Southwestern Oklahoma State University Top Questions

If I was to be given the chance to go back in time to my senior year I would give myself much more mature advice then ever went through my head as teenager. I would first tell myself to not wish away my last year of high school and to enjoy every second of it. I would also then know how extremely important it is to take advantage of all the concurrent classes available to you while your there. I wish I had taken those classes then, because I would have been so much more ahead of the game then I was when I got to college. I would also do what I know now is much more important than maybe any work or project I have ever done, and that is networking. I have come to realize that is much bigger and important than most people think. It is not always about what you know, but who you know. If I could go back I would have communicated and talked much more with my teachers, students, and administrators. Those are the things I would try to approach very differently if I were able to go back in time.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to not worry so much about what other people think. I would tell myself to accept myself just as I am. I would tell myself to do a self-inventory and figure out what I enjoy doing and what my personal strengths are. I would let my personal interests and strengths guide me more when making life-impacting decisions including college and career choices. I would tell myself to think about my life in ten years, 20 years, and 50 years from high school...and ask myself where do I want to be at those points in my life? How will I get there? I would write down my goals. Treasure the good memories, learn from my mistakes, and forgive myself for wrong choices. Don't be afraid to admit my weaknesses and ask others for help. Always do my best, don't take things personally, don't make assumptions, don't live in the past, keep my word, be quick to apologize and forgive, do daily random acts of kindness and finally, I would talk less and listen more.

Allison, I am you from the future coming back to give you some heads up. Do what everyone had told you about filling out as many schoarships because winning one is not enough. Do make lots of new friends and say hi to everyone because they will say hi back. Do talk to the guy you think is cute because he will see him often and regret never saying hi. Do go to the welleness center when you are bored instead of napping because you will miss out on a lot. Do not be an overachiever and make applying to collages a competition because it is a waste of money. Do not be naive and think collage courses are like AP classes because they are much harder since you have not cushion grade. Do not attempt to do everything yourself because there are people there to help you. Do not think you have to eat your money worths because the food will always be there. Lastly, be yourself and everything will be fun!

I would tell myself to actually read those books that the English teacher assigns. Farenheit 451 and Jane Erye come in really helpful in your college English class. I would also convience myself to work on not procrastinating on homework. If you get in the habit of it now, the school work will not be as hard as you will make it be by waiting. Since I still live at home, it seems like it is harder for me to make friends. I wold tell my high school self to be more outgoing the first semester. Without friends to talk to school gets very tedious and boring. The most important thing I woud tell myself is to not be nervous. It is not as bad and you think it will be. You will make new friends, but you will lose some of the ones you were close to in high school. As time goes on you begin to talk to them less and your new friends become closer. I would tell myself to just breath and let it be.

Hi teeage brat me! You think you know everything now, but college will give you a run for your money! Life in college will be extremely hard if you don't get it into gear! You have high ambition, high expectation, but you haven't prepped yourself well enough! Have patience! Learn time management! Learn how to learn! School isn't just about "getting it done" anymore, it's about the process, earning your learning, and all the blood, sweat, and tears leading to your ambitions. There will be many obstacles ahead of you! Surround yourself with a good support system, keep striving, and keep your head up! Keep going and I promise you will go far! Sincerely, Accomplished you!

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self about college advice, I would not have given any. The reason because without learning all of the college experiences on my own, it would not have meant as much as it does. You only learn something if you go through it yourself and come out better from it. I consider it better that you learn on your own because then you are prone to making mistakes, and while mistakes are bad you learn from them, and they are what shapes your personality. Learning things on your own helps you become the person that you will live the rest of your life as. But if I had to go back and talk to my high school self, I would tell her that school is harder, but funner in college, and that she needs to start forming a routine study habit. I would also tell her to relax and have fun while transitioning to college, because it will only happen once, so she should make the most of it, and have fun while doing.

I wish i could have looked into more colleges and applied for a lot more scholarships. It would have helped my parents with the burden of paying for college as their income is just enough to sustain our home.

Forget everything you knew about high school. The professors care about your education and will work with you if you have a problem. There's a focus on academics instead of just simply athletic prowess. There is a tradeoff though; you will have to do homework. Don't think you can just move in with your partying buddies and stay up all night. The days will be long and hard; and you might lose some of your friends by not hanging out with them, but it will be worth it in the end. You do not want to end up like I did scraping by for ten years, working hard labor for sixty hours a week and still being broke at the end of the month. A successful career is far more rewarding in the end and nothing say you can't have a little fun after your homework is done.

Don't be set on single school, bust your ass on the ACT or SAT

Be true to yourself and don't make the popular choice in choosing a college or university to attend. Choose what will be the best fit for the type of person you are. If you want a casual learning experience with a great deal of social life then a larger university with great social club structure is more for you. If you are a serious student that wants to learn the material in a smaller classroom environment then look at schools that will fit that and place less emphasis on social life. College is what you make of it and no one can predict what experience you will have. The choices you make from this point forward will greatly influence your future. No longer is everything spelled out for you. Understand that learning is a process and allow it to evolve and change as you go through the experience.