Radford University Top Questions

College is a peak experience in a young person's life. The most important thing that I have gotten out of college is a newfound independence. When attending school away from parents, one must learn to take care of oneself, such as cleaning your dorm and attending class. Independence is essential for a successful college experience. If one cannot learn to depend on one's own abilities and determination, one will not succeed in the rest of life's challenges after college. I believe that college is more valuable than words can describe. Through all of the obstacles in life, an education is the one thing that no one can take away. A college education becomes more than learning information from books. It is also about learning about one's own abilities and aspirations.

Knowing what I know about college life and the transition from high school to a more independant lifestyle, I would have taken up a second job over the summer prior to my attendance to instill a stronger feeling of financial security. I also would have doubled my efforts in searching and applying for scholarships involving outstanding academic performance, again to achieve a better sense of stability which would prove beneficial to my college studies in the form of stress relief. Another thing I would do would have been researching more colleges which were compatable with my goals and choice of major. Doing so would have given me a wider range of options to choose from and may have proven beneficial in the sense that a more desireable, suitable college may have been brought to my attention and proved to house more fitting opportunities for me to further my education and advance in my knowledge and skills as an aspiring fashion designer. More schools would have led to more opportunities for connections to the industry in which I want to become involved post graduation as well as better internships and opportunities for me to expand my work experience.

If I was able to go back to myself as a high school senior, I would encourage myself to apply to more colleges and get more choices of schools. Radford University is the closest and best Nursing school to my hometown but I feel it would have been a new adventure to get far away from home. But nevertheless I still love where I am residing. I would also tell my senior self to apply for more scholarships because college is expensive and very time-consuming and thus it's hard to get a job. A big aspect of moving into college I would tell my previous self to not take as much stuff to college! The dorm room is only so big and I can rush home to get it, considering I live 20 minutes away from school. Other than those few things I would love to congratulate my senior self because she did such a good job making up the GPA that I messed up as a freshman and sophomore in high school.

I would definitely tell my high school senior self to spend more time with my family. During my senior year in high school I was too concerned with hanging out with my friends and boyfriend before I left for college that I spent only a small fraction of my free time with my loving family. Now that I am in college and I see my friends every single day and my family once in a blue moon when I am able to make the four hour drive home, I regret not spending more time with them before I left. I know that it is common for college freshmen to feel homesick but I feel like I am more homesick than the average freshmen for that reason. If I could talk to my senior self one year ago, I would tell me, "Have more family time!! The next four years of your life will be 80{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} friend time."

Stay open minded. Although I was exposed to many different types of people while growing up as a military dependent, transitioning to a college campus is still a new experience. Many people will not share the same values, beliefs, or lifestyles as you; but as long as you can stay open to other people, you will mix well with the diversity on campus and add to culture of your school. This mindset also helps you make friends and get along with your professors.

I would tell myself to take as many dual enrollment classes as possible and apply for more scholarships. Dual enrollment classes are an incredible bargain to the high school student. Not only can you receive a college level education in high school, but you can also earn college credits. These college credits also help cut the costs of college tuition by thousands of dollars. I myself completed about 16 credits in high school and thus was able to save around 7,000 dollars. I would also tell myself to apply for more scholarships. I was a lazy high school student and quiet frankly, ungrateful for the money that my parents worked for to pay for my tuition. As a result, I and my family are left with the burden of paying for a hefty college tuition bill. This is something that I am very regretful of and as I look back, I cannot believe I did not do.

I would tell myself not to have been so nervous about the transition from high school to college. The transition was smooth and easy. Everyone at Radford University were very welcoming and I easily made friends and learned my way around campus. I would also tell myself that the classes are not impossible as long as you attend class and study. I also think that if allowed every freshman should try and bring their car so you can get around town easier instead of relying on your friends. I would have also told myself that I should have taken more time and fill out more scholarships to help me out during my first year of college. Furthermore, I think it is a good thing that I did not know what I know now because it was a learning experience and I learned from this and now I share this information with my friends who are high school seniors.

I would have said to try harder and to buckle down. Coming to college was a big change, they don't baby you here and you might need professors as references at a later time so like them or not you need to be on good terms with them. I would've tried harder for scholarships in high school if I had actual looked at the tuition bill my parents pay each semester. If I'd done better in my AP classes (and aced the AP tests) the credits might've transferred to college and I could've saved myself time and my parent's money taking freshman-level english and history. College is serious and it needs to be taken as such. Do stellar in each and every class, don't be afraid to talk to your professors, they have office hours to help you. That's what I wish I could have gone back and told myself.

Dear past Bucky, When you set up your class schedule, make sure it is something you can work with fairly easily because having a crazy schedule can be hard to work with when you need to study and when you have a job. As for class times, do not put hard classes early in the morning becasue it can be hard to wake up and stay focused in class. Have a calander and write down all the important dates so you do not forget anything important. Stay warm and try not to get sick because going to classes with a bad cold will not make school work any easier. When you study, try and get other people to study with you sometimes because it can be helpfule to get input from other people. As for dorm life, make sure you have everything you need and try to get along with your roommate, even if it is your brother. Having a little cash on hand is always good too. From, Future Bucky P.S. John will throw up on his own computer the first weekend there, try to stop him from doing so.

As a senior in high school, you know everything! No matter what your parents say, you are right all the time and they know nothing. Of course, I did not keep in mind that my parents have already experienced the whole high school graduation, college thing. On top of keeping my parents' advice in mind, I would not have wished away my final months of high school. Never again will I be able to go back and repeat these days. Luckily, by the time I turned eighteen, I was ready to put high school behind me and encounter new experiences and new acquaintances. As far as minding my parents' advice, I now find myself quoting them (unintentionally, mind you) during episodes at school.