South Dakota State University Top Questions

Choose a college of your choice. I went to a school that I thought I would like because my friends go there, but ended up hating it and now I'm transfering. Plus if you want to go out into the world and get out of that "hometown" feeling, then I recommend going to a big school. More people, more fun, more opportunities, and more things to do. Seriously.

I have a lot of advice about college for my high school self. One tip would be to learn good study habits now. Because with all the extracurriculars campus has to offer, one has to be disciplined enough to know when, how much, and for how long they need to study. It is easy to get caught up in the fun of organizations, but you have to remember that academics is the sole purpose of college. My second piece of advice would be to get involved right away. College is a place that I personally came out of my shell, and It happened when I started joining clubs and other organizations. It will benefit you during and after your college experience. A third piece of advice is to find a nice place on campus, other than your residence hall, to study. Get in the habit of being our of the room from 9-5 each day. Beter to get into this habit now then when you enter the work force afte graduation. My last piece of advice, would be to remember to have fun. Studying is important, but college is only a four year experience until the real world hits.

I would have to say that it is something I should have thought more about, and I wish i would have spent more time finding out what I wanted to do after high school. I also would say to not let un needed things distract you from what you are going to do. You need to focus on yourself and start to make decsions on your own. Graduating high school and going in to college is a very important part of your life.

Going to college pushes you to become more independent than you've ever been and that transition can be scary so here is some advice to help prepare you. Just because you can stay up as late as you want with your friends doing shenanigans doesn't mean you should. Sleep is crucial to help you stay focused throughout the day. Classes are not mandatory so it's easy to press the snooze button if you are too tired to wake up in the morning, causing you to miss your class. Don't skip because you never know if your professor will introduce something important that day. Keep your dorm door open and don't be afraid to say hello to a stranger walking by. Make new friends and put yourself out there! Call home at least once a week. This prevents you from becoming homesick and it reassures your parents you are okay. Trust me, they love it. Understand that it's okay to be undecided about your future. You are only 18; you have plenty of time to decide so don't stress yourself out. Enjoy the freedom but trust that you know your limits and study hard!

If I were able to go back in time and write a letter of advice to myself while I was still in high school, my best advice for myself would have been to get more involved. I was involved in one to two things per year throughout my high school experience and it would have been a huge blessing to be able to learn how to make lasting relationships with other peers based on common interests. I find that I did not carry about half of the friendships over once my college career began and I miss the relationships built with my high school friends. Another piece of advice I would have given to myself back in high school was to challenge myself more. I took several Advanced Placement classes that helped prepare me for college, however, if I could have pushed myself to take more, I could have been saving thousands of dollars. Overall, the most two important things I could have improved on in high school are getting more involved, and challenging myself more. These are important for every high school student preparing to obtain a postsecondary education.

Looking back at my high school days, I would tell myself to enjoy the little things. Enjoy the freedoms of being a child. Don't let the other kids make you think you are not as good as they are. You have a great life ahead of you, just get through high school and achieve your goals. Put your values first. Never give in to negative peer pressure- it won't turn out well. If people don't like you for who you truly are, too bad. Remember, if you put your mind to it, you can achieve it. Also, everybody that looks back at their high school years either hates the way they treated others, or just plain hated high school. It's just a milestone that you need to get passed for an awesome future.

Advice is a tricky thing. Until you have experienced a few things in life its even difficult to that the advice of other, wiser individuals. After almost completing my first year of college I would have told myself to take more classes that challenged me in high school and to start the college and scholarship search MUCH earlier. I would tell myself to me bold when moving in. Make the first move with other students and introduce yourself. Making friends is never going to get any easier when you are as shy as I am so I recommend starting early. DO NOT room with a friend unless you know that you can stand one another full time. Even the best of friends can make the worst roommates. And lastly, remove yourself from the high school mentality. While making friends and socializing is important, school and studying ALWAYS comes first. There will always be time for fun after the work has been done. Keep your priorities straight.

As the old adage goes, “Actions speak louder than words.” So if I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, I wouldn’t say anything. I would drag the injudicious version of myself “back to the future” to get a good look at life. There I’d stand; quietly watching as the younger me internalized what was happening. Searching for something meaningful to give myself, I would remember the words of the current Dalai Lama who said, “…[humans are] so anxious about the future that [they do not] live in the present; the result being that [they do not] live in the present or the future; [they live] as if [they are] never going to die, and then [die] having never really lived.” I would turn to my younger self and utter two words… ...,”Go. Live.”

That your parents aren't really abandoning you, and you don't need to bring your entire room + the kitchen sink. Friends are easier to make than you think. Try lots of things, and attend a variety of cultural speakers and music! Be a leader or a researcher, because it will help build your resume. Bring headphones or earplugs. Be ready to compromise with your roomate. Put your dirty laundry and dishes away, your roomate will hate it otherwise. Be open to anything coming your way, because anything can happen.

I would tell myself to go for the soroity life early! Those girls will become your best friends and help you through all the tough classes. If it wasnt for Alpha Omega Epsilon I would have dropped out and not made it to my goal of graduating college. Dont fret about money. That is one thing that will come and go. Financal aid has always been available as well as scholorships. Apply for as many as possible and be serious about them.

Remember to take what people say about classes being a lot harder in college seriously, its a whole new world in terms of classes and in terms of living. Take whatever help is offered to you and apply for as many scholarships as you are able to qualify for, the last thing you want to worry about is how your are going to pay for school this year. The teachers are there for a reason, they are willing to help you if you need it, so use that help. The same goes for the academic and tutoring centers, they really do help, don't ever let your pride get in your way of asking for help. Also, remember to branch out and do not be afraid to make new friends and join different clubs that you haven't tried before, along with the ones you alrealdy knew about and wanted to be apart of. Remember to talk to mom and dad and grandma often, they all want to know what is going on and how you are doing and they miss you. Finally, remember not to be afraid of change, it can be a good thing.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school student, I would tell myself to prepare for something huge. College makes up your whole life. If you don't go, you're stuck with a minimum wage job. College opens up so many options and choices to make a great life. I would tell myself to fill out as many applications for scholarships as possible. I would also tell myself to really decide what I want to do. I recently changed my major from what I was set gung-ho on for about 2 years. I would also talk to an advisor at the college I planned to attend. They can really help you with deciding what classes to take, when to take them, and decide when you can graduate. I would also tell myself to learn how to take notes. Now-a-days, students have trouble following the professors and learning the Cornell note system really can help you do well in your classes. I wish I could go back in time, but I'm glad I learned on my own sooner than later.

The first advice I would give to myself is that a smart idea would be to go to a community college where you can get your first two years paid for and have less debt after you graduate. Its also a GREAT transition going to a smaller school. Another thing I would have told myself is take challenging classes in high school to ready yourself for college. I know that it is so hard to try as a senior because you are so ready to graduate but once again in the end it will be worth it. And the third thing. GET INVOLVED! It is so important to have extra curricular activities under your belt and to step out and try new things! College is such a transition period and an indicator of your future life and starting earlier with good habits will help make you even more successful in the end!

I would advise myself to not take the year off after high school. I took this route and it led to me being out of school for five years and entering back into school was extremely difficult especially with a 4 year old boy. I would tell myself that I am going to have to work harder and focus because there I only have myself to push me to go to class, complete assignments and study for exams. I would most likely tell myself to apply to universities in different states that way I could experience what life is like in a different part of the country. I would also stress not to be influenced by others. Peer pressure is hard to overcome but almost always leads to disaster. I would make sure that I know I am going to have to be strong, stick to my morals and beliefs and remember what my parents have taught me throughout life about the world and the evils that exist in it. I would also tell my high school self to choose a career that she is going to love and will help to make a difference in the world.

If I had the opportunity to speak to myself as a high school senior, I would have so much to say!! The biggest thing I would want to share with myself regarding the transition to college life would be to take it all seriously, but to find ways to enjoy it, too. Coming to college as an eighteen year old, I was so young and so naïve. Finding a way to pay for college then seemed impossible. It has been a much tougher road as I have worked to complete my degree as an adult while raising my children, and if I could go back and talk to myself back then, I would want to make it clear how much easier things would be if I could find a way to balance the financial challenges and keep working at my degree then, rather than coming back later. Although I thought I had financial hurdles then, they were nothing compared to what I have had to overcome now. If only I could have seen the road ahead then, I would have done so many things differently, and that is what I would want my high school self to know.

I have a couple things that I wish I would have done. One would be to study more. I had terrible study habits that started in my freshman year and slightly carried over into college until I stopped it. During my senior year, I had the least amount of classes in a school year ever. Although I did pass all my classes, I should've aced every one of my classes considering all the free time I had. Another was to retake the ACT. My first time I took the ACT, I got an 18. Just barely enough in my view and I wanted to retake it. Even though I did schedule for another, there was a blizzard this day and was rescheduled. Unfortunately, I had to work on the day and could not attend. I ended up getting too caught up in working and was unable to sign up for another day which I very much regret. Finally, I would tell myself to be more available to work during the summer and save more of the money I do earn. I don’t think I saved enough from this summer to last me the rest of the school year.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to take academic scholarships more seriously and enjoy quality time with my friends. Going to college is a big commitment and expensive, spending a large amount of money is foolish when there are so many different varieties of scholarships offered. By taking time to both search and apply for multiple scholarships, college can become a little easier on finances. I would also advise my senior self to cherish the time I had left with my high school friends. Seinor year is a fun and important time in everyone's life and sharing those moments with friends makes it even better.

I would tell myself to learn how to study better and to not procrastinate. I would also tell my self to not be so shy when first starting college and to meet more people during my first year.

Richard, don't be scared about going to a community college. I know most of you're friends are going to a big university but you need to do whats right for you. This isn't high school anymore. You have to make your own path and decide your own future. Dont rely on anyone to make your decisions. Try speaking up more in class, because you weren't very social in high school. What im trying to tell you is very simple. You have the capabilities to be very successful but you lack the confidence. "The greatest risk in life is not taking one". (Crawford) Theres a wide variety of people in college and they can help you learn better than some of the professors. I made the mistake of being shy in class and not talking to these people before it was too late. Don't be scared, be confident, look up when you walk, talk to people in your classes, and most importantly have fun. If you want to finish your degree in four years thats fine, but dont rush. I wasn't very social, so I spent most of my days over studying, manage your time!

Advice to high school Marissa from college Marissa: Set a goal for a 4.0 GPA. It’s ok to ask for help and take advantage of tutors’ assistance. Questions are meant to be asked so ask them. Categorize school materials/projects that could aid in the success for college. Listen to teachers’ lectures because beyond the material required to be taught are pieces of life advice woven in their words. Learn to balance work, grades and extra curriculars because all three grow maturity when achieved. Create a web of connections because it will grow into resources for the future. Allocate a percentage of paycheck for college expenses. Manage earned money well. Attend garage sales and ask family members for household items not in use that could be used to stock a college dorm. Explore future career interest by job shadowing or volunteering. Start a journal of college goals that will lead to a career. Play a role in your community by coaching, city cleanup, or writing an editorial. Spend time at the library and use its vast resources. Read more literature. Commit to using new vocabulary. Take care of yourself emotionally, physically, spiritually so as to be healthy.