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.