Point Park University Top Questions

I would tell myself to fill out more scholarship information or try to figure out a way to get a full scholarship because college is expensive. I would have told myself that getting out of my home city would cost a lot more and that if I did go to a college in my home city I would have saved a lot more money.

I would have done more stuff to prepare for my major. I just sort of thought that once I got here, I would learn. But I started out way behind everyone else. So plan ahead is the only change I would have made

I would tell myself that I am going to a great school full of teachers who have experience doing what I want to do with my life and I am going to meet a wonderful group of friends. Both of these groups of people are very willing to help me. So it is important to study hard, take it seriously, and use my resources to their full extent.

I would tell myself to not expect the stereotypical college setting when entering college. Every university is different and you should go to college with a clear mind and a clean slate. Do not take any assumptions with you and do not take to the heart the conversations that others have concerning their college settings. Every person feels a different away about college so you should not listen to others when trying to prepare for the transition into college. Think positive when looking towards the experience, as it truly is some of the most enjoyable years of your life. Look forward to meeting new friends and learning new ideas. Also, try your best to be organized at college and do not let your social life take you away from the work that needs to be done. Likewise, do not allow schoolwork to completely rule your life. Find a good balance between work and fun, as this will allow you to feel accomplished. Look forward to college and be prepared to grow and find yourself as an individual.

Apply for scholarships and be a big part of your community and school! I applied for some but not many and since I was always so busy with dance I did not get to take part as much as I would have liked to. School is extremely expensive and if you can find any way to cut down the costs do it so that you don't get out of school with so much debt!

Let high school die. Sure, that mindset can transfer to college for a while, but not for long and certainly not in the real world, so let it go now. Don't wear your emotions on your sleeve. No one cares, and it's not attractive at all. Don't lie to yourself that you still follow the religious upbring of your parents when you don't. Honesty is the best policy when it comes to those things, and you should never be afraid to have your own opinions. Also, go ahead and start lining up a co-signer and references for loans early on. The loan companies like to take their sweet time, and you'll need to nag them a lot, so start that stuff asap. Waiting until August is a REALLY bad decision.

Don't stop looking into all your options just because you've found a decent one, try to get to know people from your school before you get there, and don't expect college to be like the movies.

Stop trying to make people happy. In order to make people happy I made friends I didn't need and enemies I shouldn't have. School is about you getting what you need out of it and not about pleasing people. If you try to make people happy all the time you will be miserable, tired, and your grades will drop. While in school nothing is as important as keeping your grades up.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would emphasize the importance of applying for scholarships and looking at colleges early. It's important to find a college that you will love so that you don't have to transfer later on. I would also tell myself how important it is to keep working hard, because senior grades still count towards your final G.P.A. and go on your transcript. I would make sure I knew that everything would be okay, and to have confidence because if I can do anything if I put my mind to it.

My advice would be to make sure to visit a school either before or after you have been accepted! A school can look better or worse on paper and it's important to see it first hand! In my personal experience I would sit on each campus and try to picture mysekf amongst the passing students. It made all the difference.