Tarleton State University Top Questions

Don't lose that drive. We have come so far and done so much and we shouldn't stop or let up. Keep pushing yourself but don't be afraid to take an elective. Don't be afraid to "take chances, make mistakes, and get messy" as Miss Frizzle said. Also, get out there! Don't wait for things to come to you. Say hi to people and smile! Get involved and volunteer. Believe it or not but we are much better at time management when we have more stuff to do. But be careful when balancing things. Keep in mind that we are at school to get an education. Also, completely skip Texas State. Forget A&M. Listen to our mother and look at Tarleton. It is honestly the greatest school ever. It's a slightly larger school than Plano even though the small town sucks. Have faith in yourself and when things get stressful, pause for a moment, take a deep breath, and go on. Life goes on and there is no reason to borrow worry from the future. As Hagrid once said, "What's comin' will come, an' we'll meet it when it does."

I would tell myself that life is hard in college. For the first time in your life, you are going to be on your own. With that new responsibility you have to know that you are going to make mistakes, and many of them. The thing to remeber though is that your not alone, and everyone around you is going through some stage of what you are. I would tell myself that you have to learn to shake it off. You can't let your life be ruled by your mistakes but rather by what you learn from those mistakes. No matter how much you get discouraged know that there is always gonna be a light at the end of the tunnel, and there are resources on campus and off that are there when those hard times fall on you. Learn to use those resources and branch out to make friends. The hardest part about going to college is realizing that you have to grow up. Through perseverance, hard work, and not getting discouraged, you will do just fine. Just remember there are going to be bumps in your long and winding journey. (Also take time to have some fun!)

Going to school is going to bridge the gap between being a school student and being an educated adult who can handle lifes daily trials. It will get the education you need to succeed well in life and prosper in whatever feild you endevor. It will teach you how to be an adult, well still keeping you protected to a certain extent. It will allow you to grow mentally as well as academically. It will teach you how to depend on yourself, how to depend on others, and how to succeed in the working word. It prepares you for the real world outside. It tells you what to expect and how to handle it. It will teach you what you need to know to get the job of your dreams and then help you find that job. Its all yours for the taking, all you have to have the desire to go and the desire to succeed. Imagine what you want out of life a few years down the road and then decide what interests you and just do it. The future is yours for the taking.

I would advise my high school self: Just because you do not receive a large sum of scholarships on your first attempt, does not mean you will not receive any more in the future. Never give up on scholarships, or anything at all. Your freshman year in college is a tempting time to blow off studying and hang out with your friends, but do not ever do this. Yes, friends are very vital to have during college, but your grades are of utmost importance. Your friends will also start to make some dangerous choices and will attempt to persuade you to do the same. You know right from wrong, so please make the right decisions. When you are in college, you will find a job that will require a lot of your time and energy. Please realize that working a full time job will drain you in many ways and will most likely bring your grades down. The important thing is to stay focused and never lose sight of your dream to be a successful and happy woman.

Knowing what I know about college life, and if I could go back in time to when I was a senior in high school, I would tell myself to get serious about my life. I think senior high school students do not give enough thought about life and how to prepare for it. It is so important to search yourself and take careful consideration about what you want to do in life. It would be a good idea to already have narrowed down a field of study that you want to pursue when you go to college. So many high school students are just so excited about "going to college" and stuck on which college they will be attending that they loose sight of why they are going to college in the first place. Volunteering in your community is an excellent way to experience first hand some occcupations that you might be interested in once you finish college. Learn how to budget your money and your time so that you don't feel overwhelmed. Working part time in your senior year helps you experience how it feels to work, go to college and study. Finally, never give up your dreams.

Don't waste time deciding, you get lost and distracted to easily at that age. Just go. There is a huge world out there that is just waiting to be discovered. You can aspire to greatness if you only try. Don't be scared, dream of the greatness you can attain for yourself in the future. The world is truly yours for the taking and the more you know, the more you grow. The experiences you gain and the life long friends will make your life rich in the future. I waited to go until I raised my children and although it was well worth it to see them grow I do occasionally dream of how things may have been if only I had not given up on school at that time. School is so important to the growth of you as a person, no matter what the age. Dream greatness, attain greatness and begin it by gaining all the knowledge you can.

I would tell myself to better prepare for the college experience. Though Tarleton State is relatively small, I am from the middle of nowhere. I lived twenty miles from the nearest gas station. I would tell myself to get out of town a little more to better prepare for the culture shock of living in a city.

The best advice I could give to myself as a high school student would be to slow down! I was in such a hurry to have all the freedoms and responsibilities that come with adult life, that I robbed myself of the opportunity to enjoy my college years, and be involved in campus life. As much as possible, a student should stay in school and listen to the advice of counselors, teachers, and parents. Being a grown-up is tough, especially if you mess up your opportunity for education. You have the rest of your life to pay bills and work all the time, so enjoy your youth while you can, get a good education, and be involved in college life as much as possible. The friendships you make and the lessons you learn, will last a lifetime! Enjoy it!

Be open minded, don't rule out a college because of one dislike, you'd be surprised how one school could surprise you.

First off, it doesn't really matter where you go to school, you can learn anywhere. There are positive and negative things about every campus, these things being determined by the student or potential student. The best advice is to come up with a list of criteria that you can apply to potential college choices. These can range anywhere from location, tuition costs, or availability of recreational facilities, whatever is important to you. Make a list of these criteria and their answers for each respective college choice. You can use this list as a guide to help you make a final decision. To make the most of your college experience, just get involved on campus, with anything! Most schools have ample opportunities for involvement ranging from sports (competitive or intramural), performance groups, fraternaties, sororities, clubs, and professional organizations. In addition, many schools offer social functions such as movie screenings, special events for holidays or other occassions, and much more. Being involved is a great way to meet others who have similar interests as you. These people can become friends for life.