Northern Arizona University Top Questions

College is like the directions on the back of a shampoo bottle, but for alarm clocks. "Ring, ring!" Snooze. "Ring, ring!" Snooze. Repeat as needed until you missed your first two classes and you are panicking in your freshly decorated dorm room looking across at your roommate wondering why they did not think to wake you up. Unfortunately, college is also a lot like living on your own, and you are responsible for your own schedule. This means waking up on time, attending all your classes, doing your homework, and not staying out until 3am before a big exam because ‘you can’. I cannot think of more important advice anyone can give or receive: take responsibility for your own actions and everything else will fall into place. Hold yourself accountable. It is not your alarm clocks fault it didn't ring loud enough; get a louder one. It is not your professors fault you failed the test; study harder. It is not your parent’s fault that you do not have money: get a job. That is what being an adult living on your own is about. There should be no one you want to impress more than yourself.

I would tell myself to smile more. I feel like I learned late, but not too late, to do this. Learning this has made me feel better and has made people around me smile more. I probably wouldn't have felt as lonely my freshman year in college if I had just learned to smile more when I was in highschool. Its such a small thing to do, but makes the biggest difference. I would also tell myself how to find scholarships and to not give up if I couldn't find any right away. Noone at my highschool really pointed to where to go to find them when I would ask, and I ended up giving up for a while after hitting dead ends , until now. One last thing I would tell myself is to keep learning new things on my guitar, and that I can go out and play songs for strangers on campus without feeling self-consious.

I would tell myself to learn to budget your finances upon entering into college. It's a need to know basis when you get into college, there are expenses for everything and if you learn to budget yourself, things will move along smoothly. Get to know your resources, help, and opportunities there are. Learn the city/town you are going to and what the school offers for transitioning services as well. Enjoy every minute from day one and interact with others so you will not feel alone. Being a part of the school is to be the school!

If I were talking to my high school senior self, the best advice I would give myself would be to get my math credits sooner than I really am. From what I know now, it would have been wiser of me to have taken math in college during one of the first semesters I was in college. I have been holding off on taking any math classes because I simply did not want to take math again, but I realize now that that was not the best decision for me.

The advice I would tell myself would be to never give up. I would tell myself about how the economy had taken a turn and to pursue the medical field, which is the direction I am taking now. I married when I was 19 and I am now 24. I would tell myself that I should be patient because college should be my priority and I know that I would be with my husband either way. I am very happily married and now both my husband and I are pursuing college together.

If I had the opportunity to go back in time and give advice to myself I would say to work hard, eat well, and excersize regularly. My first year was a mess. There was times where i was in such a hurry that I skipped breakfast which made me unfocussed in class and unwilling to learn. As a result my grades suffered but not tremendously, although it was not my best. I also did not excersize which made me lazy and very grumpy. Eating right will help regain and maintain my energy so that I can put my entire effort in my assignments. Excersizing not only will keep me energized but it will also relieve my stress and relax.

It may not seem like it now, but your high school years are very important with regards to your happiness the rest of your life. How well you do in high school, as well as what you do in high school, influences the choices you make about college and the choices made for you about college. Getting a college degree opens opportunities to you that you would not have otherwise. Most of these opportunities center around what you will be doing for a living the rest of your life, and how happy you will be doing that. My advice to you is simple while in high school: attend class, do your homework, participate in class discussions, and study for your exams. Get involved in any extracurricular activities and organizations that may interest you, and even one or two that challenge you. Have fun while in high school, savor those years, but at the same time have an understanding of how important those years are to your happiness the rest of your life.

I would stress how important it is to calm down and enjoy your Senior year and the time you have with your family and high school friends - yet not slack off on my studies. I would comfort myself with the knowledge that going away is not as hard as you think it is going to be because the people in your life are still there for you even if they are not right there in your room with you. I would reassure myself that even though the learning pace is much faster than high school, there are also more activities to do to reward yourself with once your homework and studying are done. It's exciting having the independence to choose so many things (classes, food, etc.) and to start discovering who you really are. I would emphasize how important it is to continuously be applying for grants and scholarships to help with the financial burden of college. I would also want to let myself know how important it is to get to know your advisors once you have chosen where you are going to college because they will be your lifeline to your future. But most importantly, calm down!

I would suggest anyone to go to community college to discover what they really want to become in future to avoid spending too much money on education that they keep chaning thier major. It will save them a lot of money and when they determine what they want to major in then they can transfer to universitiy.

I would say to not be afraid to try new things and meet new people. Everyone is going through the same transition so just get out there and have fun. Join clubs, do the campus activities, talk to new people and just experience it all because this time in your life only comes once so enjoy it while you can. If you are living on campus, talk with your roommate and become friends sooner rather than later because she is an amazing person and is someone who will be in your life for a long time.

Actions taken as a seniorhave a significant impact on college life. Do not give in to senioritis! As a senior, make sure you research all of the schools you are or might be interested in. Collegeboard is a good resource that can be used to find a college that matches you. US news is also a good resource used to find best ranking colleges and universities based on different aspects. Once you know where you want to apply, look into applying early action (know the difference between early action and early decision) anywhere that you can. This will give you an idea of any actions you might need to take early on. Another important thing that must be done as soon as possible is FAFSA. FAFSA gives the most money to the first applicants and the money is limited. Education and living expenses are very high so scholarships should not be overlooked. Many scholarships meet their deadlines without receiving any applicants. Do not miss out on free money! Do well on the SAT and ACT because they are huge decision factors of where you will be accepted and how much money you will receive! Also, meaningful community service is imperative!

The transition is much easier than I had anticipated, and everyone is more than willing to help out. Complete strangers are genuinely nice, and are happy to help with anything I might need. I would advise myself, though, to stay away from guys at least until I am furthur along in my studies because they are too distracting and school is too important to mess up now, especially when I am the one who has to pay for this schooling.

It is important to know that knowing about photography doesn't take a college education. It is about knowing the tricks of the trade, the ins and outs of understanding what people (clients) want out of their photos. Learning from someone who knows how to satisfy this detail will help you in becoming succesful.

Keep an open mind. I thought I knew everything at 18, now, at 22, I realize I don't know anything. The more you learn to more the world opens up to you, so keep an open mind about everything! It is so easy to misdirect adolecent zeal into specific ideas or frames of mind, but youth is the only time that you are free to experience anything and everything. If you have the chance live it up, and just say yes! You will make mistakes, but you will learn so much more from making mistakes then doing it all right, and now is the time to discover what works and what doesn't. Be open to all the new people you will meet, but remember that almost everyone in college is trying to find themself, so if one of your friends suddenly becomes someone else be open to it. It is a time for openness, experiementation and freedom. Enjoy now, so that you can become a stable, contributing member of society latter in life! HAVE FUN!!!

I know you're freaking out, but trust me: everything is going to be OK.

Don't take it so seriously

Julie, as a high school senior, you should do your best to get straight A's even if that means having tutors or asking teachers for additional help during study hall or after school. During your freshmen, sophomore, and junior year you should have tried harder in math and spanish. Also, you should have taken an additional language so instead of being bilingual you could be trilingual. After school, you should have worked more hours and work more hours during senior year to save up more money for a fuel economy car that would last a long time. Doing that will help during college because it will save money so you don't drive around a big gas hog. Since I am a high school senior, I really need to figure out what degree and what university I should go to, so I don't waste time after I graduate high school. I need to apply for as many scholarships as possible because I am not currently making enough money and no one is supporting me. Since I am the only child out of five going to college/university, I want to set the best example for them.

I would tell myself to stick with the idea that you have for your future. Don't ever give up on the dream you could achieve for yourself. It will be rewarding and refreshing for not just you but the whole family. No mattter what cruve ball that life throws your way!

Look at what skills, what areas you are most interested in and where you find the most enjoyment. Once you know those areas then look to see what careers are in the field. Choose your school based on those that provide the degree closest related to your field. Search for a school that has instructors who work in that chosen field as they will have the best knowledge of how to develop and grow. Don't be afraid to venture away from home to find that perfect school. When you get to the school find and join the campus clubs and organizations that support and encourage your areas of interest. Take your time in school to do your best even if it means taking a lighter course load and making your time in school longer. Take classes on writing and public communication early on as they will help you with all future classes. Seek out tutors and study groups to help your grades stay high. Spend some time in the recreation facilities and with those programs that help you maintain your physical body while your mind is learning.

Take a deep breath and take your experience in stride. Be diligent and focused while you learn, because some day you won't have the recall and absorption in your brain that you do now. Get yourself organized and color-code everything! Using 3 x 5 note cards will not only be helpful to your memorization, but they will save you hours of research time. Connect with the people who have similar interests and goals that you do, because they will be valuable contacts in your future endeavors and lifelong friends. Help those who you see are struggling with something that comes naturally to you. Your greatest gift will be imparting your knowledge and teaching someone else will solidify the material in your memory bank. Be generous with your study time, as your peers may have a way of teaching you something that makes more sense to you. Don't panic! There are avenues built into your degree program that will allow you to correct yourself when you fail. You are here to learn and grow, not be a master right off the bat! Apply yourself to everything that you do in life so you have no regrets.