Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Top Questions

I would tell my younger self to learn how to study, take notes, maintain a schedule by yourself, and mist imporantly learn how to do laundry. I use to put the clothes in the dryer and what not but I never knew how to actual start it. So when I was standing at the laundry in confusion, I had to do what I feared most which was call my mom. It was an embarrassment for me. It would have saved me a lot of clothes and money if I properly knew how to do it.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself not to be afraid to venture out of my comfort zone. College is about trying new things; it's about making mistakes and learning from those mistakes. College is about growing up and realizing who you want to be. I would tell myself to try different classes, learn about things I'm interested in, and mainly don't take everything so seriously that you forget to have fun. To focus on studies but also join some organizations and find out what I really like. Don't be afriad to mess up a little bit or to look stupid. Also, professors aren't mean they are there to help so if you have a question just ask, they aren't going to judge you or make you feel dumb. Just remember to relax and take college day by day, enjoy it while it lasts because if you let it, it will be the greatest time of your life. You need to volunteer more too, you'll love it. Don't wait until you're twenty like me to really start your college journey.

If given the opportunity, I would talk to my high school self about the friendships and relationships I spent my time worrying about. I would tell my self that some people aren't important to my life. I would tell myself only to fret and stress about the people who would be there and offer support as much as I offered it to them. All too often high school students stress over being "popular" or well liked. My high school self would've benefited to learn that there are more important things. If I could, I would tell myself that there's no need to be friends with everyone you meet, and that not everyone will like you. Sometimes it's more important to love yourself, and be happy and confident than it is to be friends with everyone and worry about their happiness.

I would tell myself to try much harder in school and take more college level classes. I came into college with 9 hours and it was very helpful so even more hours would have helped me be more ahead as well as saving me money. I also wish I did better and got my GPA higher. Right now in college I have a 4.0 but in high school I graduated with about a 3.6. I did not take high school as seriously as I do college. Although I am happy with where I am right now and how I'm doing in school now, it would have been more helpful to do better in high school as well.

If I were to go back and be able to talk to myself when I was in highschool I would make sure I realized how big of a change it was going to be to not live at home. Re-assure myself that I was going to be able to handle. Also i would like to remind myself that i can achieve anything that I set myself to do.

Dear Jennifer, Despite what you have been told, you are not, “bad at math.” Most people are not intrinsically good or bad at math, they simply must practice in order to gain confidence and skills. Math is wonderful. It holds all of the secrets of the universe. To deny yourself access to this dimension of reality is to keep beauty and truth from yourself, to hide in the dark. Math does not come easily to you, and although it is certainly a platitude to say so, nothing worth doing will. The elation that comes from understanding a problem after working on it for a while is the same high you get from working on a drawing until it is right. It takes many corrections and hours of work, does it not? So does math. I know that you are not used to having to work hard at school. What you enjoy scholastically tends to come easily, as far as you know… But you are wrong. You love math, deeply. You do not know it yet, but once you realize this, the world is yours to conquer. Good luck! Love, Jennifer

My best advice is to look at more than one school. I am in a tough position now becasue the school I chose is not the place I want to be anymore. Now I am struggling to figure out where I want to go next fall and where I am going to get the funds to do so. If I would have looked at other schools, I think I would have had a better idea of where I really wanted to go. I strongly recommend going to visit multiple campuses as well as doing your own research on their website. Look at the majors as well as the classes that are offered and the current research projects that are happening. Once you have an idea of what each school has to offer you can make the best decision as to what fits you best. Picking one school and not having to complete applications for others was a lot easier, but now I see that was not the best choice. Pick a school that you will be surrounded by people who are similar to you and will help you achieve your dreams.

Be ready to fail. I was very successful in high school. I came from a small town that was easy to be in charge of many things. Coming into college I felt invincible and ready to run the school. I was not used to failing at things. I had a 4.0 , president of my senior class, and the softball star. I would tell my high school self that it is okay to not be the best. Just becuase I will apply for something, does not mean I will get it. There have been many dissapointments I have had to face becuase I did not expect to fail. But what I have learned is that it is okay to fail. It is okay to not get everything I apply for. People will still be my friend and I will still be happy even if I do not get accepted into an organization. I just have to keep my head up and keep pushing through and not give up.

Dear highschool self, You do not have to have it all figured out yet. Take college day by day and never turn down an opertunity to grow just becasue you think it doesnt apply to you. Its not the end of the world just becasue your major is not what you thought it was. This is the time in your life where you discover the world so allow your self to do so! You are allowed to make mistakes, perfection is not the goal, happiness is. Always remember that passion for somthing is greater than any GPA, so dont let all the work get you down. And highschool self, remember to breath.

The best advice I could give to myself if I was going back in time would be to slow down and enjoy the ride. I think as I was a undergraduate student I was in such a hurry to graduate and have a degree. While that route saved me money, I feel as though my college experience was somewhat rushed. I didn't allow myself a single free summer without taking classes. We've all heard the saying "take time to stop and smell the roses." This perfectly sums up the advice I would give myself. I enjoyed every single aspect of college, and I think I picked the perfect school for me. To me it would have been worth it to graduate a year later and give myself more time to enjoy to environment that I consider to have given me the best entire four years of my life.