Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Top Questions

I would tell myself to take really take advantage of all the clubs, organizations, and opportunities college provides. i would tell myself to focus on grades and studying, while immersing myself in the culture and opportunities provided by the school. You never again be able to take advantage of everything college has to offer. I tell myself to apply to more scholarships and funding opportunities and to better understand the meaning of debt and loan-term loan repayment burden. I would focus on what jobs are available after college more and seek out the career services center more. I would tell myself to have fun, live life to the fullest, and savor each moment, since you'll never get it again.

Take more AP science classes. My high school seems to have been weak in this area.

Theirs alot about my life that I would have changed if I could talk to my high school self. I would have first told myself to take high school alot more seriously , and focus on my education. I did not try and take high school seriously at all and never thought I would make it to college, so I did not really care. If I tryed harder im sure I could have attended Penn State as a freshman, and not a junior. It would have been amazing to spend 4 years here, rather than only 2. Something else I would tell myself is to gain better study skills so it's not so hard to take tests. Im not the smartest kid when it comes to tests, I wish I could do better on tests because that is the main way we are graded on.

Four years ago when I made my decision on which college to apply to, the thought of financial aid was not on my mind. I was eager to live on campus and away from home. Education has always been a primary focus of mine, however, the cost of college and the need of continued financial support was a near miss. Therefore, if I can go back in time and talk to myself about college, I would discuss the values of doing well on the SAT. The scores will be an advantage towards scholarships. I would also talk about being proactive in applying for financial aid. The cost of a college education involves a life time of savings if you have no financial support. I would also encourage myself to continue to stay involved in extracurricular activities. All of these venues are assets when applying for financial aid and scholarships. Staying focused on my academics and having an acceptable grade point average plays a big part in financial aid awarding each semester. College life is all about independent living. The transition can be hard and overwhelming but yet intriguing if you are not proactive with independent living.

As a high-school senior, I was very energetic and ambitious when it came time to pick up and move to college. But, that energy and ambition wasn't properly placed my first semester as I felt culturally shocked by the vast amounts of possibilities Penn State offered. I wanted to do anything and everything: get a job, get a girlfriend, join organizations, party senselessly on the weekends, etc. All of my ambition was focused on everything else besides what truly matters once you have your diploma. I wish, more than anything, I could go back and say, "John, take 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of this energy you're feeling and put it towards your classes. The other 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} can go towards everything else." That simple, two-sentence advice could have saved me from a semester GPA of 2.34. The second piece of advice I'd tell myself is, "Don't spread yourself too thin academically." If you choose a major that you're not comfortable with, change it immediately. If not, you'll have too many credits in the wrong place and waste your hard-earned cash in the future. But, in the end, I'd still say, "Enjoy these years."

Just relax. Everyone feels the same way; you are not alone. It is overwhelming and exciting on its own, so stressing about it now (high school) will only psych you out. You have plenty of time in the summer to let it all sink in. Enjoy prom and graduation and safe grad. Enjoy the people that you are with now because you will probably never see them again. Although that sounds blunt and harsh, the people that you meet in college will replace any ones that fell out. Relax. You made it this far.

My adivce to my high school senior self is to figure out what you want to major in for college. I believe this is strong advice for myself becuase I came into college not knowing what I want. My first year in college I was taking courses I thought I liked without reserarching about what I can with that degree. Later I declared my major impulsively on what thought was a good major until I reserached it. Turns out that it was a wrong choice to major in today's economy becuase hardly any jobs are available for that major and it is low paying. What I thought sounded like a cool major turned out to be a bust that would haunt me for months. It kept me up at night in fear on what my future will turn out to be to the point I had to change my major. Even though I'm thankful that I changed my major, it put me a semester behind. Now it will take me longer to graduate and more money to spend. My advice to high school seniors is research what you want to major in before you make a permenant decsicion.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior before making the transition to college, there are two things I would really like to tell myself: save your money and do not wait until the night before an exam to start studying. Despite the number of times I was warned of this before attending college, for some reason I refused to believe either of these suggestions. Saving your money is vital because spending your first semester of college, 400 miles from home and completely broke is miserable. Aside from academics, some of my biggest stressors freshman year came from worrying about finding a job or not making enough money to pay for books and food. Second, if you study in college like you study in high school you will most certainly fail. I came to college has a straight A high school student and I spent my first semester studying for my college exams like I studied for my high school tests and I did poorly. If could have listened to my parents and advisors about these two things before coming to college, I would definitely have succeeded.

Knowing that I would be as successful in college as I am now, I would advise my senior self to take harder classes. Entering college as a freshman, attempting to play hockey, and not performing "that" well in highschool, made it a concern if I would do well in school or with honors classes. I would tell myself that it would be worth the risk. I would also advise myself that although it is possible to achieve a 4.0, which I have through 72 credits, it is important to also enjoy the experiences available. That studying and making sure that I get the most points on every assignment possible isn't the only thing I should focus on in school. Although I haven't missed many experiences, the amount of stress that I put on myself in the first two years at Penn State was not healthy and was very detrimental to my relationships with friends and family. I'd tell myself that it's important to plan for the future, but it is more important to enjoy the present. That is how you will grow and be able to handle the future.

If I could give direction to myself, coming into the college life I think I would say, don’t let the fear of rejection or regret dictate the choices you make. Take the chance. Make the mistake. Make the memory. When you’re afraid just know that you can overcome all obstacles. Whenever you think you cannot do something, try harder. Allow the obstacles to give you strength. Allow your fear to be your motivation and use that to appreciate the truly important things in life. Even when you know there will be scars, decide to wear them as badges of honor.