SUNY at Fredonia Top Questions

If I could travel back in time to tell my high school self what I know now, I would be years ahead in my goals. Identifying what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be was a very time consuming process for me. Out of high school I was sure of only one thing, that I did not want to go to college. Spending money for school was a disgusting thought, I swore it was all a sham to milk kids and their parents out of ludicrous sums of money. That all changed when I got a job as a factory worker. It became clearer by the day of what I wanted to do, and the steps I needed to take to do it. Conversing with my past self, I would make quick work of outlining what's important, and what's not. It almost scares me to think what I could have accomplished with a little bit of focus. Hours of TV could be traded in for priceless life experiences and self improvement. Seeing your future in absolute terms is an ability only privy to the gods, because if knowledge is power, than you would be almighty.

If I could go back to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to be more serious about my decision making. To make sure I really knew what I wanted to do when applying to colleges and to keep in mind that there are more things out there if you look for them. Also to work way harder because you can't just coast through school/life on smarts alone but have to actually put in hard work to learn anything important. Also to be open to new and different experiences because you need more than book smarts to get ahead in life and those experiences are what enable you to succeed when book smarts doesn't apply. Also while college is not a impossibly hard as some of my high school teachers led me to believe, that to still take what they said to heart and try to apply it to your experiences to get the most out of each.

Study more for your courses!! In order to pass, you MUST study for each course you are enrolled in. Balancing the social and academic part of college is key in becoming a successful student. Especially if you want to get into grad school, or medical school.

Well, first, I would say take a breather Jess! I was so stressed about making the right decision that I barely made time to breath. I would tell myself that everything will work out. Everything happens for a reason and you have time. I would also tell myself to start preparing for my auditions way earlier. I thought I had my monologues set and my questions in order, but if I had made more time, it would have decreased my stress level immensely. I would definitely tell myself to concentrate on enjoying the rest of my high school career because it's all going to the same place. I felt rushed and I could have taken more advantage of my friends and teachers while I still had them. But, overall, I would say that college is just another step and there is nothing to fear. Keep expectations high and it will be everything you can imagine. After all, it's just the beginning.

Mike, I know how nervous you are about college, you will be fine. You should know some things about this campus, everyone there will like you and accept you for who you are, be yourself. Also the friends you make at Fredonia will be your best source of support (morally, academically, and emotionally) you will ever find and bonds you make will last a lifetime. With grades, don't take getting an "A" as your only goal, understanding the information is just as important. Persue your hobbies, you will find many people on Fredonia's campus who are both willing and helpful in helping you broaden your horizon of skills for potential careers. Keep in mind that the degree you pick to go into Fredonia may not be what is your true calling but never stop going after what you love, these pursuits will be your motivation for the years to come and will be your strongest asset. Never forget where you came from, never give up and never let someone dissuade you from your goal. No matter what happens you will persist and the outcome will make you a stronger person. Good luck and have some fun!

The transition from high school to college life is a difficult process, but you are doing a very good job to prepare for it. The work load in college is a lot greater, so it is important that you learn to manage your time effectively. The most important thing I can stress is to get organized: Get a planner, make schedules, write everything down. There is so much going on that it is easy to forget about certain tasks you need to get done. By staying organized you will be on top of everything and it will help keep your schedule balanced. The second most important rule to follow is to never cram for exams! When you know you have an exam coming up, start studying at least 5 days in advance by looking over your notes and quizing yourself at least a little bit everyday. Finally, it is important to remember that the friends you make at college will most likely be the most important ones, but the work needed to get completed will impact you far more in the future. Keep your new friends close, but dont be afraid to put school before them, they will understand.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as I high school senior, I would definitely encourage myself to apply for more scholarships. I now realize how expensive attending college really is and it?s not easy to pay for without receiving any financial aid. Although my financial aid status indicates that my parents make too much money for me to qualify for financial aid, the economy is steadily decreasing and money is becoming tighter and tighter. I am aware that there is always the option to take out student loans, but my parents are strongly against that due to the fact that they want me to be financially stable when I graduate college and not have to pay back money I do not have assuming the availability of jobs is still decreasing. One other thing I would remind myself to do as a high school senior would be to look into community colleges. In my hometown, the community college is much cheaper than SUNY Fredonia and although it may look better receiving my degree from a university, the local community college would be a great place to start while saving up money for the expensive university.

The best advice I can give is keep an open mind and apply for everything you can apply for. Knowing everything that's offered by your college will help you down the road when you want to get involved and when you have questions about anything. Understand how you college operates because each one is different. Also apply for every scholarship you're eligible for. College is more stressful than you think so not having to worry about finances is very important. Its helps out your parents tremendously with any free money that you get and listening to your parents is also something you should consider. They've had experiences that you wouldn't believe. They know what they're talking about and your future is important to them so the things they tell you are in your best interest. Make sure you keep an open mind when you walk on that campus and experience all that you can. Try new things, and meet new people. You'll have amazing friends that will do anything for you and you'll learn exactly what you want to do in life while having a great time doing it.

I would tell myself to be open to making new friends. I would tell myself to keep an open mind and expect the unexpected because I may become friends with people who I would never imagine being my friend. Also, I would tell myself to not be afriad of trying new things. A big transition is to definitely study more and expect bad grades even though I am trying very hard. I have to try harder and harder, maybe even a study group or set aside study time.

If I had the chance to give a single piece of advice to myself as a high school senior, I would say "study abroad." Before I had finished my senior credits the summer before my actual senior year of highschool, I had my hopes set on studying international bussiness at Don Quiot in Spain. I would tell my self to forgive your parents for throwing you into more difficult sittuations than any child should have to expirience and move on with your future, because the energy you put into that is most definately worth having expirienced the thrill of your acheivment, even though it may not feel that way in the efforts to get there.