Purdue University-Main Campus Top Questions

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."