SUNY Cortland Top Questions

If I were given the opportunity to go back in time there would be alot of words of advice I would give to myself as a high school senior. The big thing that I had to learn when I went away to school was time management. I would tell myself that while you may be in class for less hours per day then you are in high school, the difference in out of class work is tremendous. It is crucial to plan your out of class time so that the appropiate amount of studying, planning, and homework may be done. Other words of advice I would give myself is to have an open mind to new things and people as college can be a tremendous once in a lifetime experience that may change you forever. Lastly, the advice I would give myself is to act like a professional. College is a stepping stone to a lifetime career which will define you. Being prepared and acting in a professional manor will only put you ahead of your competition .

"Don't hold back" is one thing I would say to myself if I could go back in time. Let yourself live every moment to its fullest and appreciate all the people you meet and don't let anyone hold you back from anything; do what makes you happy. Another thing I would tell myself is "School comes first!". Don't get behind on your work and always go to class. Professors in college aren't like your high school teachers, they aren't going to remind you what is due or when it's due, you're going to have to stay on top of it all by yourself. You're a big kid now and it's on you to make something of yourself and make yourself proud. Also, don't be afraid of your professors. They are there to help you out too and they are more than willing to assist you with anything you need.

College is an experience that no one can ever prepare you for! A lot of people such as older siblings, parents, teachers, etc. can tell you what to look forward to but it's definitely an experience that has to be fulfilled by you and only you inorder to get the full affect. The transition is tough! Some high schools such as mine are pretty easy to learn the necessary things to just get by with an easy A but college is very different. No one in college is there to wake you up in the morning for class, the professors do not care whether you study or not, they don't care if you pass or fail. It's up to you to do it for yourself! You do a lot of growing up just make sure to act like the adult that you have become when you accepted your spot in college. Also remember that being a college student is your fulltime job so take it seriously! You may be totally concerned with the "parties" but you have to learn to balance out your social and academic life. Know your priorities and you will have a good firstyear!

Making the transition from a high school senior to a college freshman can be rough. The workload of a high school senior getting ready to graduate can be overwhelming. The advice I would give to myself would be to know your priorities as a senior in high school and trying to get into the college you want. I would suggest getting your financial aid taken care of as soon as its available to increase your chances towards grants and other student aid. Getting ready for graduation is already enough to worry about along with getting ready for college. Learning to apply to the colleges and getting your finances and classes taken care of ,is the first to do, while also getting living situations figured out. The transition is hectic at times but well worth it in the end. Just keep your head held high and make lists of what you need to do and there deadlines.

The main advice I would give myself as a high school senior would be to not slack off as much as I did, and as many did, during Senior year. I needed to better prepare myself mentally for the college lifestyle that I was entering into, and I did not feel as prepared as I thought I would be. So I would tell myself to mentally prepare for college and work on procrastinating less. Procrastination is still an issue that most students face today so it is important to change in high school so that one can go into college more prepared and deal with the large increase in workload. I would also tell myself to finish all of my work and put enought effort into my work so that it was always a product that I could be proud of. By caring about my work more in high school, it would have allowed me to easily put in the effort I needed once I got to college.

Agenda book, agenda book, agenda book. My school district used aenda books from 5th grade on. We were required to have them filled in daily and signed by our parents in the early grades, but as we got older it was more of a choice. I got lazy in high school and didn't utilize it much. I wish it had become a habit because even though I was a diligent student, I learned early on in college that time management was crutial. After a while I needed to start using an organizer si I ws able to map out what I needed to accomplish for each week. Once I got in the habit of this I felt less stressed and work didn't seem so overwhelmng.

Michelle, everything will be ok. You're out of "the city," you don't and shouldn't be putting on a front as everyone does when you're back home. There are going to be people that are extremely nice no matter what, so don't be so discouraged right away. Always be yourself, be open and don't be so shy or scared just because you aren't used to having this many classmates. STAY POSITIVE, don't give up hope. If things don't turn out the way you want them to, don't stress; have faith that something better will come along. Drop the somewhat negative mentality you have been coerced to have because of your upbringing; Cortland is the complete opposite of Manhattan and you need to prepare for the changes. Just remember, don't stress, stay positive, and do your readings!

Looking back at myself as a high school senior is like looking at a stranger. I was insecure about everything. Knowing what I know now about college life, there is a lot of advise I would give my high school senior self. I believe there are two key pieces of advise that has allowed me to grow and succeed thus far. My first piece of advise would be to figure out what your priorities are. Having your priorities set will make all of life's transitions less complicated. Acknowledging what's important makes decisions easier to make and lessens the inevitable stress in one's life. My second piece of advise is to be confident with who you are. As a child and throughout my high school years I was painfully shy. I was so focused on the possibility that people may not like me that I never gave them a chance to know me. Since making the transition to college, I realized the importance of liking yourself and not worrying about what others think. Accepting myself has allowed me to come out of my shell and enjoy life in a way I was too afarid to before.

If I were allowed to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school student, I would tell myself to stay truthful to who you are and push yourself. I would tell myself that it is ok to study for a test while your friends are in the other room watching tv. College is for you and not anyone else. It doesn't matter if your friends at school think you study too much, because it doesn't affect their grades, their money, or their future. If you know that what you are doing is for your benefit then you should stick to your goals and try your best to make them happen. College is all about opportunity and the only way you can succeed is to do what you think is right. Do what you came to do in college and in the end everything will work out the way you planned.

I would tell myself not to go with what would make you money and what would make you happy. At the end of day, being happy is what is going to make life meaningful. Also, I would tell myself to not bullcrap and work HARD. My GPA is suffering a little because I cruised through high school with As and Bs without doing work and thought that would work for college. It didn't . I just started working hard now and the way I felt after I got those As and Bs was amazing because I actually earned them. Also, not academically, I would tell myself to stay away from sweet talking men because they only want one thing and also to enjoy your friends in college, because they are you're life long friends