Oregon State University Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to slow down. Stay at home longer, don't move out right after graduation. Spend more time choosing a major, it's not the one that seems obvious. Focus less on your boyfriend, you will have the rest of your life with him. Find your motivation before you begin and make the commitment to finish, it is going to have to be something bigger then yourself. Get involved in student life, it may be out of your comfort zone, but the benfits are worth it. Make sure to serve the community, it instills good principles and there are great memories to be made. Get a part time job while in school, do something that sounds fun, not necessarily something for the pay. Take advantages of the free services the college offers, like the math and computer labs. Don't be afraid of online courses, they have many advantages. Keep your priorities straight, visit your family often, make friends and enjoy the journey. These are some of the best years of your life!

Dear Jenna, I'm in college now and loving it! Don't worry you will too! I just wanted to tell you that just because you feel like you have no future and most if not all your grades have been "really" bad, you ARE smart! You will go to college after getting your GED and you will become a 4.0 student! Yeah, who would have thought... I never did, until now. Don't sweat the fact that your frustrated and want to give up, in college the teachers care. You will have a whole team of people rooting for you and happy to see and help you succeed. You will go on to become a member and Officer of Phi Theta Kappa, and yes you worked hard to get there too. Don't worry about lack of friendship, in college you will become friends with more amazing individuals then you'll know what to do with, and you won't have to smoke, drink, or do anything stupid to be accepted by your peers. Jenna you WILL succeed, your future IS bright and you CAN accomplish anything you put your mind to, let no one tell you otherwise!

As a high school senior the pure thought of college made me jump with joy. The girls, the parties, the friends, the freedom were the thoughts that consumed my mind when refrencing college. The money, the actual academics, and stress were left out in story time, so of course, college was a fantasy to me. I started my freshman year and I saw the girls, the parties, the friends, and by god did I see the freedom, but the more I saw of those things, the more I saw of the negatives. College is overwhelming and many students do not know how to handle it all at once. You must take things in strides and very slowly. I made the mistake of signing up for anything and everything that I could handle, but I couldn't. Then I forgot what I was at Oregon State Univeristy for, schooling. You must remember that you are there for an education and not to make the Pleasure Center of the brain happy. You can enjoy all of the great things that college has to offer, but take a look around and remember what you are there for.

Don't let yourself fall behind, stay on top of everything. It's best to get everything done earlier and have time to go back and check your work. When things get difficult, don't let your self give up. Don't get discouraged it is overwhelming at first, but it will be worth it in the end. Get help the minute you feel like you are falling behind, because it is nearly impossible to ever catch back up. Balance school work and fun, don't just study all the time get out and socialize.

Don’t mistake your life for a movie. Even if you don’t open the right door or miss the plane just as it pulls away, you can still get the girl, boy, or whatever it is that your heart desires. There is no one right answer to make your dreams come true. To believe in some preordained course is not only a lie, it is also a thief, robbing you of life’s greatest adventure. Have the courage to get to know you. And take the road less traveled: explore new experiences, discover and test your talents, and raise your expectations. Trust me, a student, a wife, a mother, a pharmacist, a student again returning to study law at age forty-six, the best that life has to offer will surprise you if you let it.

If I were able to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, there is so much I could say. I would tell myself to not be so afraid and to go for what I really wanted, to not be shy and just get out there and have some fun. I'd tell myself to save my money becuase I don't realize how much I'll really need it in a few months. I would encourage myself to live in the dorms and to put myself out there and make some awesome new friends, friends I will have for life. I'd make sure that I was enjoing my last moments in high school becuase they really are precious and closer to your heart that you realize. I would make sure that I was spending time with all my old friends before we all went away, and to really get that quality time in. The most important thing I would say to myself however, is not to get caught up in anything. Enjoy every moment of school and cherish the opportunities that I am given.

Preparation would be the first thing I would tell myself. Preparation for being more independent, and responsible for your education. Meaning, knowing what you want, and what you want to get out of this college experience. Telling myself, senior year is not time to get out of practice of working hard. It's a time to work harder and to be at your peak when you start your college year, so you don't come out of this wonderful oppurtunity feeling there was something you should have done different. I would tell myself most of all, to relax and to enjoy my last high school year. Even though I can't wait to go to college, I am going to miss my high school years.

THE only advice i would give myself if i could go back in time as a high schook senior is to save all the money i have because college life is so expensive.

When I first began thinking about what I would tell my high school self, I was flooded with ideas such as, “finish college in your 20s, not in your 40s”, and “really, you’ll learn to love science”. However, as I reflected on my decisions post high school and the transition I made into college when I was thirty-eight, I realized that every choice I have made comprised who I am and I happen to like that person. So, the message I would have for my younger self is to have confidence in your self and your abilities, learn your limitations and respect them, don’t be in such a hurry to grow up, and remember that nothing is ‘the end of the world’. Endings pave the way for new beginnings.

Before you start college have a set goal for your self in your head. Do not think you can not do something that you can if you put your mind to it, you can do anything. Choose a major that you will enjoy, college is not easy but seems easier when you are learning about something that you love to do. Choose a college that you will enjoy going to not the one all your friends go to, make the best of college.