Oakland University Top Questions

Knowing what I know now about college, I would give myself a lot of advice if I could go back to high school. If I could go back, I would advise myself to practice good study skills, do not procrastinate on anything, take school serious, don't expect to slide your way through classes, don't expect your instructor to give you any extra credit, do your best the first time on any assignment, take AP courses or challenging courses so when you get to college you will know how to work through the tough classes, don't rely on one-on-one help from instructors, take advantage of academic support centers and tutors, learn how to become a more independent learner, learn to communicate better with others, form study groups for each class, set goals and establish your priorities, refresh yourself on every subject from high school becuase you will need it in college, tell yourself there is an attendance policy so you will not be tempted to cut class, and don't just try to pass a class because a lot of information you learn, you will need to apply in higher level courses.

If I could go back in time and give advice to my high school self, there would be a few key points I would focus on. First, I would recommend that I should do what I have already done by getting an on-campus job. This job made the transition from high school to college a much easier experience. I became familiar with the campus layout and even met some lifelong friends in the process. Another point of advice I would make would be to make sure I saw an academic advisor on a regular basis. This would make sure that I was going to be on the right road to graduating on time. Lastly, I would recommend that I join school-sponsored organizations in my first year of college. These organizations would look great on my future resume and would put me in touch with many professionals in my future field of study. All of this advice would be very helpful for myself as a high school senior, and I wish I actually had had someone to give it to me back then.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would first and foremost tell myself that you have to manage your time, study, and stay organized. If not, the work load can get very intense and hard. In addition, I would tell myself to interact and network because you never know who you are talking to and what connects they have. Finally, I would stress that college is what you make it. It can be a big party or it could be a great learning experience. If you are going to party, make sure you at least do your reading, homework, etc, because at the end of the day the money that you are paying is coming out of your pocket. Because the last time I checked hardly anyone can afford to pay 3 to $4000 per semester.

I started college at MSU right out of high school. I dropped out because of poor grades and I wasnt really into learning - I didn't realize how important education was until I was almost 30 years old. I would tell myself as a high school senior all about the life I had lead since dropping out of college - from the low incomes I have earned to the everyday struggles of putting food on the table and clothes on the kids due to working as a contract employee making between $6500 and $17,000 for a family of 3. I had had to do without my entire adult life due to the choices I made in college. It is something I regret in my life and I have committed to going back to college to vastly improve my way of life, sort of righting the wrongs of my illspent time at MSU!

I would tell myself to put the effort into delveloping study habbits and getting used to reading textbook chapters completely and throughly without being asked. I would also tell myself be aware of how much time I need to devote to each class and to plan my schedule accordingly so that I don't overwhelm myself. Also, I would tell myself to keep in mind that it's very hard to keep up with classes and have a job so to keep in mind to not overload myself.

I would tell myself to think really hard when it comes to choosing courses. I work also give myself advise about studying, and to take school serious.

I would say go to more college prep classes or be a duel enrolled student. Not only would that prepare me for school, but it would help me to finish school in less time and my high school would have paid for it. I would say save your money so you have a little cushion there if times get tough. Then I would say to stay home a study more rather then go to a school basketball or football game. Good grades are so important and they will help you get things like scholarships and I wouldnt have to have so many loans and money to pay now and when I leave school. Finally I would tell myself to really research colleges like crazy. I made a quick decision when choosing my first college. Now that I am at the one I really love I wish I would have been going here for my entire college career.

When I was getting out of school many of the people I spoke with had a whole different reflection on the life of college. The factris certain things was that teacher was plentiful at the time I got out of school. When I got out of school also you could land a good paying job. Education was kind of secondary to life back then. As my life continue I started to go to school because I was seeing the whole atmosphere changing about the job situation . I was seeing jobs going out of the country to coutries that made far less money. So I was going to a community college for lots of my credits and now its time to finish and complete the rest of my education. I've been lucky because of the fact I meet nice people along the way which has given me the knowledge to go on to finish because of the fact I pick up other knowledge about a whole different career move. So the knowledge will link me to more challenging events in my owned life to make me grow in a new field of study. Life has change for the better.

I would have not gone to Oakland and would have gone to University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Nothing against Oakland, but whenever I go to Ann Arbor, I feel like I'm home and I actually belong somewhere. At Oakland most peopel just come and go (commute). I don't get along with everybody at Oakland, and it feels like I'm an outsider compared to my other classmates. I said earlier that I couldn't describe all of my classmates in one sentence; because not everybody is simply "nice" or "mean." They come in all varieties. Everyone fits in with a clique at OU and I can't seem to find the place where I fit in. I attend club meetings, and go to class every day, but nothing fits for me. Mostly I'm just here for the Health Science (B.S.) major, and the low tuition rate, but after the welcome I had received in a class in Ann Arbor from the students, I felt like I would have been happier there. To my high school self; "You always hated when you were an outsider in high school, why have that again in college?"

I would tell myself not to worry so much about the social aspects of your high school life because once college comes around, you don't have the amount of time that you used to have in high school for your friends and school should be first, not your social life.