Purdue University-Main Campus Top Questions

Take the time to look at different colleges and be sure to schedule tours. This decision directly affects your future. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.

Look into study abroad programs, join the greek system freshman year, enjoy every day of the best 4 years of your life.

I would tell myself to be extremely school focused which is really hard to do in the dorms. There are always going to be people trying to get you to go out and party when you know that you have to do school work or study and you need to think about what is more important. I would also tell myself to surround yourself with people who are positive, encouraging and will be there for you in tough times and not the kinds of people who talk about people in a negative way. I would tell myself to use resources that are available to you and to always go to class. Just being there may help your grade in the class. You may think that professors do not notice if you are there or not, but they really do.

The biggest advice I would give myself was to be more focused freshman year. I hadn't really had the partying social experiences in high school, so things got a little crazy my freshman year and my GPA suffered for it. I would tell myself that it's really important to find balance and to follow the work hard to play hard mantra because the friendships and memories that I have from the social side of my freshman year are irreplaceable and they were a very important part of my maturing and learning outside of the classroom, but I also needed to make sure my education side was just as solid.

I would tell myself to focus more on studying hard and sticking to a schedule. I would also tell myself to do a better job of researching the type of learning environments offered at each university instead of focusing on their reputation. I say this because I could easily have graduated a year early at any other college, have learned more, and be making $80,000+ / year by now instead of fighting with professors and counselors to get into classes I need to graduate a semester late. As far as social life goes, I'd kick myself for not being more confident and getting out to explore all that life has to offer with my friends.

When I was a senior, I was mostly concerned with getting out of the house and being an adult. I wanted to go out on my own and make my mark on the world and I thought I didn't need my parents. Looking back now, I realize I do. I would tell myself to stay closer to my family because, even though I pushed them away, I still supported me every way they could, and the still do. I would also tell myself to save more money, because college and living on your own is expensive.

I would tell myself to take better notes in Calculus. Having old notes in any class is very helpful. I would also tell myself to pay closer attention in every class because you do not know where you are going to need to use the information you might have missed. Also, save all major homework assignments and papers and have them available when I need them. The last thing which I would tell myself is that the transition to college will only be as dramatic as I make it. And to have fun with my friends while I still can because you never know what is going to happen once everyone moves away. Some you might never see again. Cherish the moments you have with them.

The advice I would give to myself is to LOOK AROUND! I only applied to two schools, and they were the two major state schools in Indiana. I regret not looking at schools in different parts of the country that may have offered me many new experiences. Going to school close to home, I only experience things that I had already experienced before. There is only so much you can learn in a classroom. Going out and experiencing new cultures, lifestyles, and backgrounds can give so much more life experience than a text book. A textbook can be used at any University. But the knowledge that you gain from trying new things, being out of your comfort zone, and living in a new place will be unique and last for life.

The first bit of advice that I would give myself would be to apply for more scholarships because there are more important things to be worried about, like classes, than money. Also I would tell myself to begin working on becoming more indepent sooner. By this I mean to become more accustom to the quote adult way of life. I would also tell myself to become more self relient. This is a few of the pointers that I would tell myself about the transition into college.

Learn valuable study skills before you go off to college because they are something you will need to use on a daily basis in order to do well in all your classes.

I would probably choose a different school. Purdue is a very, very large campus and it has been very hard to meet new people. I was placed in a terrible living situation my freshman year and it has been rough ever since. I would choose to go to a smaller school that focuses more on the students. With Purdue being so large, it is difficult to talk to professors and feel comfortable approaching them.

I would tell myself to enjoy the people around me, and not bother with those who try to discourage me from trying to do my best. I would explain that in a year or so those it is likely you will not see those individuals often and will have to opportunity to meet a variety of others that will provide me with a new outlook on life. I would explain that college it hard work, and that each challenge I face may be a strugglle but it will allow me to grow as a person if I do not give up.

I would tell myself to not worry about making friends in college- that it will happen! I was also nervous about not having anything to do so I joined some organizations really early on that I wish I wouldn't have. Just take first semester to explore and do NOT commit to anything because you could regret it later! Its easier to start being part of an organization than it is to leave one sometimes.

Don't give into peer pressure. There are going to be those people that are going to try to get you to do something you don't want to, and the most important thing to do/remember is to stay true to yourself. Also, it's very important to get involved. College is way different in high school with the fact that not all of your friends are going to the same school as you anymore. Getting involved is not only a great way to get to know your school better, but the friends you make in those clubs/organizations become your life-long friends. Also, when they told you every A you get in high school is a B in college and so on... that is so FALSE!!! Some classes are easier in high school than in college and vice-versa. Either way, you have to STUDY! Also remember it's nice to be out on your own, but nothing beats home. :-)

Look carefully at all your options. Jump higher, as high as you can... you'll have more time to built yourself wings on the way down.

Basically I would tell myself to not be scared of my first couple weeks at college. Enjoy every moment you have your first semester and dont slack. Go to every class and if you need help dont be afraid to ask. Set priorities and goals and try your hardest to stick to them. Have fun but also remember why you are there, for an education and a buliding block for your future life.

Don't be afraid of change. As much as you want this to not be true, you are a different person in high school as you will be in college. In high school, i surrounded myself in a comfortable circle of people, and held one set of beliefs. That changed the first day I got to college. Through the next couple years, my newer experiences helped shape the beliefs and values that i hold now. They are still the same fundamental Christian beliefs, because I am Christian, my had i not experienced what i'd experienced, I wouldn't be sitting here and writing this today. I used to think that change was bad. Well, I've come to learn that change is actually beneficial, and honestly a little refreshing. I was glad to get out of my little hole and taste a little bit of the world. I didn't necessarily always do the right things or make the good decisions, but i learned from my mistakes. Everytime you fall, you fall forward. You never ever fall backward. Looking at myself 4 years ago and myself today has come to show that even people like me can change.

I would tell myself to study harder and pay much more attension to what I was studing

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself, I would tell myself to view more schools. When I came to Purdue's campus I knew that it was the school for me, but I wish I were able to see some smaller schools. That way I would have something to compare Purdue's size to. I would also tell myself to do the Nursing Learning Community again because that helped me transition into college very easily. I don't think I would have done as well without that community. They were there for me when I needed help with school or when I was having a hard time living on my own. Another thing I would suggest is to do Boiler Gold Rush because that was a week where I was able to get to know more people and get used to living on my own with out any schoolwork. Other than that I would say to just be myself because college is a time to start over and truly learn to become who I was meant to be.

As a high school senior, I was naive about how much growing-up I actually had to do. If I could go back and give myself advice from the things I have learned, I would first tell myself to go into wildlife instead animal behavior. I would then warn myself that at school I will be completly on my own. That seemed very obvious to me as a senior in high school and was aslo something I was excited about but I did not understand what all of that entailed. I had to make my own class schedule, decide what I wanted to spend my money on, decide if I wanted to work or not, and take care of my own emergencies that arose. I would have like to tell myself in high school that growing-up is fun but slightly a chore (since it is much easier having Mom and Dad take care of things). Lastly, I encorage myself and say, "the road is going to be rough but you will figure it out and end up in exactly the right place."