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Since I have graduated college as a software engineer and have now gone back to college to become a physical therapist, my advice to my past self would be to sit down and think about what I want out of life. Do some research on your goals. Talk with friends and family about my goals for life. These interactions will help carve out the path to take to achieve those goals. Had I done this when I was in high school, I think I would have chosen the physical therapy path earlier. A lot of people are pushed to go to college as soon as high school ends but college is not for everybody. Some people would be better off going to a trade school. Some people would be better off working. The best decision you can make is to wait and be damned sure that you made the right decision for you.

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, I would tell myself the importance of time management. Time management is the key to college. In high school, I excelled easily through all my classes and was able to maintain a social life, athletics, a job, volunteering, and extracurriculars. However, this definitely was not the case in college. I realized even if you do attend class regularly you are not guaranteed an A, a B, or even a C for that matter. Which is why you have to set a specific time for studying throughout your day so that you do not feel stressed or straying away from your social life or loved ones. It is extremely difficult to accomplish this, but this is a trait that several students do not posess. And it will definitely put you ahead of your peers and help you stand out if you can figure out how to manage your time according to your schedule.

Narcolepsy is going to hit you hard and you'er not going to expect it. It's going to be hard to keep up in class but you can definately do it! Learn HOW to study! You 've never dont it before and I guarantee it's going to bite us in the butt when the Cs, Ds and Fs start rolling in. Also, learn how to socialize. You're going to lose lot of friends, so the whole "alone on an island act is only going to make it hurt more.

I would remind myself of my goals in life. This would involve setting a path that was more focused on my education than my social life in my early college years. I had my son in my sophmore year of college, though he was a bleeing, I did not consider the difficulty that motherhood would bring to my life. I also believe that I should have made more connections with the faculty and attempted to establish at least one mentor. This would have given me a little more guidance and assisted me in accomplishing my dreams.

Care about the right things. In highschool, that's essentially just grades. You can go to community college and transfer, of course. But you probably won't get four years of "college" at Columbus State CC, and I can guarantee that you won't do it for free. Get good grades, get scholarships, go to college. It's so easy to get caught up in what others think of you and to let that influence the way you live and the decisions you make - utimately changing your experience. Do what you want to do. Spend time with those who you wish to be around. People have the potential to be your best and worst investments; Use your gut, but at a certain point - the numbers don't lie. Don't wast time trying to change minds. Be friends with everyone who'll have you. Try new things when oppurtunities present themselves. And most importantly, remember, if your mom doesn't answer you, the answer is no.

No matter how prepared you think you are for the first year of college, many of the actual feelings and experiences encountered will be a surprise. It is hard to get ready to be on your own for the first time. Your parents, extended family and friends are still available but the physical separation is a brand new experience and there will be a learning curve. There will be many things you will have to take the responsiblity to handle on your own for the first time. This will include financial matters, academic scheduling, future planning, general life decisions and many other areas that up until college, you had parents and others from your support system right next to you. The best advice I can offer is to be patient. Think things through clearly. Ask for advice, input and feedback along the way. Continue to lean on your inner circle but also utilitze university resources and build a network of college friends whom you can trust. Know that you will make mistakes and that's okay, as long as you learn from them and move forward in a positive manner. You will persevere and come out stronger - trust yourself!

At this moment I know you’re worrying about college applications and passing classes, so I'm here as your future self to help you. First of all, attending the college of your dreams can be very expensive especially when you are a nonresident; so choose an in-state university instead. You’ll thank me later. Next, the transition to college life may be overwhelming at first, but once you get into a routine everything moves smoothly; so try to not worry too much. A third and very important advice is to work hard. College is all about the amount of effort you put in and if you do your homework on time; attend classes regularly; and study hard, you’ll be successful. Also the high school study habit of cramming right before a test does not work in college, and for most courses you’ll need to start studying at least a week or more before a midterm or final exam. Lastly, college life can be fun depending on how you go about it. If you can manage your time well and balance your academic life and social life well, college will be a great experience; so enjoy it.

If I could go back and talk to my high school self about college, I would say that attending The Ohio State University is an amazing experience. I would also say that when you get the chance to purchase sporting event tickets, buy them! The atmosphere during Ohio State football games in phenomenal! The main thing on the fun, nonacademic part of college is just that, fun! Keep some time set aside just for you and to hang out with friends and try new things. It’s the short time before the real world that you are still able to go be silly, get into trouble, but not too much, and have a great time; so you can say “remember when…”! On the academic part of college I would stress time management and to make sure you attend class. Sometimes it might seem pointless, but you are paying all that money to receive a great education and missing class is like throwing money down the drain! While working on time management I would tell myself that procrastinating is never a good idea! Once you start to procrastinate you start to stress and get behind! Lastly, I would say have fun!

I would tell myself to apply for as many scholarships as possible. I did not see the importance of scholarships during my senior year and by the time I realized how important they are, the deadlines to apply had already expired. Now that I am payng for college and see just how expensive it is, I now know just how important scholarships are.

If i could go back in time and talk to my self as a high school senior I'd tell my self: Imby, high school isn't forever. Teachers giving easy tasks and wanting you to pass their class will not last. Going to college with your family living in another country is going to be hard but you shouldn't let it affect you because you're going to college for you and not anyone else. Your high school study habits will need to change once you enter college. You're going to need to focus on you and your grades. Make friends who have the same goals as you. Studying will be your best friend in college and remember that. Your grades arewhat are important along with your studying habits, if you can do that than your college life will be swift and fun because there will always be parties so you won't miss much. Just focus on you Imby and no one else.

Looking back at where I am now, I would tell my high school self to step out of your comfort zone and realize that being strong academically can take you so far. It is something that I continue to work on every day as I pursue my Master’s Degree in journalism at Arizona State University. I’ve always considered myself a very laid-back, easy going person who plays it safe and doesn’t take a lot of risk. I have learned very quickly in the last few months that this aspect of my life has to change. One saying by Abraham Lincoln comes to mind: “Good things come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” In the last five years, I have changed so much about the way I do things as a person. I would tell my high school self that academics may come easy for you now, but the most important lessons in life are those that you don’t learn out of a book. You have to be willing to work harder than anyone else for what you want. That is how you find true success.

I changed career paths from biomedical research to nursing the spring of my junior year of college. Now, in the midst of my senior year, I have to continue cramming nursing prerequisite classes in one year to be eligible for an accelerated bachelors program next fall. I am constantly thinking, “My life would be so much easier if I decided to become a nurse earlier.” My advice to my high school self could be “forget biochemistry research; begin with nursing”, but that advice would be incomplete. Given only this advice, I would not understand nor appreciate it. I had to experience scientific research environments to realize I am most productive in social settings. I was unhappy and unfulfilled conducting research, so I focused on careers that would highlight my love of science and people. I did not appreciate the importance of my social personality when I was a freshman in college. Therefore, I would tell myself, “Choose a major that would allow me to engage with other people in a scientific manner.” This advice would help point me in the nursing direction and grant me plenty of time to develop my skills throughout college.

Try to apply for a lot more scholarships, not recieving any scholarship aid will put you into tons of debt. Also don't dismiss people from your high school as you go to college, its all about the connections you have and they offer some good connections.

Colleen… as you begin to transition into the scary college world take the time to embrace your final days at home. The achievement of acceptance into your dream school was driven by the love of others. Take the time to thank mom and dad. Although you think being independent is cooler than coming home by curfew, you find yourself calling dad for financial advice and crying to mom the first time you get sick on your own. Their voices will comfort you during finals and guide you through tough decisions. When you are faced with these decisions, remember to take advantage of all opportunities that present themselves. Everything has the potential to be a learning experience. If some opportunities don’t work out, know that failure is hard to overcome but when you keep moving successes are guaranteed. Take pride in your work, but don’t be so disciplined in your academics that you don’t get to experience meaningful involvement and friendships. The best times will be bonding over mashed potatoes and toast because that’s all you and your friends can find in the kitchen. These will be the best four years, live it up!

I joined the US Army right out of high school. If I could go back and talk to teenage me, I'd tell myself the importance of education. I have a great knowledge of how the adult world works from living on my own, working full time, and being responsible for my actions. I would absolutely tell myself that no matter how much work experiece I have, nothing compares to a soldier foundation in education. If I were to have joined the military after completing my educational goals, I would have had many more options available to me simply because of the education I would have. I am now transitioning from the military life, to a civilian student because I now understand the importance of a college education. I would have told myself to work harder in high school, apply myself to my full ability, and to understand how important education really is.

The biggest piece of advice that I could give myself going back, is to prepare to feel more challenged. I was always a strong student academically and high school was never overwhelmingly hard, even with AP and honors classes. However I do wish I could have taken a few more AP classes to get the extra credits and to prepare myself for coming to OSU. While I definitely didn't slack off my senior year, just being able to put the extra stress on my plate as a senior when the stress of applying to colleges and GPA was off my shoulders would have helped tremendously. At a college like OSU everyone is smart and everyone did exactly what I did in high school. I wasn't prepared for this, I felt very down on my abilities in the beginning of school but after a little while I realized that I was good enough and that I could compete. Not only could I compete, but I could thrive. But after getting through that and looking back on it, I wish I could have prepared myself a little more in my senior year to make transitionining even easier.

Never settle for less than your best. Too many people in this world are just okay with being "average", and that isn't good enough. The biggest problem people in this world face is being satisfied with good. Good is never going to allow you to exceeed your expectations for life. Being great in everything you do should be a challenge to yourself that you continually accept. Being great isn't for people who are special, it's not a lucky charm. It's for the people who are willing to sacrifice everything they have in order to have a better life. It's about goal-setting. If you don't set goals, start setting them today. Set goals for one week from now, one month from now, one year from now, five years from now, ten years from now, and finally set a lifelong goal. What do you wish to receive out of life? Ask yourself what legacy you wish to leave behind and make today the day you start working to achieve it. Set goals for your life and be the great.

Don't be afraid to go out and try new things, even if you think it's something you aren't even remotely interested in. It might surprise you and you might surprise yourself. Even more, throwing yourself out there like that is a great way to make life-long friends and connections to be happy and successful throughout the rest of your life. These are the years that bridge the gap between being a kid and being an adult. You choose whether you will evolve into a successful adult or just another lazy bum who goes nowhere. So go to those classes you are paying thousands of dollars for and be that kid that asks questions. Study when you should, but relax when you need to. It's all about finding the perfect inbetween. Most of all, just because you are pre-med that doesn't mean "pre-boring." You're allowed to have fun just like everyone else. Just know the right place and times, and don't let your studying consume you.

If I could go back to take to my high school senior self I would tell me that patients and hardwork is key. I was denied to going to my dream college, I was diagnosed a chronic illness, and I want to prove people I was special. Things seemed like they were never going to be right. But through patients, hardwork and faith I made it to my dream college and have reached an agreement with my chornic illness. I'd tell myself all the obstacles were worth it because what's easy is never worth it but what's worth it is never easy. Thank you.

When I was graduating high school I had so many interests I could hardly even consider narrowing it down. I took advice and lots of differant classes when I got to collage. In the end I ended up in a major based on others advice and the job market resulting in a later return to collage when it became clear I hated what I chose to do. The best advice I can give any graduating senior is to follow your dreams the first time. Find a way to make a living doing what you love because doing any less will waste money and your own life. Live your dreams before life just carries you away.