Northern Arizona University Top Questions

Attending the big 4 year University right from the get-go is not as important as you think. I know you want to get out of town, but there will be plenty of time for that. Slow down and find your passion before you take a big leap. You will get homesick and you will appreciate your mom and dad more than you thought possible. If you find yourself sad a lot of the time, go talk to a professional and get the help you need to overcome it, don't deny yourself happiness.

I would tell myself to be single and to not tie myself down because I'm young. I'd also tell myself to try harder in my academics rather than just getting by. Also I'd tell myself to not worry about what other people think and to not let things get to me so bad. I would tell myself to join more clubs and to spend more time with my family. I would also say to not stress so much about the little things because eventually everything will fall into place. In addition I'd tell myself that communication is key and things can be worked out instead of having the drama of he said she said. Most importantly to just have fun and to be outgoing and just enjoy and embrace everything because high school only happens once.

Do you remember freshman year? How you never had to do any work, but could still get an A on your English test? Or do third hours homework in first hour, and fifth hours homework in fourth hour? It was like you didn't have a car in the world, huh? Well let me tell you something, in college, all of that stops. Immediately. You know how teachers are constantly badgering everyone about turning in homework and assignments? In college, they don't do that. In fact, they don't even tell you to come to class. Everything you accomplish, and everything you achieve, is all on your own accord. College is going to teach you one thing above all else; no matter how much try to you avoid it, work is inevitable, and not just the get an essay done in three days because you toggled back and forth between word and facebook kind of work, but the put your head down and focus for three hours kind of work. Hard work pays off, and in college, it will show. Don't be the one who has nothing to show for it when it's all said and done.

If I could go back in time, I would tell my High School self to relax. The transition is not scary once you do it. Everyone else around you is scared too, but you can use each other to figure things out. I would tell myself that the new friends I make are fanastic and unlike High School, completely drama-free. Mostly, I would tell her that she will absolutely love college and that it will give her the courage to become the person she has always wanted to be.

If I could go back and talk to myself when I was a high school senior, knowing what I know now, I would tell myself to focus less on the little things. I got caught up in drama and friendships that didn't end up lasting. If I could give myself one piece of advice it would be to focus on what's best for me and not worry so much about other people. Applying for scholarships and really pushing myself to do my best in school would have helped me so much when applying to colleges. High school isn't going to be the highlight of your life and even though it may be hard to realize it at the time, you aren't going to remember half the bad things that happened because what's to come will be so great that it's all you'll want to focus on. Growing up, my mom always told me to be my own best friend and that was some of the best advice I was ever given and I should have listened to it more when I was younger!

You need to be better at organizing your life and do not try to over-achieve the first semester. Also, take classes in more than one discipline or focus; four writing instensive courses at once is not fun.

The advice I would give to myself as a high school senior would be that you're going to college to get an education, acquire a degree, and get ready for life. Pursue the career you have dreamed of doing and, while showing them your utmost respect, don't decide on a major or anything else just because it's what your parents want you to do. Pray and think seriously about what YOU would like to do with your life then pursue it with all enthusiasm, commitment, passion, and vigor. Make good friends that will last you a lifetime. Enjoy your interactions with the opposite sex but don't concentrate on having a girlfriend or finding a wife. Remember why you're in college--it's to earn that degree. There will be plenty of time for pursuing a wife after college. Manage your time well. Carve out time for studying and stick to it. I promise you that if you manage your time well and following nearly religiously, you will have more free time than you ever thought you would have. Finally, keep your eye on the goal and strive for the prize!

If I had the knowledge while I was in high school that I do now, I would tell myself to try harder. I would have made it my number one goal not my number two. Also I would have told myself to take the medical assistant career first instead of starting out trying to be a nurse. But most importantly I would never have gotten pregnant because it would make college so much easier.

If I could go back in time to sit down and give myself advice, I would tell myself to go to college right after high school. I would tell myself that my mother was wrong, and that I could support myself with the scholarships that I was given, and that I could make it on my own. I would tell myself not to miss the opportunity to experience the full college and dorm experiences, because once that chance passes, it is MUCH harder to go back. I would tell myself that if I did not go, my life would turn out alright, but I would always have the question in the back of my mind... What if? What if I had gone straight to NAU when I graduated high school? What would my life me like now? What experiences and friends would I have had, and would I already be the high school counselor I want to be? I would tell myself to enjoy the entire experience, to have faith that things will turn out right, and to not let anyone hold me back!

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to focus more on scholarships and less on the Advanced Placement tests. That way I would have been more financially prepared for this semester and would not have spent money on tests which I did not receive credit for at my university. I also would tell myself to volunteer more so that I could add experience to my resume. Had I done that, I would have gained more work experience which would help me now as I look for a job to help pay for school.

If I could go back in time and better prepare myself I would do that in a heart beat. I would have taken AP classes, so that way I could possible have college credit, but at the worst I would have been better prepared for college. The homework is a lot more than high school. I should have learned how to better organize my homework and projects. I also should have learned how to better manage my time with my school work. By bettering my time management skills before college the first semester would have been easier, but in the end it helped me grow as a person and become more responsible. Also, living away from home is a great experience and with make you mature greatly.

Hi, I am you in the future. I have some very helpful advice that I think your would be way better off knowing now rather than later. You are a highschool senior, thinking your know everything, but at the same time you are very nervous about where you will end up after graduation. Please take your math class very seriously, your are in College Mathmatics right now and getting a high score on that dual enrollment exam willl simply mean that you dont need to take any math courses in college for your major. It is very simple and only if your had taken it seriously then you didnt have to sit through the excrutiating pain of Math 100 in college. Oh and another thing, please take the time to thank every couselor and teacher who has made an impact in your life and guided you in the right direction. They dont get the recognition they deserve, after all it would have been alot harder getting where you are today. Please take these words of advice and shove them through that thick head of yours, yours truly, me.

If I could go back and talk to my senior self I would encourage myself to continue to try hard and stay dedicated to getting excellent grades and to try as hard as I could to excel in all my academics. Also, I would make sure that I applied to as many scholarships as I could and to not give up on finding ways to pay for college and stress how vital that would become down the road. I would make sure that I remembered what I wanted to do with my life and stress the importnace of the success of my education to get where I wanted to go. I would remind myself that I've gotten this far and I couldn't give up now; to pick myself up and keep going even when it seemed impossible. I would remind myself that I'm not only doing this for myself, but for all those who have helped me get to where I am and that I can't let myself or them down.

Dear Jordan Rae, You’re almost in college and I can tell you already, you will love it! The only thing you need to be sure to do it your homework. It’s a bit hard to keep different class-work on one schedule and to make time for it, but get a calendar and that will help out a lot. Also, be sure to friend the girls in the hall, just in case you get locked out of your room, you want someone to keep you company. And do NOT eat at Star Ginger; you might get sick for a couple days. The very last thing I want to let you in on is to apply for scholarships—a lot of scholarships. You won’t have enough money to pay off the first year and you know that, but hopefully you will get enough for the second year. Remember to stay positive, even when you get you’re loan reminders. If you get too hung up on those, you can lose focus on your goal—you education. I know you'll make it. Learn lots, have fun, and don’t give up hope! Sincerely, Jordan Rae

Hey Becca, “Whatever you can do, or believe you can do, begin it. For boldness has genius, power and magic in it” -Goethe. We get the chance to make some decisions in life that become the building blocks of our future. We do not always clearly see where our choices are leading us, or what the outcomes of these decisions may be. Our power, grace, and ultimately our happiness come from how we handle the reality we create. Have the courage to believe, the fortitude to begin, and the grace to finish. Worry less about where you are going and more about what you will do along the way. Be bold and choose! Make your own magic! Happily, Becca

Hi Jessi, yes it’s me, so really it’s you, but not to brag I am just a little more accomplished then you. You know you are supposed to be a senior this year, but you’re not. You stopped high school after tenth grade. Instead of you doing nothing, you continued forward, you didn’t stop your education. No, you decided to go to college, and guess what? There you excelled! You got a 4.0, you decided to become a special education teacher, and you are transferring to your dream school. You did it; you made the hard choices against the normal. Although you didn’t have a standard high school time, you had the one that was right for you. I guess the advice I would tell you is that you should stand up for you, especially when no one else will. Try your best, no matter the outcome. I know, you made the right decision in not having a high school career, but you get closer to the career of a lifetime each course taken, so keep pushing forward and there is no need to look behind anymore, you really made it.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self, there would be some very wise advice to share. First off, I would tell myself to apply for scholarships all throughout senior year to financially help out. Along with that I would tell myself that grades are a very important factor in determining which schools I am eligible for. Telling myself that college is a lot different than what is expected would starighten out my priorities in getting college applications done. The SAT/ACT is an important aspect that colleges look for, so telling myself to study and take them really seriously would be another good piece of advice. The last piece of advice would be that college may seem easy and a waste of time, however it helps with figuring out what to do for a career and how the rest of your life plays out. Assuming that I would take my adivce, I would be more prepared for the obstacles that college has in store.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a senior making the transition to higher education, I would tell myself to be prepared. Life throws you fast balls at unexpected times, and its your choice if you want to close your eyes and swing, or have confidence in your hands and hit something spectacular. And to be honest I wasn't confident in my hands and now I have to work even harder to make up for lost time. Throughtout my life sports, popularity and friends have came so easytome, so having this outlookon life I expected college to come exactly the same. And now I realize, life.. it does not "just happen." You have to work for what you want. Go out and make a conscience effort because all the late-nights, sweat and sore fingers will pay off.. literally. Once you have your degree and see where your life is going you forget all the struggle. I've had a pretty easy life and one life sturggle made me realize what I need to do for myself and how important my education truly is. And now I value it more than ever.

Try a lot harder during your first semester, it's not as hard as it seems. Be more prepared for the troubles to come, and save your money to work around those troubles. The bureaucratic process, and the high demand of money from every direction makes the process a lot harder than you would think. College will not be as bad as high school. I love the learning, and proving myself, it has to be the greatest feeling. When you get into the university, it will be one of the proudest moments you will have during your schooling career.

Dear Me, now that i am out of high school and preparing to enter college I now see and can honestly say that the whole idea that learning (anywhere and anything not just formal education) requires seriousness and a fear of failing is an illusion!!! You can love what you do and have just as much fun learning as you do with basketball and any other activity you enjoy. The main point is that you can and should enjoy being focused in all your affairs in life because theres an instant payoff and an even better one in the future if you do!! Good lu-, no you dont ned that...have fun!!!!