younger me and tell myself everything that happened after the day i made that decision NOT to march in my cap and gown on graduation day. Back then i was making pretty good money in the restaurant industry. Later on, the jobs got more and more scarce. I believed that i had all the education i needed. Until i found my calling in martial arts & sciences. Now that i have reached a certain level of awareness in the arts, i felt that it was time to give back what i learned in my travels. Unlike graduation day, now that i am ready to teach, no one trusts my ability because of no degrees or formal education. It's time to correct those mistakes.

Take the time to figure out what you are truly passionate about. Don't worry about what other people think you should do. Make a plan that will allow you to follow your dreams without getting caught up in the finances. Save over the summer so you have to work less during the school year and can participate in school and social activities. Be sure to live your college life, or by the time you get around to it, it will be to late. You will only be young once, so use hat time to become the person you want to be. Live each day with happiness in your heart and a dream in your head.

I would say listen to all the adults around you, college is important. Once you get married, have a baby and realize you should have went to college it's going to be a lot harder to get in. Your not going to have the money to pay tuition and its not your mom's or your nana's resposibility to help pay. When you deside to go back to school you are going to have to consider your daughter and your husband's schedule before you can jump right into class. Five years after high school your only regret will be not attending college. So, do your homework, take notes, dont skip class one day you will look back and say "why ?" Life is hard, and the picture you have in your head is no where close to how your life will turn out. You dont have forever to go to school if you choose, you are on borrowed time and in 2009 your life will be torn apart and you will question who you are, who you want to be and what you would do different. Go to college you'll have no regrets.

I know you are iching to go off and be a big university student, but please take your time and don't rush yourself. The university will still be there. In the mean time, find yourself at GCC and see what you like and don't like career wise. That way, your liberal studies will be out of the way and you can focus on core classes. Save as much money as you can because once your scholarship money runs out, its gone and the brutal process of finding money starts all over again. Time management is so important so that you do not burn yourself out before you are even 21. I know the boring assigments are uneventful but make sure you sit down and finish them promptly and sufficantly to earn better grades. Otherwise, you will relive freshman englsih for the rest of your life. Try to get involved more with something outside of home and work: a new hobby would be a perfect start. If you find a professor challanging, do not hesitate to walk up and state concerns otherwise the learning experience will be tough and exhausting. Most of all, BE HAPPY! IT'S COLLEGE!!

If I could go back in time to give myself advice for the transition into college life I would not want me to know I was from the future, instead I would want to be my best friend, since friends are hard to find. I would first tell myself to give more effort towards being able to support myself financially, scholarship-wise. I would tell myself to focus more on my future, college, rather than honors classes that were useless to me. I would also tell myself to let myself go, socially. The transition into college has taught me that to not worry about what others think, to just have fun, and be friendly. I believe high-school is a hard place to make friends and I would tell myself to not stress out about what other people think because college isn?t the same. The last thing I would tell myself is not to have no worries, because it?s only the beginning of something great.

I would give myself the encouragement that it's not going to be scary like all the high school teachers make it out to be. College teachers are much more relaxed about things and there is little to no "busy work" which means we are constantly learning something and we all genuinely want to be there, making the experience that much better. I would probably tell myself to meet and continuously make plans with new friends and possibly take up a sport. I would advise myself to never take an 8am class, especially one that is 75 minutes long. I would convince myself that I would still be friends with my old friends because real friends keep in touch multiple times throughout the week. It is also a test to see who among my old friends is willing to keep in contact, but to not worry because I only want those friends who care about me anyways. :)

If i were able to go back in time to talk to my self, my first stop would be wall mart to buy a descise. I would not want my self to know that I was myself. I would start off by telling myself that Northern Arizona University is the greatest university and is worth four years of ones life to be blessed with an eduacation. Since I know how much I love hunting and other outdoor adventures, I would bring pictures of all the wild adventures that are available. I would tell myself not to stress about anything just have faith in god and a good work ethic and you will find ways to put yourself through college. While I was in the past I would visit my cousin and very best friend to spend some time with him. I would tell him how much I love him like I never got to do. I would end my visit by telling my self good luck young man.

I would tell myself that college is a totally new experience. It's the first time you're away from home and it's ok to have fun but don't forget that you're here for school. Take your classes seriously and take advantage of all the resources the university has to offer. The library is a great place to study. Apply for scholarships, college is very expensive. Don't stress the parents out with college expenses. Get a job as soon as you can before all of them are gone. Being broke sucks. Rent your textbooks (It's called Chegg...look it up)! Get involved in extra-curricular activities, you meet new people that way. Choose your friends wisely, they'll be your support when you're under stress. Be careful with college guys at parties, you thought highschool was bad...just wait. Freshmen boys are the worst. Rule number 1: "Come as a group, leave as a group." Keep in touch with your highschool friends. Hearing from them every once in a while will be good for you. Phone home as much as you can, your family will miss you. Finally, don't forget who you are.

The transition from dependent high school to college student is difficult, but not the hardest situation. If I could go back in time as a high school senior, I would suggest to myself to take AP classes, be open to people, and be prepared for class. Senior year is supposed to prepare you for college, meaning that you should take those classes that prepare you for challenge. Strenuous AP courses might not earn you the GPA that you want, but will definitely benefit you when you are in college. Strive for greatness in high school and that will help you achieve success in college. College is about interacting with new people and meeting new faces. One must widen their comfort zone and make the attempt to introduce them to a new acquaintance. If you are able to balance your social life with your academics then you are bound for success. Make friends with the classmates in your class and form study groups to test your knowledge. In order to be academically successful, one must be prepared for those college classes. Take the time each night to review and the text and ask questions to inform the professor you are listening.

If I were able to go back in time to my senior year in high school I could fill a book on the application, transition and general college experience. I?d remind myself the importance of keeping accurate records of everything that, no matter how slim the chances that could make the arduous process that much easier. Test scores, essays, academic awards, letters of recommendation, school contact information; all of these things are both tedious and essential to the process. So rather than going through the wildly frustrating task of finding them later, keep them all as they come , make copies and lock them away; in a few months you?ll thank yourself. But perhaps most important, is achieving and maintaining personnel motivation. At this point in our lives, hands are being let go and suddenly we find ourselves in more control of our futures than ever before, and so comes the responsibility. If you don?t go out of your way to make the necessary happen, you can be guaranteed that no one is going to do it for you, and that goes for more than just school but remains applicable with every step of independence gained.

As a high school senior, I thought I had my life figured out and planned to the tee. I later learned that as I grew in college my choices began to change. I wish I spent more time considering career choices that I would be interested in, by Taking a variety of classes and basing my decisions off of what would make me most happy later in my future. Rather being closed minded with a specific area. I would have been able to save my time in a field I later decided wasn't right for me. As far as tranisitions from high school to college. I would not change that. I have joined a sorority. IThe sorority lifestyle is perfect for my level of involveness and my outgoing personality. Another then I would focus on would be to stay positive and fight for what I want. As a senior in high school I went through some tramatic experiences and I would want to tell myself to hold your head high take advantage of the support system around you and know that college is the perfect oppurtunity I was looking for to grow and learn from the experiences.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, i would say to myself "do not take time off to find out what life is. Stay in school and stick with my goals that I had made when I was about ten." Knowing what I know now, I would have been that Doctor or Attorney or maybe even that Pilot if I'd just stayed in school. I justified the way my life turned out by educating my daughter and encouraged her to go to college. It is the best thing that one could do. Education is the best way of insuring quite a good and eazy life. Now I am very involved in my grandchildrens' lives and stand by the foundations that I had been taught as a child. I pass it on to them daily, I speak with them everyday, even it is just to say a qiick "hello."