Saint Cloud State University Top Questions

I would leave myself this note: If you are reading this then the DeLorean reached 88 miles an hour and I (meaning you) have traveled back to the year 2010. Anyways, start filling out scholarship forms…like right now. Sure you’re undecided, but you can still get money to pay for an unsure future towards an unsure degree. Trust me; you don’t want to be trapped in a community college and be force to drive your mother’s ride when your crappy car keeps breaking down. You’re eleventh in your class of two hundred and fifty-six, you’re top ten percent, and as you parents will keep telling you, “You’re smart enough to not have to pay for college.” Also if this were real I would have left you (meaning me) lottery ticket numbers by now. Community college is far too easy. I have fallen asleep so many times in class and somehow I still pass every one of my classes easily. You got to stop being a big fish in a small fish bowl. In addition, don’t blow it with that girl, or that other girl…or then the next girl after.

If I could go back in time I would tell myself to work hard, not fool around in class, and listen to everything the teacher says. I would tell myself it is important to do these things because without them you will fail. I would tell myself not to let stress get to you and to keep your head up no matter the circumstance. The last thing I would tell myself is to not give up. Pick something and stick with it no matter how much work it is.

The advice I would give myself would be to work hard in high school so that you could get into any school that you wanted as well as tour more colleges. I feel like I came to college here not knowing much about the school which really hurt me. This school definitely would not be my first choice but I thought that it would have been prior to being here. Work hard and you will be able to go anywhere you want.

Unfortunately I dropped out of high school before my senior year but if I had stayed I know that I would have continued on the wrong path and probably wouldn’t have graduated. I would tell myself that I need to work harder in high school and start acquiring better study habits. I need to quit procrastinating on essays and projects and quit skipping class. That I can achieve something great and that I need to utilize my full potential in my academic career. I would try to instill the craving for knowledge and determination that I have acquired in college into myself in high school and provide the encouragement that was absent throughout high school. I would tell myself that I need to save money for college and to apply early for financial aid and scholarships. The circle of poverty and back breaking manual labor that my family seems to be stuck in can be broken and that I will be the one to do it. The biggest shocker to me in high school would have been the fact that I was attending college and trying to transfer to University of California Davis.

I would tell myself not to proctastonaite and not worry what other people think.

Dear Heather, This is you at thirty years old...Stop rushing your life, stay in college. Its the most amazing time you give yourself to bloom into life. Later you will have three beautiful children and your going to need that job your dreaming about now to help support them!! Stay focused along with taking the experience of college into your mind. You will meet so many amazing people that love and support your decision to finish your education. Study as much as you can , learn as much as you can, always stay postive, and most of all love yourself enough to do this! You are determined, a hard worker, a loving wife and mother, and most of all once you get your mind set to do this I know you can!! Remember, Smile everyday, its going to be a lot of hard work involved but once you do this your going to love yourself that much more. You will succeed!! STAY FOCUSED, you will be that person you see looking back at you in the mirror that you knew you always were.

I would tell myself to apply for as many scholarships as possible. It is very hard, even with financial aid, to pay for school even with a job. I am looking for a second job just to try and pay for school. It is extremely hard. I would make sure to spend a lot more time applying anywhere I could find to look for scholarships.

Jena, I know you are so happy to go out and be on your own but one thing that I would like to stress on you is, continue to be involved. You love it, and it will help you stay motivated to keep your grades up. I would also say, go to the academic advising center because you will need it. Never be afraid to ask questions. Be involved in class as well. Professors like it when students participate!

If I were to go back in time I would tell myself to get involved more and open up to new ideas and people. Joining clubs and teams is the easiest way to meet new people and to bond with them over something that interests you both. Although you can meet new people in your dorm, you often don't have that much in common with them. So join a club that sparks your interest even if it has nothing to do with your major. Also be more open to diverse people that live in your dorm or are in your classes. They may be very different from you but you never know what you have in common until you open up and start talking with them. The best way to open your mind up to new ideas is to make friends with and talk to people from a culture very different from your own.

My first year and a half of college is now over, and I feel that I have finally adjusted to the routine that college can bring. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior there would be many words of advice that I would give myself to prepare for college. First and for most, I would tell myself never to give up, no matter how stressed and overwhelmed you can get. You have to push yourself through the hard times, that way you feel successful and a sense of accomplishment when you reach a goal. I would also tell myself to take as many college credits in high school as possible because college tutition is vey expensive. the next advice I would give myself is to learn a system of organization and time management. You're on your own in college and everything is your own responsibility. And last but definitely not least, I would tell myself to keep my friends and family close because you never know when you're going to need advice from others with similar experiences or just someone to support you.

If I was to go back as a high school senior, my advice would be to finish the year off strong both academically and athletically. One advice would be taking high level classes which could transfer as a college credit to save money. Another advice would be improving my overall cumalative GPA because I could earn scholership money that way.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself that going to college is fun and exciting as well as challeging, but yet rewarding. College opens up many doors for people. Making the transistion from high school to college really isn't hard at all. It seems like making the step to high school is the same thing as making the step to go to college. As long as you are on the right track, you are set to go. I would also tell myself to never let anyone tell you you can't do something you think you can do. Don't let anyone push you around. Be your own person. If you believe in yourself, you can go anywhere. Start out simple and then expand. Don't overwhelm yourself all at once. Don't wait until the last minute to do things. Start as early as possible.

If I could go back in time to talk to my former self as a senior in high school, the most important thing I could tell myself would be to enjoy the last year. I was so focused on working to earn money and getting good grades in preparation for college that I did not spend enough time with friends and classmates before we all left to follow our own paths. Senior year of high school is one of the most exciting times of a young person's life and while good grades are important, they should not become a person's entire life. The most important advice I would give my high school self would be to take a break from the books every once in a while and reward myself with a fun night out. Education is important, but fun experiences and memories are what help to create a well-rounded person.

If I were able to go back and talk to myself while I was still a highschool senior, I would tell myself to be prepared. I would inform myself that coming from a school graduating with 48 people and going to a large University with 18,000+ people would be a culture shock. There is a much bigger and brighter world out there than what I know in this small town. I would explain that being a Nursing Student is hard work and there is a lot of competition. Developing good habits now would benefit me in the future. I would tell myself to try harder in my Calculus class because that grade is going to matter in college. I would also tell myself that I will be just fine. As long as I try my best and stay motivated, everything will work out how it is supposed to. The last thing I would tell myself to do is buckle up and enjoy the ride, life goes by too fast!

If i could go back in time and talk to myself i would definitely tell the younger me to prepare more for the upcoming years and to actually put in some effort in my studies. I walked through the halls of my high school thinking that life would come at me and i would just go with the flow, i found out very quickly that the flow is a lot more fast paced than i could have ever imagined. As my high school days came to a close i found myself not knowing what i was going to do with my life and that i was completely unprepared for college or anything else so i joined the military so i could have a little more time to make that decision of what i wanted to do for the rest of my life. It has taken me nearly four years out of high school to decide what i really want to do. In a way im glad that it has taken me so long because i have matured enough so that i will put 110 percent of my effort into achieving this goal. But, i definitely should have prepared myself more.

Because i have chosen not to live on campus my freshman year, it is a lot harder to make friends. And what I would tell myself as a senior is that I should "be in high school" rather than wanting to go on to the next step in life so fast. Time flys by and overall I wish I would have enjoyed it while it lasted, whereas now its a lot of work and not nearly as easy.

If I could go back in time to my senior year of high school I would tell myself to enjoy being young because childhood is not something you want to miss a second of. The transition to college can happen in a blink of an eye. Leaving you wondering where your senior year went. Throughout my high school senior year I spent most of my time trying to grow up and rush past my adolescence. I graduated a year ahead of my class and although it has given me the opportunity to be ahead, I admit that it was a stressful process. Looking back from a wiser point of view-at the mid point of my freshman year in college, I understand I should have been savoring my childhood instead of trying to bypass the entire experience. You quickly learn when transitioning to college that the life of a young adult requires a lot more from you. Although I do not regret the choices that I have made in my high school years, because they have made me the person I am. I would advice myself along with other students to enjoy high school and childhood because it happens fast.

I would encourage myself to go ahead with college plans. I would do more research as to the best college that has concern for learning disabilities. I would find a second source of income knowing that financial aid is always late, and never enough money to live on. I would always buy books that are damaged or on sale to save money. I would probably tell myself to research 5-10 colleges. But not on the information that they give to students, which is always rosey. I would go to campuses, each one for a day, and just talk to all the students there. Then I would decide which college to attend!

Never give up and never listen to anyone that may tell you that you are not college material. You are college material and you deserve to have an education and be happy in your career. Don't wait for others, you make the initiative to get your education started. It is not cheap but the reward is well worth it. An education is never wasted money and will be your best investment of a lifetime. Not only will you be thankful that you have gone to college, but your family and your own children will be proud of you.

If I could go back two years and give myself advice about college it would be to always be on top of everything. I would tell myself to stay on top of my schoolwork, my applications, and everything else. I would tell myself to prioritize: figure out what is important and eliminate what is not. I would tell myself to strive to have a high GPA because it would give me a better opportunity for scholarships and to be a leader in all aspects of life. I would advice myself to never limit myself to where I can go. I would tell myself to look into every single route that college has to offer, from going to community college and transferring over to going to a public university out of state and doing not only what is best for my college education, but also what is best for my parents and their financial situation. Lastly, I would tell myself to grow up and grow up fast because college will force you to become something that everyone fears to be: an adult. I wish I could go back 2 years. Things would be a lot different.