Purdue University-Main Campus Top Questions

In highschool, there are activities and other things that seem so important at the time. I know that for you it is to make the Top-ten, and to be accepted. But, once you have graduated the Top-ten was nice, but taking the classes that you knew you wouldn't do as well in, but would have been highly pertinent to where you will be in a couples years is far more important. I also know that you were scared of the transition of being away from family, and it's not an easy transition, but it is worth it. You will become more independent and you will meet friends that I am sure you will be close with for the rest of your life. You don't know your true boundaries until you take that first step on your own. Your family and friends are still behind you and supporting you through it all. It is not easy, in fact it's harder than you anticipate, but you learn so much about your passion and about yourself. Take it one day at a time and rely completely on God, for He will see you through it all.

If I could go back in time and give high school senior self some advice, it would ultimately boil down to two words. 'Brace yourself'. Nothing in the high school I attended prepared me for the challenges that would lie ahead. In high school, I skated by without ever really studying and maintained a near 3.8 GPA average. However, in college I have to study excessively just to maintain my 3.0. Also, do NOT trust high school counselors for help. I quickly found out that they knew less than we did about applying for colleges. They also have a tendency to work on a personal bias. At least in my hometown, they do NOT WANT you to get out and make something of yourself. They want you to stay in the city, maybe go to a local college or a 2 year community school and stay there scaping up a miserable mediocre existence. But my message isn't all gloom and doom. The high school principal once said that your high school years will be the best years of your life. She was dead wrong. College life is the greatest experience ive had in my life so far.

Don?t listen to what they tell you. College is nothing like you have ever experienced. It is not just about hanging out with your friends, attending classes during the week, or the mounds of homework you end up with even though you study every spare minute you get. College life is freedom, a certain freedom that is rare and pure. It is a freedom to be cherished because there is nothing else like it. It may be overwhelming at first, but it will settle down. Words of advice: Classes will be hard, so study every day. It won?t come easy anymore, but if you work at it, the grades will come. Friends, on the other hand, will come easily. Don?t change yourself and you will find true friends. Last but not least, the most overused stereotype of college, drinking. No matter what people tell you, college is not about drinking. Drinking will be around you, but don?t get caught up in it. College is about finding yourself, setting up your career, and discovering the rest of your life. It is not high school anymore. It is so much better. It is the start of your life.

If I could go back and give myself advice as a senior I would tell myself to apply for as many scholarships as possible, get experience in my planned field of study as soon as possible, and take as many classes as possible that will contribute towards college credits.

There are a lot of things I could have told myself. I would tell myself to save all the money I could because college is really expensive. I would tell myself that everyone is in your shoes at one point in time and it's okay to be shy around new people that you meet but in order to succeed you need to make friends. Also it is really important that you meet with your teacher at least once. Teachers are the keys to your success. I would highly reccommend that you join extra curricular groups. You did great all throughout high school, don't let anything ruin your changes at a good education.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior in high school I would definitely tell myself to stay focused. College is the best four years of your life and meeting people and having fun is important but education is the most important thing. You go to college to learn, and I lost sight of that and got distracted. Falling in love is a beautiful thing but it should not be top priority. I would tell myself to be strong, to not get discouraged when I fall, and to pick myself up quickly, dust myself off and hold my head high. We all fall down but there is not enough time to dwell on failures. Purdue has so much to offer and it's very easy to get distracted and lose sight of things. I would tell myself to work hard and that in the end it will be well worth it. Most importantly I would tell myself that no matter what everything will be alright as long as I stay positive!

At east noble high school, you got the opportunity to sail through school. That will not be the case at Purdue. I know you can get a perfect gpa your first semester like you had all throughout high school, but you can't get upset about not getting an A on an exam. You can make that up if you just study and focus more on school. If you just expect to do better on the next test, that's not enough. You have to study hard and get yourself in gear to do better on the next test. I know you are also worried about fitting in, but that is nothing to worry about. Purdue has such a large campus, you are bound to find a group of friends somewhere. Enjoy sailing through school while you can, because in college, it is a completely different ball game. I know it sounds like I'm lecturing you like everyone else has, but I know what it's like and this advice will come in handy. Best of wishes and good luck at Purdue.

I would give myself simple advice. I would tell myself to be more outgoing. When I was a high school senior, I was nervous and scared about what college was going to be like. Naturally, my first semester, and even some of my second semester at college I was shy when talking to other people, and I didn't reach out and talk to teachers and guidance counselors when I needed help because I was too nervous to do so. Now that I know that most teachers and guidance councilors are nice and more than willing to help, I can call them for help at any time. That information would have been helpful to know at the beginning of college. So, if I were to go back in time, I would tell myself to be more open, outgoing, and to just be myself when I got to college.

With the power of time travel I would tell my high school senior counterpart that he should take his last year more seriously and develop a college attitude towards his classes. Developing good study habits early is a must otherwise you are doomed freshman year of college. College expectations are much more rigorous and you are expected to make every duedate to the minute otherwise that paper you spent four weeks writing gets counted as a zero. Don't wait until the last minute to start your work. Procrastination is the devil in college. Survey your homework the night it is assigned, then develop a plan for how long it will take to complete the assignment and what resources you will need. Then go into action and put every ounce of your excellence into your work, it really shows when it comes to your grades. I would tell him to start early and not to slack and to get involved in not just your classes but with your classmates and above all try to squeeze in some personal time here and there, life is too short and four years of nothing but studying would be complete torture.

I would tell myself many things if I could talk to myself in high school. Let's think where to begin. My senior year of high school was a unique one compared to other students at my high school. Instead of staying for the normal two semesters of senior year, I decided to graduate early because I had all the required classes and credits done, and go to a local college for what would have been my second semester senior year. I still got to walk at the normal Spring graduation ceremony, but technically already had my diploma. In a way, I regret my decision to graduate early. I missed out on a lot of senior experiences like Prom, School Seminars, Basketball Season, and most of all, the feeling of accomplishment when walking and receiving my diploma at graduation. Also, I would tell myself to really push myself to get into the best 4-year university I could, instead of only applying to schools who didn't require an essay. Moreover, to possibly choose a school that was more out of my comfort zone. To go some place different, most likely out-of-state with new people.